WATER & SPIRIT

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless."

-Ephesians 5:25-27

We live in a culture of self-justification, where people define their own identities and establish their own subjective standards of and for righteousness, many approach Scripture the same way—seeking validation for their beliefs rather than submitting to the perfect, sufficient, and unchanging truth of God's Word. One passage frequently misinterpreted to support a works-based righteousness is John 3:5, where King Jesus tells Nicodemus:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Some wrongly claim that Jesus is teaching that water baptism is necessary for salvation, arguing that the phrase “born of water” refers to the act of water baptism as a regenerative work. However, such an interpretation fails to recognize the larger biblical theology of salvation by grace through faith, the immediate context of John’s Gospel, and Jesus’ rebuke of Nicodemus’ self-righteous mindset.

The fundamental issue at stake is idolatry—trusting in external religious acts instead of the finished work of Christ (John 19:30). This is precisely what the Apostle Paul addresses in Colossians 2:8-23, where he warns believers against elevating human traditions and self-imposed religious practices above the sufficiency of Christ.

Nicodemus and the Idolatry of Self-Righteousness:

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and teacher of Israel, deeply entrenched in the idolatry of external religion. The Pharisees believed that righteousness came from strict adherence to the Law and external rituals—circumcision, ceremonial washings, temple sacrifices, and public displays of piety. Their entire framework was works-based righteousness.

But King Jesus tells Nicodemus that such external acts are worthless for entering the kingdom of God. Instead, he must be “born again” (John 3:3), “born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). This was an overt and direct assault on the Pharisaic belief that righteousness could be achieved through religious observance.

Jesus’ point is clear: Salvation does not come from within—by human effort or religious ritual—it comes entirely from outside us. It is a supernatural work of God (Eph 2:9).

Colossians 2: The Danger of Religious Legalism:

Paul echoes this same truth in Colossians 2:8-23, where he warns against relying on external religious acts as a means of salvation:

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

-Colossians 2:8

Nicodemus had been taken captive by the empty deceit of legalism—believing that religious rituals could make him right before God. But Jesus dismantles this idea.

Paul continues: “In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

-Colossians 2:11-12

Here, Paul clarifies that true baptism is not water baptism, but the spiritual transformation of being united with Christ. Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward reality, but it does not regenerate—Christ alone saves and regenerates us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul then explicitly denounces the idea that religious works—rituals, sacraments, or human traditions—can make one right with God:

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”

-Colossians 2:16-17

The Pharisees (including Nicodemus) clung to shadows—external observances and rituals—but Jesus calls us to the substance: Himself.

The Old Testament Background: Water and Spirit in Ezekiel:

To understand Jesus’ words in John 3:5, we must consider His Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God promises:

“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes.”

This passage describes God’s cleansing (water) and God’s renewing (Spirit)—not a religious ceremony, but a supernatural transformation from outside of us.

Just as natural water cleanses the body externally, Jesus, the eternal Word, is the living water that cleanses us spiritually and makes us new creations in Christ (John 4:10-14).

Put to Death the Idolatry of Self-Righteousness:

Paul concludes Colossians 2 with a sharp rebuke of religious legalism and human traditions: “If you died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’—referring to things that all perish as they are used—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

-Colossians 2:20-23

This is the core issue with the claim that water baptism is required for salvation—it reduces salvation to an external work rather than a supernatural act of grace. Paul urges believers in Colossians 3:5 to “put to death” such idolatrous thinking: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you… covetousness, which is idolatry.”

When people insist that salvation requires an external act like baptism, they exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25) and commit the idolatry of self-righteousness. True salvation comes not from human effort but from the sovereign work of God in Christ.

Conclusion: Salvation Is Entirely External to Us, But Baptism Still Matters:

Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:5 was not about water baptism as a requirement for salvation but about the necessity of being made new by the Spirit of God. Just as water cleans externally, Jesus—the Word made flesh—cleanses us spiritually. John 3:5 is not about a ritual act of baptism; it is a profound theological truth:

Old Testament: Ezekiel 36:25-27 – God cleanses with water and gives new life by His Spirit.

Colossians 2: Paul warns against human traditions and self-imposed religion, emphasizing that Christ alone saves.

New Testament Gospel: John 1:12-13 – We are born of God, not human will or effort.

Christ’s Call: We must put to death the idolatry of self-righteousness and trust in the sufficiency of Christ alone.

What About Believer’s Baptism?

While baptism does not save, that doesn't mean it is without value. Believer’s baptism is an important step of obedience, a public declaration of our union with Christ, and a visible testimony of His grace and mercy at work in the life of the local church.

• Romans 6:3-4 describes baptism as an outward picture of our identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

• Matthew 28:19-20 commands baptism as part of the Great Commission, signifying discipleship.

• Acts 2:41, 8:36-38 show new believers joyfully obeying Christ in baptism as a testimony to their faith.

Baptism does not regenerate, but it does proclaim. It testifies that we have already been made new by Christ and are no longer our own—we belong to Him. The Question Remains: What Are You Trusting In? The danger in elevating baptism to a requirement for salvation is that it shifts trust away from Christ’s finished work on the cross and places it on human action(s). That is the idolatry Paul warns against in Colossians 2:8-23—trusting in rituals rather than in Christ alone. Salvation belongs to the Lord—not to man. So, are you trusting in what you do, or in what Christ has done?

If your faith is in Christ alone, then baptism becomes a joyful act of obedience, not a burden of necessity. It is not a means of earning God's grace—it is a joyful response to the grace you have already received.

Therefore, let us walk in obedience to God's WORD, not to be saved, but because we have been rescued and redeemed by the blood of Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit!

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." -Jesus

Blessings and love,

Kevin M. Kelley

Senior Pastor

BigIslandChristianChurch.com