John 3:5

John 3:3-7, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Many false prophets errantly teach that Jesus in John 3:5 was requiring water baptism to get to Heaven. This false teaching in theology is called Baptismal Regeneration. John 3:5, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Case in point, here is a disturbing quote from Catholic.com...

Catholic Perspective

Jesus is speaking to a Jewish leader named Nicodemus who has begun to accept Jesus’ authority to speak on behalf of God. When Jesus says that one must be “born anew” or “born from above” to see the kingdom of God, Nicodemus asks how one can be “born again.” Jesus answers him with this unmistakable reference to baptism.

This reference becomes clearer in the context of the passage, since Jesus and his disciples go and baptize people after this encounter. The Church Fathers unanimously agreed this verse referred to baptismal regeneration. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: John 3:5, Catholic Answers

Catholic.com are WRONG! What they are teaching is another gospel accursed by God. John 3:5, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Verse 6 explains verse 5, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Birth by water simply refers to the physical human birth, that is, of the flesh. A baby spends 9 months inside its mother's water bag in her womb; hence, born of water.

The second birth by the Holy Spirit of God is a spiritual birth. This birth can only be obtained by trusting Jesus Christ as one's personal Savior apart from all works. Adding water baptism to one's faith cannot produce the new birth. Only wholly leaning on Jesus' name produces the new birth. John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:47, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Faith is the only righteous thing that I can do.

The Bible is very clear that water baptism is NOT required or allowed to be saved. Let us make several biblical observations which evidence that baptism is not necessary to be saved:

1. No one in the Old Testament was baptized to be saved. Acts 10:43 says they were all saved by faith in Christ. Galatians 1:6-7 says there's always been only one Gospel.
2. The repentant thief on the cross didn't get baptized. All he could do is trust Christ.
3. The Apostle John tells us how to “know” we are saved in 1st John 5:13, yet he doesn't mention baptism even once. Surely if being baptized is required to get to Heaven, John would have stressed the importance to be water baptized, but he didn't.
4. The Apostle Paul didn't baptize his converts, he said Christ only sent him to preach the Gospel (1st Corinthians 1:17). Paul never would have said such a thing if baptism were necessary to be saved.
5. When the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:36-39 asked to be water baptized, Brother Phillip told him that he first needed to be saved by trusting on Jesus as the Son of God.
6. The Gospel of John is God's Gospel tract according to John 20:31. Yet, we don't find any teaching to be water baptized in the Gospel of John to get to Heaven. We do find the word “believe” mentioned 85 times (e.g., John 3:16, 6:28-29, 11:25-26).
7. In Acts 16:30-31 when the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what he needed to do to be saved, they simply told him to: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Paul and Silas didn't tell the jailer to get water baptized, turn from his sins or become a Christ follower; they just told him to BELIEVE that Jesus did it all for him through Calvary's cross. BELIEVE IT, Oh guilty sinner, and you will be instantly and forever saved.
8. The Apostle Paul defines “the gospel” (Good News) in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 by which all who believe it are saved; yet, Paul doesn't mention baptism.
9. Baptism is the public profession of one's faith; an outward snapshot of what has happened inwardly. The Gospel symbolizes Jesus' death on the cross, burial and resurrection in which we trust for eternal life.

Shame on anyone who falsely teaches that John 3:5 teaches Baptismal Regeneration. Jesus was simply teaching Nicodemus that to be born of the flesh (water) is one thing, but to be born of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) is another. Notice that “Spirit” in John 3:5 is capitalized, meaning it refers to God's Holy Spirit. 1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” This verse refers to the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit, which only a child of God can have (Romans 8:9; 1st Corinthians 3:16-17). The unsaved man doesn't have the Holy Spirit and cannot understand the things of God (1st Corinthians 2:14-16).

Many churchgoers have been woefully misled to trust in water baptism to get them into Heaven, which guarantees that they won't be allowed into Heaven (Luke 13:23-24; Acts 15:1).

I remember an article in 2003 that appeared in the Chicago Tribune titled, "Facing Uncertain Death, Troops Line Up For Baptism." That is so sad. Those young soldiers are being given false hope. Getting dunked into a church baptistery no more makes one a Christian, than walking into a garage would make you an automobile. My Mom's mother was a Christian, but never got baptized. What those troops need is to be born-again, which happens by faith alone in Jesus Christ because of what He did through Calvary's cross to pay our debt of sin.

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty!

Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith.

Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work.

If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from?

The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU.