Nascer de novo

3 Jesus answered and said to him,* "Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten from Above,* he is not able to see* the kingdom of God."

3 Jesus answered and said to him,* "Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten from Above,* he is not able to see* the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus says to Him: "How can a man be begotten, being old? He can’t enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus answered: "Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten by water* and Spirit he is not able to enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which has been begotten by the flesh is flesh, and that which has been begotten by the Spirit is spirit.* 7 Do not be perplexed that I said to you, ‘You (pl) need to be begotten from Above.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you (sg) hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who has been begotten by the Spirit."*

5 Jesus answered: "Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten by water* and Spirit he is not able to enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which has been begotten by the flesh is flesh, and that which has been begotten by the Spirit is spirit.* 7 Do not be perplexed that I said to you, ‘You (pl) need to be begotten from Above.’

15 I tell you assuredly, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child does* will certainly not enter it."

How to be ‘big’ in the Kingdom

1 At that time the disciples approached Jesus saying, "Who then is greater in the kingdom of the heavens?" 2 So Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said: "Assuredly I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of the heavens. 4 Therefore whoever will humble himself like this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of the heavens.

17 so then, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old things have passed on; look, all has become new!*

20 I have been crucified with Christ, so it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; what I now live in this body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself in my place.*

22 that you put away, concerning your former way of life, the old man* (that keeps on being corrupted by the deceitful desires), 23 and that you be renewed* in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new man, created in the likeness of God,* in true righteousness and holiness.

12 But, as many as did receive Him,* to them He gave the right to become children of God,* one by receiving Christ. Presumably ‘receiving’ is a conscious act. Each of my two children did this when four years old. to those who believe into His name:*’ (Greek εν) Jesus or His name; always it reads ‘believe into’ (Greek εις). People believe in Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, the goodness of man, or whatever, but it makes no difference in their lives. Many millions of people say they ‘believe in Jesus’, but it makes no difference in their lives either. You have to believe into Him—commitment and identification are involved, that go along with the change in location, from being outside to being inside. As Jesus Himself said in John 6:53-56, you have to "eat" His flesh and "drink" His blood. If you eat something your body assimilates it, it becomes part of you. 13 who were begotten, not by blood, nor by the desire of the flesh, nor by the will of a man,* relationship between them. but by God.*

4 But at just the right time God sent out His Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 so that He might redeem those under law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

4 But God—being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions—made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)