⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You^[a] must be born from above.’^[b]

³ Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”^[a](A)

²² to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts,^{(A) 23} and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.^(B)

²⁷ But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.^(A)

The New Life in Christ

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.^{(A) 2} Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.^[a](B)

²² Now that you have purified your souls^[a] by your obedience to the truth^[b] so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart.^[c](A)

¹⁴ Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. ¹⁵ Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct,^{(A) 16} for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”^(B)

Warnings against Rejecting God’s Grace

¹⁴ Pursue peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

¹² giving thanks to the Father,^[a] who has enabled^[b] you^[c] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

⁶¹ But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you?^{(A) 62} Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?^{(B) 63} It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.