How are you born again?

[tigger398]

On 10/9/2016 at 9:20 AM, Sister said:

John 3:5   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.

isn't this baptism

[Sister]

9 hours ago, Willa said:

Kwik, there is a fundamental difference in what we are saying.  Sister says being born again is either a feeling or it happens when we receive our glorified bodies.  I say we are born again when the Holy Spirit comes to reside in us.   I understand completely what she is saying.  She does not believe she is now born again because she still fails and sins.  She doesn't feel born again.  She is relying on her goodness.  

Hello again dear Willa

Please read this chapter, that mentions "born again". I am showing you how I understand it to continue our discussion.  I am not taking away the fact we need the holy spirit, not at all, but showing that this is not speaking of that subject in particular, but the resurrection as meaning born again.  This took me a long time to write out and I nearly just deleted it all because it's so long and I don't want to put you off, so please be patient with this and read through carefully with your beautiful heart, and if you don't agree, then that's ok.  I will not be offended.

blessings.

 

 1 Peter 1:2   Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

  1 Peter 1:3   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

(because Christ was resurrected from the dead, we have this hope....)

  1 Peter 1:4   To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

(the inheritance is coming, reserved, not given yet)

  1 Peter 1:5   Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

(starts with faith, ends in salvation)

  1 Peter 1:6   Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

  1 Peter 1:7   That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

There is a big trial that every one of us is given at some point.  If our trial is found to be of praise and honor - not failure, then it is found at the appearing of Christ (the coming and the resurrection).....at the end. 

  1 Peter 1:8   Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

  1 Peter 1:9   Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

(the end of our faith is the salvation of our souls, not the beginning. Signed, sealed and delivered - done)

  1 Peter 1:10   Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

  1 Peter 1:11   Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

(the glory came after Christ's death, the same will be for us)

  1 Peter 1:12   Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

(It was first revealed to the apostles, ...who revealed it unto us, through the Holy Ghost, and even the angels were not given all this first)

  1 Peter 1:13   Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

(again it speaks of hoping to the end for that grace to come when the decision is made by Christ)

  1 Peter 1:14   As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

  1 Peter 1:15   But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

  1 Peter 1:16   Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

  1 Peter 1:17   And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

(don't take it lightly, every man's work will be judged,...holy or not holy, our works are the "fruits" of our spirit, of what type it was)

  1 Peter 1:18   Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

  1 Peter 1:19   But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

  1 Peter 1:20   Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

  1 Peter 1:21   Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

(the resurrection of Christ. Given glory "after" his death....)

  1 Peter 1:22   Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

  1 Peter 1:23   Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

(verse 23 is a continuation of verse 21.  Verse 23 is slotted in there for encouragement, and then it continues what he was first speaking about.

So very easy to mistranslate "being born again" as ourselves, but follow it through from verse 21 and you see it's speaking of Christ.... Who was raised from the dead as we know, "born again" this time not of corruptible seed, ..as he was born flesh the first time, came down into the world this way, just like us through a woman's womb, (born of water),  but now "born" the second time (resurrected) by the incorruptible seed of God which is perfect, ....born of spirit the second time around, "born again", life back from the dead and showed himself to many defeating death and given all power.  Glorified then after he is risen.  Mission accomplished.

And this finishes off what the first verses of the chapter started speaking of....Christ, concerning his resurrection)

 

We will follow in his suit, and unless we have died and have come back from the grave just like Christ, I can't see us as claiming to have gone through all this yet before the appointed time unless we give "born again" another definition, which we have all this time, but is that definition correct when examining the scriptures closely?  I think we should at least ponder on it again, and be sure.  That's my view anyway.

  1 Peter 1:24   For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

Again, no matter how beautiful the flower, it dies, just like Christ died, and we will die, all things eventually die, ....but if the word of the Lord is in that flesh who holds the spirit of God, it can never die, it will live forever being joined to the Word.  It will spring again, and this time more glorious than the first.

  1 Peter 1:25   But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

 

 

 

 

[Sister]

5 hours ago, tigger398 said:

On 09/10/2016 at 10:20 PM, Sister said:

John 3:5   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.

isn't this baptism

Hi tigger398

I'm saying it's about being born out of our mothers womb.  When a baby is born, water comes gushing out with it.

and the next verse should clarify it by showing the comparison;

John 3:6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

It says nothing about baptism, but speaking about being born.

Christ was the firstborn of the dead.  Does this mean he was baptised?

Colossians 1:18   And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

 

 Psalms 87:5   And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

 Psalms 89:27   Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

 

 

 

[RustyAngeL]

On 10/9/2016 at 9:54 AM, hmbld said:

Can't be done.  The Holy Spirit works on your heart, not in a courtroom.  The "how" you asked in the title is explained in the bible, yet your post is asking for proof, which only God can judge, not men.  

Correct.  We are not to mans judge and only God knows the heart.