Born Again?

[seraphimbride]

I've read alot about people being "born again" on Christian forums. I was looking for a place to have discussions or just to see what's going on on the WWW via Christians because I was tired of all the use of profanity and common disrespect of others on other forums. (So far, everyone here has been respectful, and its' great. )

My question is what does "born again" mean to yall. I'm assuming that there are people here from different religions and denominations, but all call themselves Christians. I was raised primarily Catholic, and at 35 years old, I'm just reading the Bible for the second time. As a young adult I've read alot, and researched other religions. My personal view of being "born again" is to die to ourselves, then to follow Christ. Is it comparable to Baptism? I developed a close relationship with God as a teenager, and have known that he is always with me, and I'm never alone. He is everything to me.

Please explain "born again". I'm not sure if I understand those terms.

[rfw]

Dear seraphimbride,

What a great question. It is at the very heart of what it means to follow Christ. Check out the Gospel of John chapter 3. A religious teacher named Nicodemus had come to see Jesus, and begins with quite an affirmation and compliment (v.2) "...You are a teacher come from God..."

Jesus answers with what Nic. found to be a very hard statement, "...unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (An alternate translation is "born from above".) What Jesus was telling him (and us) is that He (Jesus) was bringing in something very different from ordinary religion. Most religions emphasize doing some good work in order to be pleasing to God, but Jesus tells us that no good work is good enough. It takes a radical transformation quite beyond the ability of any human being, which is why He made it possible through His life, death, and resurrection for us to be made new with Him, so new that it's more like starting completely over like a new-born baby than anything else.

Verse 16 in this great chapter is one of the most quoted statements in human history for a very good reason: It is the most mind-blowing insight into the heart of God the Father ever written. God wants you and me to have life, not just existence, but overflowing, joyful, purposeful, amazing life. In Romans 10:9-10, we find the path: "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

The Good News is you don't have to go to some priest or pastor or theologian to find out what it means to be Born Again. You can find out right now by asking Him in prayer to show you. Just say "Lord Jesus, I know that you lived and died for me, that you rose from the dead. Please forgive my sins, come into my heart, and save me"

If you did that, and would like to find out more, you can email me at (edited by moderator)and look for the button that talks about how to become a Christian.

Whatever happens, I know that God lead you to this site with this question that He might lead you to Himself. Don't let this chance pass you by. God is good.

[Candi770]

Seraphimbride,

John 3:1-16

After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to speak with Jesus. "Teacher,"he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you."

Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God."

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"

Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit."

"What do you mean?" Nicodemus asked.

Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? I assure you, I am telling you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe us. But if you don't even believe me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven? For only I, the Son of Man, have come to earth and will return to heaven again. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I , the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it."

*********************

Isaiah 59:1-2: Listen! The Lord is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. But there is a problem--your sins have cut you off from God.

Matthew 4:17 Jesus began to preach, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near."

John 14:6- Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 6:63-65: It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you don't believe me (For Jesus knew from the beginning who didn't believe, and he knew who would betray him."

Then he said, "That is what I meant when I said that people can't come to me unless the Father brings them to me."

(SO AFTER WE REPENT-ASK GOD TO FORGIVE AND CLEANSE US FROM SIN- DO A 360 TO OUR SIN-)

FOLLOWING ROMANS 10-11; FOR IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT JESUS IS LORD AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR IT IS BY BELIEVING IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU ARE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD, AND IT IS BY CONFESSING WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT YOU ARE SAVED. AS THE SCRIPTURES TELL US,"ANYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

Then we walk in newness of life

Romans 6:4-10

For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life. We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Candi

[seraphimbride]

Dear rfw,

That was eloquent. Is it possible to be considered being "born again" already. I already believe in everything you've stated, and I always ask God for forgiveness in any sin I may even have thought I committed, and I know he forgives me. He knows the love I have for him is indescribable. Does that mean I'm also "born again"?

[seraphimbride]

Candi,

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain that to me. I think that's what I was trying to say when I said "we die to ourselves". You explain it much better. I acutally went to confession before Easter. It was the first time in 24 years. It's like I can feel God calling me to walk closer to him, and that's all I want to do.

God bless and keep u

[chrismarc]

]seraphimbride said,

My question is what does "born again" mean to yall.

Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born again" (John 3:7). What did our Lord mean?

