John 3 - Every Man's Bible

3:1-12  Spiritual rebirth is necessary to enter God’s Kingdom. Being born again is the easy, passive part—just as a baby merely goes through the birth process. The challenge comes as we grow up and must choose to submit our wills to the control of God’s Spirit. As we do this, we grow up spiritually and are transformed by God in the process. Transformation is not attained by trying harder to live a better life. It is the result of growing in the grace of God that is bestowed on us as we continually surrender our lives to him. It is the result of the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit that takes place as we yield our will to his over the course of our lives.

3:16-18  Faith says yes to God’s loving overtures to us. God cared enough to send his own Son—Jesus Christ—to pay for our failures. True faith has nothing to do with our human efforts, social achievements, or material wealth. Instead, saving faith says to God: “I’m a helpless sinner, unable to effect my own salvation. I trust your forgiveness, which you freely offer me in Jesus Christ.” That kind of faith in God delivers us from the ultimate consequences of our sins—eternal separation from God. It also gives us the power to make changes in the present that will plant the seeds for a new life.