Baptism of Water and the Spirit

The baptism of John was "the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus" (Acts 19.4). The baptism of repentance in which John baptized with water could not regenerate people but prepares the way. Except one be born "of water and the Spirit" he is not born again. The baptism of repentance announces that not only man’s behavior—being deadly wicked—needs to be repented of, but also man himself—being corrupted and dead—must be buried in baptism.

When one enters the water to be baptized he is confessing before God how wicked is his behavior and how corrupted and dead in transgressions he is, that he deserves nothing but death and burial.

Yet man is not born again "of water" alone; he must be born both "of water and the Spirit." He must receive the gift of the Holy Spirit from the Lord Jesus and God’s life. John the Baptist preached "repentance" first (Mark 1.4), with the Lord Jesus following immediately by adding "believe" to it ("repent ye, and believe the gospel" Mark 1.15). Repentance delivers us from all which belongs to us. Believing gets us into all which belongs to God. We enter the water through repentance, we receive the Holy Spirit by faith. To enter the water and to receive the Holy Spirit in this way is to be born "of water and the Spirit." To repent and enter the water concludes the life of the old man; to believe and be joined to the Holy Spirit is to receive the life of God. This is regeneration.