... unless a man has been born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:1-17
... no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. John 3:3. Oxford NRSV
Some of the older Bible translations say, "... unless a man has been born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." That term "born again" has been used to challenge and discourage worshippers when asked, "Are you born again?" They imply that people are not religious if they haven't been "born" recently into the spirit. Are they not good enough for God to love them?
Here in John, Jesus makes it clear that God does not care whether or not we are "born again." All he asks, as he explains to Nicodemus, is that we believe in him. He very patiently says this is a bit of a mystery. "The wind blows where it chooses and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
And Jesus reassures him and us that "whoever believes in the (Son of Man) may have eternal life." And he gives us those remarkable words, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." He further reassures us by saying, "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
Val Hymes
