Among the teachings in John 3, the concept of being born again stands out as particularly prone to misunderstanding. Jesus emphasizes that one must be born again, not as a moral duty to fulfill, but as an event that must happen through the Father's will. Just as no one can initiate their own human birth, spiritual birth is a gift from our Father in heaven, who sovereignly implants His Spirit in an individual's heart. This spiritual birth transcends human effort, reflecting the Father's act of creation and salvation. The imagery of wind and Spirit in John 3 further illustrates this divine action, highlighting that spiritual life begins not by personal choice, but by the Father's sovereign design.

We must be like God before we can truly know Him and have fellowship with Him. God has given us His Holy Spirit so that we can have His mind and overcome our weaknesses. If we have God's own nature, we become 'sons of God,' or as Peter puts it, in II Peter 1:4, we can become 'partakers of the divine nature.' It is Christ alone who makes that possible for us. In Christ, eternal life was manifested, and He came to give us life, as John 10:10 states, 'I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.' We cannot have fellowship with God before we are like Him, and in Christ, we can receive a new life, a new nature. We can become 'a new man,' and we can say with Paul, 'I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me.'