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Desire to be a vessel of honor unto the Lord Jesus Christ?
Join For His Glory for a discussion on how
https://christianforums.net/threads/a-vessel-of-honor.110278/
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Taking the time to pray? Christ is the answer in times of need
https://christianforums.net/threads/psalm-70-1-save-me-o-god-lord-help-me-now.108509/
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Depending upon the Holy Spirit for all you do?
Read through the following study by Tenchi for more on this topic
https://christianforums.net/threads/without-the-holy-spirit-we-can-do-nothing.109419/
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How are famous preachers sometimes effected by sin?
Join Sola Scriptura for a discussion on the subject
https://christianforums.net/threads/anointed-preaching-teaching.109331/#post-1912042
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Born again or not
- Thread starter Boaz
- Start date
Boaz
Member
Not the way in which I am using it. Jesus tells Nicodemus that unless a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of Heaven. From that has come the term born again Christian. I'm asking if that is different than Christian? It has nothing to do with reformed or reformed theology. And neither is reformed theology refering to being formed again as your remark seemed to suggest is what you think. Reformed in the theology refers to doctrines that were studied, debated and established at the time of the Reformation.
I was referring to a person being re-formed by losing 'self' to find 'Self'. From human body to spirit body.
Not_Now.Soon
Member
A follow in question I think would be if a person can tell if they are born again in the Holy Spirit, or not. Because if you can, there are lots of Christians that strive to be Christian without feeling an anointing, or who don't think they measure up as a good Christian. Every worry of not making it into His kingdom falls on this verse. Not just do you believe in Jesus, but are you born again.
If you can't tell if your born again or not, then it's in God's ball park. And just being regular Christian should be good enough for us to strive for. After all, it seems like many are suprised about being accepted in God's Kindgom, or being rejected. ("When did (or didn't) we feed you when you were hungry, cloth you when you were naked....?")
If you can't tell if your born again or not, then it's in God's ball park. And just being regular Christian should be good enough for us to strive for. After all, it seems like many are suprised about being accepted in God's Kindgom, or being rejected. ("When did (or didn't) we feed you when you were hungry, cloth you when you were naked....?")
Boaz
Member
What would you say the difference is?
stovebolts
Member
Reformed05
Is there a difference between being engaged verses being married?
Prior to engagement, there is a period of courting. I believe this is when the Holy Spirit both woos us as well as convicts us of our sin in hopes that repentance may occur.
We understand that repentance is a shift in how we think. When we are convicted of our sin, we can either harden our hearts and continue in sin, or we can turn toward God and receive forgiveness which leads to salvation.
After the courting occurs, a commitment is made (engagement), but the commitment has not been consummated.
Consummation occurs after the marriage ceremony where the two become one.
There is a pattern within the biblical texts which includes water baptism as the act of consumption which many erroneously disregard as works based salvation. This saddens me.
Every marriage has it's issues and one member of the marriage may not always live up to his or her vows, yet Christ promised us that he would never leave or forsake us, and this attests to our transformation in Christ as we are sanctified.
Divorce is always a possibility in any marriage as one grows away from another. It's not what God wants or desires. But we are free to participate in adultery as easily as Israel committed adultery.
of course, this is a high level view and given time, iI could lay my theology out with scriptural reference if requested.
Is there a difference between being engaged verses being married?
Prior to engagement, there is a period of courting. I believe this is when the Holy Spirit both woos us as well as convicts us of our sin in hopes that repentance may occur.
We understand that repentance is a shift in how we think. When we are convicted of our sin, we can either harden our hearts and continue in sin, or we can turn toward God and receive forgiveness which leads to salvation.
After the courting occurs, a commitment is made (engagement), but the commitment has not been consummated.
Consummation occurs after the marriage ceremony where the two become one.
There is a pattern within the biblical texts which includes water baptism as the act of consumption which many erroneously disregard as works based salvation. This saddens me.
Every marriage has it's issues and one member of the marriage may not always live up to his or her vows, yet Christ promised us that he would never leave or forsake us, and this attests to our transformation in Christ as we are sanctified.
Divorce is always a possibility in any marriage as one grows away from another. It's not what God wants or desires. But we are free to participate in adultery as easily as Israel committed adultery.
of course, this is a high level view and given time, iI could lay my theology out with scriptural reference if requested.
many claim to be christians that are not i call it head salvation ,but if truly born again then yes you are a Christian
first what is a christian one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ :
Christian
adjective
Definition of Christian (Entry 2 of 2)
1a: of or relating to Christianity Christian scriptures
b: based on or conforming with Christianity Christian ethics
2a: of, relating to, or being a Christian Christian responsibilities
b: professing Christianity Christian affirmation a Christian country
3: treating other people in a kind or generous way has a very Christian concern for others
webster dictionary .
From Wikipedia,
Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit from the Holy Spirit, contrasted with physical birth.
