as my lord and savior.
Answer
Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom
of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
Matthew Henry has a nice commentary on this issue.
This is just an excerpt:
Our Saviour spoke of the necessity and nature of regeneration or the
new birth, and at once directed Nicodemus to the source of holiness of
the heart. Birth is the beginning of life; to be born again, is to
begin to live anew, as those who have lived much amiss, or to little
purpose. We must have a new nature, new principles, new affections,
new aims. By our first birth we were corrupt, shapen in sin; therefore
we must be made new creatures. No stronger expression could have been
chosen to signify a great and most remarkable change of state and
character. We must be entirely different from what we were before, as
that which begins to be at any time, is not, and cannot be the same
with that which was before. This new birth is from heaven, ch. 1:13,
and its tendency is to heaven. It is a great change made in the heart
of a sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means that something
is done in us, and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves.
Here is a link to read all of Matthew Henry's commentary. it is very beautiful.
http://biblehub.com/john/3-5.
Scroll down and look for Matthew Henry's Commentary
