Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again."

"I will give water to the thirsty land and make streams flow on the dry ground. I will pour out my spirit on your children and my blessing on your descendants.

They will thrive like well-watered grass, like willows by streams of running water.

I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you.

I will put my spirit in you and will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you.

I baptize you with water to show that you have repented, but the one who will come after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. He is much greater than I am; and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Peter said to them, "Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit.

He did this to dedicate the church to God by his word, after making it clean by washing it in water,

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed,

God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior,

You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure.

which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Jesus Christ is the one who came with the water of his baptism and the blood of his death. He came not only with the water, but with both the water and the blood. And the Spirit himself testifies that this is true, because the Spirit is truth.

the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and all three give the same testimony.

They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.

For the law of the Spirit, which brings us life in union with Christ Jesus, has set me free from the law of sin and death.

We have not received this world's spirit; instead, we have received the Spirit sent by God, so that we may know all that God has given us.

Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

You know that Christ is righteous; you should know, then, that everyone who does what is right is God's child.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is a child of God; and whoever loves a father loves his child also.

Jesus Christ is the one who came with the water of his baptism and the blood of his death. He came not only with the water, but with both the water and the blood. And the Spirit himself testifies that this is true, because the Spirit is truth.

the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and all three give the same testimony.

I tell you, then, that you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.

and said, "I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.

No indeed! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did."

"Do your best to go in through the narrow door; because many people will surely try to go in but will not be able.

Peter said to them, "Each one of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. If you do,

For God's Kingdom is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of the righteousness, peace, and joy which the Holy Spirit gives.

Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.

All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also.

It does not matter at all whether or not one is circumcised; what does matter is being a new creature.

But God's mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great,

In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with him to rule with him in the heavenly world.

For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it.

God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.

We must thank God at all times for you, friends, you whom the Lord loves. For God chose you as the first to be saved by the Spirit's power to make you his holy people and by your faith in the truth.

God called you to this through the Good News we preached to you; he called you to possess your share of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.