In contemporary Christian usage, the term is distinct from sometimes similar terms used in mainstream Christianity to refer to being or becoming Christian, which is linked to baptism. Individuals who profess to be "born again" often state that they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.[1][2][3] The phrase "born again" is also used as an adjective to describe individual members of the movement who espouse this belief, as well as the movement itself ("born-again Christian" and the "born-again movement"). the term christian was given at antioch as a type slur
Boaz
Member
If I remember correctly people saying they were born again Christians began to occur in the 70's and 80's. That may be just when I became aware of it. What they appeared to me to be saying was there were two types of Christians. There were the kind in what they called the "dead" churches and then there were themselves, theborn agains who threw off customs and traditions (pretty much all boundaries). The born again churches danced during the service, dressed however they pleases, (I am not ridiculing this), spoke out at will etc. They were enthusiastic and exuberant and didn't want much to do with doctrine or formality. They also believed they were the superior Christian. For a long time I am ashamed to admit, I believed that there was a distinction and that was it. Which I guess is a comment on how loose with truth these churches were. No one ever explained what born again meant when He said "unless you are born again you cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven.
I had to find out for myself, which I did. You cannot be a Christian unless you are born again. You must be born of the Spirit. John 3:7,8 "Do not marvel that I said to you,'you must be born again'. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear it's sound but you do not know where it comes from it where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Boaz
Member
Yes. By the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is the historical term used and I suspect it lost popularity because of what is implied by the word regenerate. It suggests that something is being done for you so you can believe rather than you are doing something to yourself. Me, I'm grateful for that as I would never have gotten there on my own!
Boaz
Member
I actually know that there is no difference between Christians and born again Christians. If you are a Christian you are born again. It's just that there was a time when some made a desti they didn't know what born again meant and no church taught them. I wondered if it is still a confusion.
I don't believe there is any difference between the two as we have all heard the word of God preached to us and by accepting Christ as Lord and Savior we were at that time indwelled with the Holy Spirit that Spiritually transformed us from our former self. They were first called Christians in Antioch, Acts chapter 2.
Christ_empowered
Member
i agree with Reformed05 about the cultural meaning (which I think has faded somewhat, over time) in declaring oneself "Born Again." as a Christian...
I don't think I truly was a Christian, truly forgiven, etc. until after my "Born Again experience," which...felt more like Jesus taking mercy on me and making Himself known to me than it did as if I was making a conscious "decision for Christ." but that's neither here nor there, I suppose.
In terms of self-definition, etc., I suppose one could be a Christian, of sorts, without being Born Again. Respectable religion held sway in much of America during the pre-WWII years...and then after that, some of those in mainline denominations (in particular) were often Christian mostly in cultural, social meanings of the word...some leaders in those denominations questioned the Virgin Birth, The Resurrection, the traditional Christian views of marriage and family...
and now the Presbyterian Church, the Episcopalians, some branches of Lutheranism...have been losing members for decades. :-( oops.
its worth noting, of course, that being in a conservative, traditional church doesn't=genuinely Born Again, necessarily. there's wheat -and- tares all over the place, every denomination. it just seems that the churches that veered off course and ended up tossing Scripture and sound doctrine are...well, in grave danger of dying out.
blah blah blah.... at a personal, individual level...every sinner needs an personal encounter with The Lord to be Born Again and thereby become a Christian. but..in the social/cultural sense, I think one can be a Christian, of sorts, without genuine repentance or...much of anything, really.
I don't think I truly was a Christian, truly forgiven, etc. until after my "Born Again experience," which...felt more like Jesus taking mercy on me and making Himself known to me than it did as if I was making a conscious "decision for Christ." but that's neither here nor there, I suppose.
In terms of self-definition, etc., I suppose one could be a Christian, of sorts, without being Born Again. Respectable religion held sway in much of America during the pre-WWII years...and then after that, some of those in mainline denominations (in particular) were often Christian mostly in cultural, social meanings of the word...some leaders in those denominations questioned the Virgin Birth, The Resurrection, the traditional Christian views of marriage and family...
and now the Presbyterian Church, the Episcopalians, some branches of Lutheranism...have been losing members for decades. :-( oops.
its worth noting, of course, that being in a conservative, traditional church doesn't=genuinely Born Again, necessarily. there's wheat -and- tares all over the place, every denomination. it just seems that the churches that veered off course and ended up tossing Scripture and sound doctrine are...well, in grave danger of dying out.
blah blah blah.... at a personal, individual level...every sinner needs an personal encounter with The Lord to be Born Again and thereby become a Christian. but..in the social/cultural sense, I think one can be a Christian, of sorts, without genuine repentance or...much of anything, really.
You have made a distinction between the two, i.e., one is born again, and the other is not. In this case, the born again refers to being born again, not again by flesh, but by spirit. The other, just a Christian, is a believer of Jesus Christ, but only born by flesh.
ezrider
Member
A Born again Christian has moved beyond the cross. A simple believing Christian still remains before the cross. To be Born Again is to be resurrected with Christ.
Romans 14:8
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
Boaz
Member
Not sure I understand what you mean, or in what way Romans 14:8 is connected.
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IF YOU HAVE CHRIST IN YOUR HEART romans 10:10 sorry bout caps..
Boaz
Member
If you must be born again to enter the kingdom of Heaven, and you must have faith in Jesus for salvation, that is in who He is and what He did, and having this faith makes you a Christian, then wouldn't that mean those who trust in Christ, born again? That all believers are of necessity, born again?