What exactly is a born again Christian?

[Christ the King]

The parable of the prodigal describes my life story. I returned to God about a year ago and had heard of this term "born again Christian". I thought it described someone like me who had left God and then returned. But it seems being a born again Christian means something else.

Apparently born again is a reference to John 3: 1-21. I've read some articles and listened to some explanations on born again Christians and this is what i think it means.
1- To be born again a person only needs to believe in Jesus?
2- Going to church, being baptized, receiving communion, confessing sins and resisting temptations will not get you born again?
3- A person who is born again has won their salvation and cannot loose it?
4- A person who is born again will be free of sin?
5- A person will know when they are born again as the Holy Spirit will be in them?
6- Anyone can discern if they're born again or not?

Is that all right? Can someone please give me their explanation of a born again Christian

 

[Who Me]

A Christian is someone who has said sorry to God for their hatred of him and have accepted Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Yes I said Lord, someone that you Have to obey..
The Christian has not eating or deserved to be saved and knows they cannot do anything that will earn them anything from God.
They attend church to meet other Christians, to learn from them and the sermon, to worship God, to encourage and be encouraged by other Christians.
Any 'good' work they do is purely a means of showing they love God and want to honour and glorify him.

May I suggest that you talk to the minister of the church you attend each week.

 

[LovethroughDove]

The parable of the prodigal describes my life story. I returned to God about a year ago and had heard of this term "born again Christian". I thought it described someone like me who had left God and then returned. But it seems being a born again Christian means something else.

Apparently born again is a reference to John 3: 1-21. I've read some articles and listened to some explanations on born again Christians and this is what i think it means.
1- To be born again a person only needs to believe in Jesus?
2- Going to church, being baptized, receiving communion, confessing sins and resisting temptations will not get you born again?
3- A person who is born again has won their salvation and cannot loose it?
4- A person who is born again will be free of sin?
5- A person will know when they are born again as the Holy Spirit will be in them?
6- Anyone can discern if they're born again or not?

Is that all right? Can someone please give me their explanation of a born again Christian

1. To know who he is (Son of God/Son of Man)...this leads you to the Lord part and that he really did raise from the dead.
2. No. You will be baptized in the Holy Spirit if you receive the truth
3. You cannot lose it, because you will adhere to the truth
4. No, you will be transformed into the likeness of Christ. You will start to look more and more like Jesus. You definitely won't go the opposite direction.
5. Yes
6. I did, can't speak for others.

 

[JLB]

1- To be born again a person only needs to believe in Jesus?

Amen. The word “believe” in the original carries the meaning of trust, commit and obey.

In other words believing the Gospel is synonymous with obeying the Gospel.


Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. 1 Peter 1:22-23


The “word of God” here is a reference to the Gospel Message.



Blessings to you with peace.


JLB

 

[JLB]

The parable of the prodigal describes my life story.

Me too.


I can relate.



JLB

 

[Christ the King]

May I suggest that you talk to the minister of the church you attend each week.

I go to a Catholic Church.

Thanks LovethroughDove for your explanation.
Can u please tell me how you knew you were born again?

 

[humble soul]

Do Catholics need to be born again?
Do you think I need to be born again?
Am I impressing you much with my awesome level of Christianess?

 

[LovethroughDove]

I go to a Catholic Church.

Thanks LovethroughDove for your explanation.
Can u please tell me how you knew you were born again?

I'll make a long story short. It was a process. First, I really pondered the DNA of Jesus. I'm not going to go into what led me there, but for some reason God gave me a lightbulb moment with the literal blood of Jesus.

Then, I was in an argument with my sister about Jesus. She said he really didn't die on the cross, but actually traveled around Europe. At that very moment, I knew 100% that what happened in the Bible was the truth of him. (that he was crucified, died and then was raised from the dead) I felt energy go through my body.

After this happened, I actually could understand how our spirits operate. If I went into a situation with judgment, they would judge me. Example: You're walking down the street and you say to yourself about another person "what are you looking at". Spiritually, they can sense that. Also, God opened up scripture to me and I can read it very easy.

I didn't know until after this all happened and I got to the scripture Romans 10:9 , this is what happened to me.

I have been born again in the Spirit because I understand how he operates and the truth opened up.

This all was a process to my 100% belief. There is not one shred of doubt in my belief.

 

[Tessa]

Do Catholics need to be born again?
Do you think I need to be born again?
Am I impressing you much with my awesome level of Christianess?

I don"t know why you ask about Catholics, but everyone needs to be spiritually born again. Only God can judge you.
If you are born again you are a new person spiritually. You hate the things you once loved and love the things you once hated.
It's all about belief in Christ, love and wsntonh to please God. You have an active faith. You love God and your neighbour.

 

[Who Me]

I go to a Catholic Church.

Thanks LovethroughDove for your explanation.
Can u please tell me how you knew you were born again?

It was too things.
I'd say through yearsof sermons when we moved a couple of hundred miles. The only thing I liked about the new church as a teenager was there were 'girls' in the youth group my age. Sunday dinners were made argumentative as I surprised myself with biblical knowledge and tore the sermo we heard to pieces.
Surfing a visit to family we called at the old church and I switch off as per normal.
But words from that sermon got through.
"If Christ is not raise, we are still in our sins" part of 2cor14:15.
Those words hit home and I knew I believed them.

Everything follows from that,. Particularly my own willing participation in church, baptism etc etc no longer

 

[for_his_glory]

Let’s start with the conversation of Jesus and Nicodemus to get a better understanding of what it is to be born again and how to shed this old sin nature through repentance and then we will move on to learn how grace and mercy works in our lives.

