~Nicodemus and the Born Again Believer!~

[Jayyycuuup]

The focus of this topic is mainly Nicodemus question to Christ (found in John 3:4) of how one can become born again?

So my question to you is how can one become born again?

How does one know that he is born again?

What happens when you are born again and what does it mean?

[noobie]

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." First you have to be born of water. If you are reading this reply then you are born of water because that would imply you are alive and was born from your mother. Water bust when you are born and so on. That is the first birth. Second is born of the Spirit. Accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior is another birth... A Spiritual birth. Doing both things makes you born again. People try to make it more difficult than it needs to be. It's as easy as that.

Edited May 26, 2013 by noobie

[noobie]

Wow my font got tiny somehow on that reply, sorry about that.

[Guest]

1. So my question to you is how can one become born again?

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born ^[c]again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His ^[e]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

³ This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3

2. How does one know that he is born again?

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— ² and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 1 John 1:1-4

¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery ^[g]leading to fear again, but you have received ^[h]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8: 15-17

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before ^[d]Him. In love ^{5 [e]}He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the ^[f]kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In ^[g]Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He ^[h]lavished on ^[i]us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He ^[j]made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His ^[k]kind intention which He purposed in Him ¹⁰ with a view to an administration ^[l]suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things ^[m]in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him ^{11 [n]}also we ^[o]have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in ^[p]Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In ^[q]Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also ^[r]believed, you were sealed in ^[s]Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is ^[t]given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:3-14

3. What happens when you are born again and what does it mean?

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead ^[f]in our transgressions, made us alive together ^[g]with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and ^[h]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:4-8

⁴ Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have become ^[a]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be ^[b]in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old ^[c]self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be ^[d]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for he who has died is ^[e]freed from sin.

⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, ^[f]is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:4-11

Finally, I would have to add one more Scripture...

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34 & 35

To sum it up...I live because He Lives, I love because he loved first.

Thanks for the post Jacob.

God bless you,

Randal

[ncn]

I'll borrow the words of Candice that she wrote sometime ago because they are so simple. (Candice forgive me for using something that you wrote)

I'm somewhat fatigued this evening to write a long post.

Thank you jacob for starting this thread.

Salvation is as simple as A, B, C -

Admit your sinful state when compared to God's moral perfection.

This admission is called repentance toward God (Acts 20:21)

Believe on Jesus Christ who died to pay your sin debt to God. He not only died as your substitute,

He rose to life again as proof of God's satisfaction with His work. This is faith toward our Lord Jesus (Acts 20:21)

Salvation is a grace gift from God to all who will receive Christ. Simply trust Him.

When you do, God exchanges your sin for Christ's righteousness - forever!

[Guest ninhao]

The focus of this topic is mainly Nicodemus question to Christ (found in John 3:4) of how one can become born again?

So my question to you is how can one become born again?

Mar_1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Rom 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

How does one know that he is born again?

Mat_7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Gal_4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

What happens when you are born again and what does it mean?

Eph 4:21-24 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Mat_25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

[Jayyycuuup]

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." First you have to be born of water. If you are reading this reply then you are born of water because that would imply you are alive and was born from your mother. Water bust when you are born and so on. That is the first birth. Second is born of the Spirit. Accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior is another birth... A Spiritual birth. Doing both things makes you born again. People try to make it more difficult than it needs to be. It's as easy as that.

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." First you have to be born of water. If you are reading this reply then you are born of water because that would imply you are alive and was born from your mother. Water bust when you are born and so on. That is the first birth. Second is born of the Spirit. Accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior is another birth... A Spiritual birth. Doing both things makes you born again. People try to make it more difficult than it needs to be. It's as easy as that.

I am not ensuring complexity.

It is something that most people look over rather than look to the teaching presented.

This was simply a "base" or foundation to build from.

One of the things I hope to discuss is that there is a component here that I think is often looked over.

There is a difference between "believing" and BELIEVING.

