Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” - John 3:5-6
The timely truths that Christ testified to here are foundational doctrines for the Christian church. So when someone says “doctrine doesn’t matter,” gently correct them by referring to the title verse. Doctrine does matter. And adhering to correct Christian doctrine will guarantee that we don’t ever hear Jesus reject our claims as followers. “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” - Matthew 7:23.
Christ is clear in his testimony to Nicodemus - unless we are born of water and Spirit, we cannot enter the kingdom of God! Washing and regeneration are the key elements leading to faith in Jesus because without the regeneration by the Holy Spirit we can never come to true faith. This is what is meant by regeneration - rebirth. So whenever Jesus imposes a condition on our spiritual position, it is doctrine!
Nicodemus was a Jew by birth and according to Jewish law, Jews were the chosen people by virtue of their pedigree as children of Abraham. Nothing else (aside from following Jewish law) was necessary for salvation. To this, Jesus posited that, no, even the Jews must be “born again” if they were to ever gain entry to the kingdom of God. Their laws could not save them.
Nicodemus was utterly stupefied. He questioned Christ as to how a man could ever be “born again.” Jesus responded, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” - John 3:7-8. The Holy Spirit does as He pleases, not as any man commands. Aside from being a perfect example of the Spirit’s actions in the human heart, this is also a Biblically sound denial of the alleged ability of humans to be able to call upon the Spirit or to summon His presence when they feel the desire as many Charismatics claim - “the wind blows where it wishes” . . . not where any man would direct it! To put it another way: the wind (Spirit) blows (regenerates) where (who) it will. And this concept also supports the idea of God’s unconditional election. The Spirit of God will regenerate those who He chooses and bypass those He chooses to reject. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” - Ephesians 1:3-4.
Jesus went on to say that what is born merely of flesh is mere . . . flesh, hence the need for spiritual washing and regeneration. Jesus made this statement because this was precisely why He had come as the incarnate Son of God - “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:4-7. To believe or behave otherwise violates the most fundamental Christian doctrine: that of the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, resulting in the washing and regeneration of our souls, thus making us salvageable by the blood of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ.
Yes, brothers and sisters, doctrine does matter. And in the case of our salvation, it is all that matters. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” - John 5:24.
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