Modern Fundamentalist and Evangelical Christians, while agreeing with Catholic Christians

that a spiritual regeneration by the Holy Spirit (or the "new birth") is necessary for salvation

(e.g. John 3:3-8; 2 Cor 5:17; Titus 3:5), generally disagree that the Sacrament (or what

some call "ordinance") of Baptism is the means by which the Holy Spirit regenerates and

saves the person, and all sins committed prior to Baptism are forgiven and washed away

by the power of Christ (John 3:5; Acts 2:38, 22:16; Rom 6:1ff; 1 Cor 6:11; Gal 3:27;

Eph 5:26f; Col 2:11ff; 1 Peter 3:21;).

Many of these modern Fundamentalists and Evangelicals suggest that accepting or

"receiving Christ" as one's "personal Lord and Savior" by faith alone is what our Lord

meant in John chapter 3. The Sacrament of Baptism is seen as merely a "symbolic"

gesture with no inherent spiritual efficacy.

Catholics, while not denying the importance of the "personal relationship" with Jesus Christ

(you cannot get much more personal than receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist) and

clearly emphasizing a holy life after Baptism, understand the Gospel text on "born again"

as a reference to the Sacrament of Baptism. Catholics note our Lord's words that one must

be "born of WATER AND THE SPIRIT" as clearly equated by Jesus himself with the

phrase "born again" (compare verses John 3:3,5,7). The surrounding context of the first 4

chapters of John's Gospel also show that by "water and the Spirit" that water BAPTISM is

what our Lord meant (cf. John 1:29ff; 3:22ff; 4:1ff), which Sacrament was instituted by

Christ himself at the Great Commission where he commanded Baptism in the name of the

Blessed Trinity (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16). This is shortly followed by St. Peter the

Apostle's command to be baptized in order to receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of

the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Catholics accept the plain and literal meaning of the biblical texts.

The Catholic understanding of Baptism is also the unanimous teaching of the earliest

Christians who immediately followed the apostles. Every Christian, all the Church Fathers,

bishops and saints who lived after the apostles (and some while the apostles were still alive),

interpreted our Lord's words in John chapter 3 that to be "born again" and "born of water

and the Spirit" refers to the Sacrament of Baptism. There are no exceptions. And Protestant

scholars frankly admit this fact (note the relevent sections on Baptism in Reformed /

Presbyterian scholar Philip Schaff's History of the Christian Church, Anglican scholar

J.N.D. Kelly's Early Christian Doctrines, and Lutheran scholar Jaroslav Pelikan's The

Christian Tradition).

Edited by moderator: we do not allow links to sites that offer an apologetic for Catholic doctrines

[WayneB]

My favorite "Born Again" Scripture?

1 Peter 1:3-6a

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice...

Praise God!

For me, this passage sums it all up and reveals what it means to be "born again".

[chrismarc]

rfw said,

Dear seraphimbride,

Check out the Gospel of John chapter 3. Jesus answers with what Nic. found to be a

very hard statement, "...unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Please read it in context without verses removed:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?

can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

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.

(John 3:3-5)

The Good News is you don't have to go to some priest or pastor or theologian

to find out what it means to be Born Again. You can find out right now by asking Him

in prayer to show you. Just say "Lord Jesus, I know that you lived and died for me,

that you rose from the dead. Please forgive my sins, come into my heart, and save

me"

Where is this quote in Scripture?

I know that God lead you to this site with this question that He might

lead you to Himself. Don't let this chance pass you by. God is good.

Agreed, He's leading you to find the Truth.

[rfw]

Is it possible to be considered being "born again" already. I already believe in everything you've stated, and I always ask God for forgiveness in any sin I may even have thought I committed, and I know he forgives me. He knows the love I have for him is indescribable. Does that mean I'm also "born again"?

I'm glad you believe. However, the book of James tells us that the demons also believe, and tremble. I'm not saying that to scare you, just to carry the thought out. I'm sure you have a birthday, a remembered date to mark your entrance into this world. According to the passage in John 3, I believe you must also have a spiritual birthday. The Bible tells us that we were "born in our trespasses and sins", that "there is none righteous, not even one", that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Until something is done about that basic problem we are all born with, the Bible says, "all our righteous acts are as filthy rags."

So, I recommend that you go to the Lord in prayer, tell Him you're not sure about this issue, and you'd really like Him to reveal it to you. The Bible says, "If you seek Me (God), you will find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

I'll be excited to hear how the Father reveals Himself to you.

Rick

[chrismarc]

Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit."

Candi

What does born of water and Spirit mean, you didn't

give Scriptures about the Water.