What does it mean to be born again?

¹Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

²The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”

³Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see the Kingdom of God.”

⁴Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

⁵Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into the Kingdom of God!

⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’

⁸The windblows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

⁹Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”

¹⁰Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?

¹¹Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.

¹²If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

¹³No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

¹⁴As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

¹⁵that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy became our father again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,

⁵who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

⁶Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials,

⁷that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—

⁸whom not having known you love; in whom, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory—

⁹receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

³For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

⁴But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared,

⁵not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

⁶whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior;

⁷that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

¹⁶Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

¹⁷Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

¹⁸But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;

¹⁹namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

²¹For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.