~Nicodemus and the Born Again Believer!~

[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.

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!

Noobie, your responses are so humble and pleasant.

I was just making a generalization.

I presented this discussion in chat and it took awhile to get to the gist of the discussion. Which seemingly, will occur here as well, which is fine. . . .

I was just making a point of my intentions etc.

God bless you friend, hope you understand.

Thank you also for you compliment!

Glad you are here

Hope you stick around in this thread!

[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?

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:

We meet again Nin! Haha

Thank you for the scriptures and your response!

I am enjoying the diversity of the scriptures, gives a great point of view from every side of the spectrum which is very interesting and encouraging!

[Jayyycuuup]

To further the discussion. . . .

What are your thoughts concerning these three points?

1- The Spirit gives us a new perspective

2- The Spirit gives us a new direction

3- The spirit gives us a new power

Along with that, I believe that being born again means we inherit a new nature. Thoughts?

[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!

Noobie, your responses are so humble and pleasant.

I was just making a generalization.

I presented this discussion in chat and it took awhile to get to the gist of the discussion. Which seemingly, will occur here as well, which is fine. . . .

I was just making a point of my intentions etc.

God bless you friend, hope you understand.

Thank you also for you compliment!

Glad you are here

Hope you stick around in this thread!

Well in that case we have to look into the role of the Holy Spirit. Paul comes right into verse 16, which is tied to our lifestyle that's going to merit rewards or lack of it, by bringing up a completely new doctrine in Scripture. You don't find this in the Old Testament, you don't find Jesus teaching it, Peter and the eleven don't teach it, only Paul teaches it, and what is it? "That God Himself is dwelling in this body." Now that's a concept that you have to take by faith, because you didn't feel Him move in, you don't feel Him moving around in you, but He's there because His Word says He is. Now let's look at it.

I Corinthians 3:16

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

Even these poor old carnal Corinthians were temples of the living God. To every believer, the moment he believes, the Spirit comes and indwells. Now usually when I teach young people (and that doesn't mean it doesn't apply to older folks), but I usually tell young people, "Now look, when you go to some ungodly place, you're not going to check God at the door. You take Him wherever you go. You cannot check Him wherever you think it's not fit for Him to be, so you'd better be careful where you go. Because this body is the temple of the indwelling Holy Spirit and He comes the moment we believe!"

I Corinthians 3:16

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

Now that's plain language. You don't have to be a theologian to understand that. The third Person of the Trinity, as we refer to Him - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit - the third Person of the Trinity comes and indwells the believer. That's why God can know every thought. Now that's scary, isn't it? God knows our thoughts. God knows every place we go. He knows everything we do. Because He's here in our heart. Now in your mind's eye, if you will, go all the way back to when Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem, which was going to be the dwelling place of God. When the Temple was complete, and they dedicated it, what happened? Well, the presence of God in the Shekinah Glory came right down into that Temple there at Jerusalem. The presence of God dwelt in that dwelling place, which was the Temple Now that was just a foreview of this Age of Grace where, when God saves an individual, he immediately becomes a Temple, a dwelling place. And just like the Shekinah Glory came into Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit comes into us. Not as visibly. It isn't manifested in much the same way, but according to the Book, this is what happens. And if the Book says it, we have to believe it. He is dwelling within us.

Romans 8:26

"Likewise the Spirit (the Holy Spirit who is now indwelling us, according to Paul's teaching) also helpeth our infirmities(our weaknesses. There's not much we can do about it because we're dealing with the invisible, in the realm of the Spirit. But let God do it. God can strengthen us in our places of infirmity): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

That verse is kind of hard to comprehend, except to say I think that there will come places in our lives when we just don't know how to pray. We have an idea of what we want, but we can't put it into words. I've told people over the years, when you get to that situation, just be quiet and let the Holy Spirit commune for you. This is not necessarily a tongues experience. That's not what Paul is talking about. But we get to this place where the Holy Spirit actually intercedes on our behalf. Now, come back to I John. This is a different intercessory power that John talks about in his epistle.

I John 2:1

"My little children (who is he talking to? Believers! He doesn't call the unbelieving world his children. It's the believing element that is being addressed), these things I write unto you, that ye sin not (we are under Grace and not under law. Grace is not license. Just because we're under Grace, just because the sin is always less than God's Grace, that doesn't give us license. And so John says the same thing. He begs the believer - sin not! Don't sin!). And, if any man sin (that's conditional. What are we going to do? We're going to sin! You might as well admit it), we have an advocate with the Father (now what is an advocate? It's an intercessor. We have Someone Who is interceding for us to the Father. And Who is it?), Jesus Christ the righteous:"

Absolutely He is! He is there 24 hours a day, every day of the year. I'm sure that at any one moment of time, there are probably a million believers in all areas of the world that are approaching the throne room. But He hears every one as an individual. He doesn't hear just a mumble-jumble of voices coming up before Him. And so when we pray we have that assurance that He hears us and He knows all about us as a person. Now, back in Romans 8, the Holy Spirit is interceding on behalf of us. And again, I think we have all three Persons of the Trinity involved, even in our prayer life. All three Persons are working for us constantly. A little later in this chapter, no wonder Paul will write, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" We've got all three Persons constantly working on our behalf. Let's read on.

