When are we born again of the Spirit

[OneLight]

On 1/14/2018 at 2:11 AM, Waggles said:

It is often said that - 

"When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior, you immediately become baptized with the Holy Spirit,

and the Holy Spirit indwells you."

this is simply not true. 

Acts 8: 

12  But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13  Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 

1> it is not automatic that believers receive the Holy Spirit straightaway on commitment or confession of faith 

2> Acts 19:2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? ...

3>  How did the apostles Peter and John know that the Samarians who believed the gospel had not as yet received the Holy Spirit? 

Something was missing - the sign spoken of by Jesus in Mark 16:17 - speaking in a new tongue by the Spirt 

Receiving or being baptized in the Holy Spirit needs to be encouraged and asked for 

Luke 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father

give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Keep in mind that those people in Acts 8 did not have the bible to read and study.  They had not heard of the Holy Spirit until the Holy Spirit was taught to them.  Today, it is much different.  How would they be baptized into something we did not know existed?

[missmuffet]

I mention in many of my posts how important it is to be a born again Christian.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said, “‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again”’” (John 3:3-7).

The phrase "born again" literally means "born from above." Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart—a spiritual transformation. New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4, 18). John 1:12, 13 indicates that being "born again" also carries the idea of "becoming children of God" through trust in the name of Jesus Christ.

The question logically comes, "Why does a person need to be born again?" The apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1 says, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (NKJV). To the Romans he wrote, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Sinners are spiritually “dead”; when they receive spiritual life through faith in Christ, the Bible likens it to a rebirth. Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God.

How does that come to be? Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." When one is saved, he/she has been born again, spiritually renewed, and is now a child of God by right of new birth. Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died on the cross, is the means to be "born again." "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you consider the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to your heart? You need to be born again. Will you pray the prayer of repentance and become a new creation in Christ today? "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God" (John 1:12-13).

If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is a sample prayer. Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation. "God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness—the gift of eternal life! Amen!"

https://www.gotquestions.org/born-again.html

[4LdKHVCzRDj2]

On 12/24/2017 at 1:12 PM, Mike Mclees said:

Are you Born again of the Spirit?  How do you know?

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" - Romans 8:16

"that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:17-19

"Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word;
and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." - John 14:23

"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me." - John 6:57

 

Now to say if I am born again or not... will my opinion alone about myself matter?!

Because people can say what they want about themselves, and would you trust anyone just based on what they say?!

"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true." - John 5:31

 

I will leave this for others.

"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." - Matthew 7:16

 

And at the appointed time the Lord will say who are His or are not.

"But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 4:3-4

[Rut-Ro]

 

On 12/24/2017 at 10:12 AM, Mike Mclees said:

Are you Born again of the Spirit?  How do you know?

 

Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. ²¹ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²² Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. ²³ But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. ²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth          Jn 4:20-24

 

God desires truth in the inward parts

It is a shame that today it is hard to find the truth of Jesus teachings in many churches. The most noticeable could be those that broadcast. There are some such places that teach the born again Christian is still a sinner. That's a lie of course and yet how many people in such congregations sit and believe that? Rather than wait for that service to be over and then never darken the doorway of that location again? 

Romans 6:6, ‘Knowing this that our old self was crucified with Christ … that we should no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin’

Reading the Book of John chapter 3 helps to understand that we are born again in the spirit. When we were alive in this world as sinners we were dead in this flesh. When we accepted Jesus and were baptized, that's by immersion into the water only, we arose as did Jesus from the grave, that living tomb where flesh was all, and were renewed in the spirit of Christ. 

Because as the word tells us, we cannot enter Heaven unless we that are born of the flesh, are born again in the spirit. 

If you encounter a church that tries to tell you as a redeemed Baptized reborn Christian that you are still a sinner, leave! Because that is a building populated by false teachers who are hoping to teach you where they are in their flesh. They are not of Christ or they would never lie in his name. 

 

Be Blessed. Hold to the truth of Christ and his word will never lead you wrong. 

[Rut-Ro]

This may help the discussion to proceed on Biblical grounds. 

 

Born of the Spirit Author: Ray C. Stedman

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