[Jayyycuuup]

1. So my question to you is how can one become born again?

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born ^[c]again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His ^[e]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

³ This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3

2. How does one know that he is born again?

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— ² and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 1 John 1:1-4

¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery ^[g]leading to fear again, but you have received ^[h]a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8: 15-17

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before ^[d]Him. In love ^{5 [e]}He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the ^[f]kind intention of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷ In ^[g]Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He ^[h]lavished on ^[i]us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He ^[j]made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His ^[k]kind intention which He purposed in Him ¹⁰ with a view to an administration ^[l]suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things ^[m]in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him ^{11 [n]}also we ^[o]have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in ^[p]Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In ^[q]Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also ^[r]believed, you were sealed in ^[s]Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ who is ^[t]given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:3-14

3. What happens when you are born again and what does it mean?

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead ^[f]in our transgressions, made us alive together ^[g]with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and ^[h]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:4-8

⁴ Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have become ^[a]united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be ^[b]in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old ^[c]self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be ^[d]done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for he who has died is ^[e]freed from sin.

⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, ^[f]is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:4-11

Finally, I would have to add one more Scripture...

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34 & 35

To sum it up...I live because He Lives, I love because he loved first.

Thanks for the post Jacob.

God bless you,

Randal

Amen Randal,

Thank you for your reply and for providing scriptures!

[noobie]

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." First you have to be born of water. If you are reading this reply then you are born of water because that would imply you are alive and was born from your mother. Water bust when you are born and so on. That is the first birth. Second is born of the Spirit. Accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior is another birth... A Spiritual birth. Doing both things makes you born again. People try to make it more difficult than it needs to be. It's as easy as that.

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." First you have to be born of water. If you are reading this reply then you are born of water because that would imply you are alive and was born from your mother. Water bust when you are born and so on. That is the first birth. Second is born of the Spirit. Accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior is another birth... A Spiritual birth. Doing both things makes you born again. People try to make it more difficult than it needs to be. It's as easy as that.

I am not ensuring complexity.

It is something that most people look over rather than look to the teaching presented.

This was simply a "base" or foundation to build from.

One of the things I hope to discuss is that there is a component here that I think is often looked over.

There is a difference between "believing" and BELIEVING.

Sorry Jacob I didn't mean to imply that I thought you was ensuring complexity. Some times in forums and even text messages to family I seem to lead people into thinking I mean something that I don't. I was just giving the most simple and easy reply to others who might not really know. I love what you do here on these forums and enjoy reading the post you make. God Bless and keep doing what you do!

[Jayyycuuup]

I'll borrow the words of Candice that she wrote sometime ago because they are so simple. (Candice forgive me for using something that you wrote)

I'm somewhat fatigued this evening to write a long post.

Thank you jacob for starting this thread.

Salvation is as simple as A, B, C -

Admit your sinful state when compared to God's moral perfection.

This admission is called repentance toward God (Acts 20:21)

Believe on Jesus Christ who died to pay your sin debt to God. He not only died as your substitute,

He rose to life again as proof of God's satisfaction with His work. This is faith toward our Lord Jesus (Acts 20:21)

Salvation is a grace gift from God to all who will receive Christ. Simply trust Him.

When you do, God exchanges your sin for Christ's righteousness - forever!

I'll borrow the words of Candice that she wrote sometime ago because they are so simple. (Candice forgive me for using something that you wrote)

I'm somewhat fatigued this evening to write a long post.

Thank you jacob for starting this thread.

Salvation is as simple as A, B, C -

Admit your sinful state when compared to God's moral perfection.

This admission is called repentance toward God (Acts 20:21)

Believe on Jesus Christ who died to pay your sin debt to God. He not only died as your substitute,

He rose to life again as proof of God's satisfaction with His work. This is faith toward our Lord Jesus (Acts 20:21)

Salvation is a grace gift from God to all who will receive Christ. Simply trust Him.

When you do, God exchanges your sin for Christ's righteousness - forever!

I'll borrow the words of Candice that she wrote sometime ago because they are so simple. (Candice forgive me for using something that you wrote)

I'm somewhat fatigued this evening to write a long post.

Thank you jacob for starting this thread.

Salvation is as simple as A, B, C -

Admit your sinful state when compared to God's moral perfection.

This admission is called repentance toward God (Acts 20:21)

Believe on Jesus Christ who died to pay your sin debt to God. He not only died as your substitute,

He rose to life again as proof of God's satisfaction with His work. This is faith toward our Lord Jesus (Acts 20:21)

Salvation is a grace gift from God to all who will receive Christ. Simply trust Him.

When you do, God exchanges your sin for Christ's righteousness - forever!

RIght ncn.

As I stated earlier, this is simply a "base" to build from.

I was not intending to focus as much on the salvational aspect as I am on the transformational part and the "belief aspect."

John 2:23-25 makes the point of interest concerning the "belief" portion.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.^{[a] 24} But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.