Water and Blood

Without getting into the complexities of the whole God-time/space-time continuum subject, which came first; the Christian or the Church? I ask because there exists in our society the belief that the Church manufactures Christians by indoctrination. This belief persists despite the fact that it is false. The reason for this error is a combination of wishful thinking and misinformation.

It is the hope of some, within and without the church, that by manipulating statements of doctrine that a new, less odious brand of Christian will appear. This is why we see churches accepting “new truths” concerning that which they once perceived as sin. Though some will follow along, altering the message about divorce, homosexuality, cohabitation without marriage, children out of wedlock, and lawlessness does not change Christianity any more than did the “clothesline preaching” of old. It only creates a climate of forced conformity.

Although some church officials are loathe to admit it, Christianity exists independent of church organizations. New “seeker friendly” churches have not created a new Christianity with a modern, closer-to-society outlook. They have only created a haven for those who choose to refuse certain truths which are contrary to their lifestyle.

The reason I can say this in the face of today's mega-churches that preach about vocational promotion and material gain more than righteous living is that, at its root, Christianity is not taught. Christianity is a matter of water and blood. The two exist side by side but they do not mix. To be a Christian, one must be born to it—period.

Churches, regardless of religion or denomination, are gatherings of like minded individuals. Christians are individuals born into a relationship with Christ. It is that relationship to Christ, not church affiliation, that is Christianity. In order to maintain a harmonious relationship with Christ, one may simply leave a church which has strayed from its first principles. That person remains a Christian even without a church.

“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.”

Water and blood are the difference between Church and Christian. For roughly nine months we live in the water of our mother's womb before we are born into this word as a human being. We are born with certain strengths and weakness and a proclivity for self-enthronement. Humans organize, make rules for living together, and build monuments to their achievements. Churches are monuments to human achievement—they may be more than that, but they are not required to be.

A human being who surrenders himself at the Cross of Christ is born of the blood shed there. Internally, the water born man dies that the blood born, spiritual man may live. He lives in Christ. No matter what a church, any church, may teach you, without a blood borne, spiritual, new birth, you are not a Christian and you cannot enter the kingdom of God. “Ye must be born again.” It is not the doctrine of a church—it is the word of God.