Romans 8:27

"And he that searcheth the hearts (this is the area in which God works. You and I can't look on each others hearts. I can't judge anyone, nor would I ever try. But God does) knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit (now hold it. Where, so far as you and I are concerned, is the Spirit? He's in us. Now, that's a concept that we cannot understand. A person of the Godhead dwelling in me? Absolutely! It's what His Word says. And again, we take it by faith that the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is indwelling the believer. And it's through that Holy Spirit that God searches the heart of the believer), because He (the Holy Spirit) maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

Does that leave out the Son? No! It just involves all three. The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf and the Son intercedes on our behalf to the Father. It's just fantastic.

The Holy Spirit today in the Age of Grace points people to God, the Son. This is the work of the Holy Spirit, to point lost people to the Son. For we believers, it's the Holy Spirit's work to teach and encourage and reprove us, so that we might in turn bring honor and glory to the Son.

[missmuffet]

"Born Again" literally means "born from above".Sinners are spiritually"dead";when they receive spiritual life through faith in Christ the Bible likens it to rebirth.Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God.

To be Born Again you must pray to God and ask Him into your heart and life and ask for forgiveness.

[Guest]

You can decide if any of the following relate:

1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because ... No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them;

they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ...

//bible.cc/1_john/3-9.htm - 19k

1 John 5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to ... We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born

of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. ...

//bible.cc/1_john/5-18.htm - 19k

1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born ... Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and

everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. ...

//bible.cc/1_john/5-1.htm - 19k

1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes ... Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone

who loves has been born of God and knows God. ...

//bible.cc/1_john/4-7.htm - 19k

John 1:13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human ... children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision

or a husband's will, but born of God. ...

//bible.cc/john/1-13.htm - 17k

1 John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is ...

for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the ... For everyone

who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is ...

//bible.cc/1_john/5-4.htm - 19k

1 Peter 1:23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed ... For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,

through the living and enduring word of God. ...

//bible.cc/1_peter/1-23.htm - 19k

1 Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus ... ... All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy

that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. ...

//bible.cc/1_peter/1-3.htm - 20k

[gdemoss]

Some really good scripture given above from the New Testament concerning being born again.

 

In the context of John 3 we find Jesus speaking to Nicodemus and questioning him about being born again.  Jesus fully expects Nicodemus to understand what it means to be born again seeing that he is the teacher in Israel.

 

Jhn 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

 

Q:How is it that Jesus expected this man to know these things?

A:They are revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures.

 

Being born again is nothing new.  Why was the Torah written?

Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

 

The Galatians text is speaking more specifically of the law of Moses but applies to the whole of scripture.  The bible is a book of law given unto unrighteous men that they might be brought to God though Christ as the understand their brokenness as humans and see their need for God to be in them doing for them what they cannot do for themselves merely through the flesh.

 

Psa 78:5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:

 

What was this testimony?

 

Gen 32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

 

Jacob was born again.

 

We must also have power with God through being born of the Spirit of God as Ephesians 1 & 2 proclaim.

 

Eph 1:19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set [him] at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],

 

Eph 2:1 ¶ And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

 

I have power, through the same Spirit working in me, to do that which I ought to but could not on my own.  This testimony was originally established in Jacob and through out the OT scriptures as we watched God moving upon men as he pleased to strengthen them and give them abilities to accomplish great things (see Hebrews 11).  Many believe that the Spirit of God was different then than it is today, which is true to a certain extent as Pentecost brought in the pouring out of the Spirit of God unto all flesh but as I read and understand the scriptures, it has always been available to those who sought after God.  The problem was not with God but with men.

 

Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

 

It took the perfect lamb of God to come and show us exactly what it looks like to live a life separated unto God through the power of the Spirit in order for us to not be able to deny the truth about being born again.  Poor Nicodemus.  My heart goes out to the man who was trying to make sense of it all though he was part of the leadership appointed to blindness of heart that they would fulfill God's will in crucifying the Prince of Peace.  

 

Good stuff Jacob, thanks for the discussion.

[silviawang]

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

---GOD made me born again
 

How does one know that he is born again?

---when y born again,y will clearly know
 

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

---1.you will really understand the bible,no any pastor can teach y it is GOD open y heart

    2.GOD will cfm your understanding with undeniable miracle
 

[enoob57]

It begins with coming into true belief... just as God has formed His Words in the Word so you accept as true from God!

When this occurs you realize that there is nothing in the world or in yourself that can save you from the death you are in...

you agree with God that you are sin and unacceptable to His Beautiful Person in the place of righteousness where He 'IS'!

 

For me it was to ask for something that was worth everything yet nothing was all that I was... like a child I wept, empty, a 

very large void was what I had called life and I became without size just a need ... A Need of Jesus. I called out to His Name

and got up from the pew went forward to confess my belief in Him...

 

The person that was born in that time cannot ever call wrong right... You become two people- one desiring the old ways

and another thirsts for Life That God promises with Him. It is literal war ever after till we go home and leave this flesh behind!

Love, Steven

[Guest ninhao]

....

I have power, through the same Spirit working in me, to do that which I ought to but could not on my own.  This testimony was originally established in Jacob and through out the OT scriptures as we watched God moving upon men as he pleased to strengthen them and give them abilities to accomplish great things (see Hebrews 11).  Many believe that the Spirit of God was different then than it is today, which is true to a certain extent as Pentecost brought in the pouring out of the Spirit of God unto all flesh but as I read and understand the scriptures, it has always been available to those who sought after God.  The problem was not with God but with men.....

 

 

 

Hear hear !