John 3:1-7 Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that it was a Spiritual rebirth or renewal of our spirit that through Gods spoken word we can reconcile our past sins through repentance to be made sinless again before God. We are all born with a sin nature because of sin being introduced into the world through Satan’s deceit when he told Eve it was alright to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil as she gave Adam to eat even though God forbid them to eat of it. Our flesh will always sin because the flesh is never in obedience to God. John 9:31; Romans 6-8

Sin separates us from God because God is a spirit and can only recognize his own children by what spirit is living in their hearts. We have to renew, rebirth - born again, Gods Spirit within us in order to be called a child of God and see the kingdom of heaven. We now put off the old man (flesh) and put on the new man (Spirit). We are renewed by the word of God and through the Holy Spirit teaching us of all things. John 14:26; Colossians 3:1-17.

We now have an intercessor (Jesus) who sits at the right hand of the Father and hears our confession that we are sinners and need his salvation as we believe in our heart that he was truly sent from God as the living word that we can indeed become righteous again not of our own righteousness, but that righteousness that is God whom through his Spirit is promised to dwell in us. All we have to do is believe and confess that we are sinners and allow Gods righteousness to cleanse us and renew our spirit man. Jesus wants us to come as we are and allow him to make the changes that need made in our hearts. People want to clean the fish before they catch them, but Jesus says come as you are I will clean you from the inside out. John 10:9; 1:4; 14:6; Romans 10:9, 10

It is not by our works or good deeds that save us for if that was all it would take then Gods word would be made void in our lives and Jesus would have died in vain, but because we are all sinners, it is by Gods grace and mercy that forgives our sins and washes us clean by the atoning blood of the Lamb (Jesus) so we can be made renewed again and free from our old sin nature. Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5-7.

Jesus came to show us how to overcome the sin nature of the world by teaching us how to live a moral life compatible with the word of God. Jesus gave of himself for all of us and redeemed us from the curse of sin by taking all our sin upon him becoming the final blood sacrifice for his love towards everyone who will believe on his name. When we come to Jesus it is Gods grace that forgives our sins and remembers them no more. Sin will always be present with us because the flesh will always sin for that is its nature, but when we ask Jesus into our hearts we also receive at that same moment the gift of the Holy Spirit which teaches us how to separate ourselves from the ungodliness and lusts of this world. We may have to live in this world, but as a child of God we are not part of this world because our inner man, or heart, has now become renewed in the Spirit of God and is sinless through the grace of God. Titus 2:11-15.

 

[Christ the King]

Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that it was a Spiritual rebirth or renewal of our spirit that through Gods spoken word we can reconcile our past sins through repentance to be made sinless again before God

Sinless again before God in this world or the next?

The 3rd post from LovethroughDove answers the 6 questions I presented. Do you agree with his answers?

I've seen the faith alone vs faith + deeds arguments.
I just ask myself, is it better to come before God with faith and no deeds, faith and bad deeds or faith and good deeds? Surely one doesn't want to present with no deeds or bad deeds. Good deeds beats bad or none.

The question I have may be delicate i think. Im going to ask another member cos they know the RCC and will more likely understand my question without taking offence.

 

[GodsGrace]

The parable of the prodigal describes my life story. I returned to God about a year ago and had heard of this term "born again Christian". I thought it described someone like me who had left God and then returned. But it seems being a born again Christian means something else.

Apparently born again is a reference to John 3: 1-21. I've read some articles and listened to some explanations on born again Christians and this is what i think it means.

Hi CTK,,,

I'll answer each question:

1- To be born again a person only needs to believe in Jesus?

To be born again means that you believe what Jesus taught, as He said to the Apostles in Matthew 28:20....go into all the world and teach....teach to all what Jesus had taught.

It means to be a believer in Jesus, to trust Him for your salvation, and to be in tune with God's spirit.

So, IOW, one would need to believe in God, trust Jesus and obey the commandments Jesus left us with....the 10, which He narrowed down to 2:

Matthew 22:37-39
37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

2- Going to church, being baptized, receiving communion, confessing sins and resisting temptations will not get you born again?

No. Because one could do all of the above and not BELIEVE. I know Christians that are like that. The above are called "works".
Works will not get anyone into heaven...only a contrite heart that wishes to know God will.
The CC also believes this....The above is all true and good, but you must also believe.

Galatians 2:16
16nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

The works of the Law are works that men do to TRY to be saved by following RULES, instead of following God.

3- A person who is born again has won their salvation and cannot loose it?

The CC teaches that it can be lost. This is called being out of the grace of God (which I'm sure you're familiar with)...which is caused by the commission of a mortal sin. Some Protestant denominations also believe this,,,and some believe one could never lose their salvation.

However, HOW it would be lost is different for Protestants. This subject really cannot be discussed here and I'll proceed by Private Message for more detail.

4- A person who is born again will be free of sin?

As long as we are human, we will sin....but being in love with God does make us sin much less and we try to get better and better. In the CC this is known as progressive justification...in Protestantism this is known as Sanctification...same thing. It is a life-long service to God and His commandments (to the best of our ability).
1 John 1:9

The word Holy and the word Sanctified both mean to be set apart from the world for service to God.

5- A person will know when they are born again as the Holy Spirit will be in them?

Oh yes. Jesus said He must go away, so that the Holy Spirit can come to be our paraclete....someone that stays near us and walks by our side. Jesus called Him the Helper.
John 16:7

But how will you know the Holy Spirit is in you?
By your desire to serve God.
And your contriteness when you fail and ask forgiveness.

6- Anyone can discern if they're born again or not?

I think I answered this in question 5.

Is that all right? Can someone please give me their explanation of a born again Christian
[/QUOTE]

Anyone of any denomination can be born again or NOT be born again. It depends on the relationship we have with God...not what denomination we go to.

 

[Christ the King]

for_his_glory, wondering, LovethroughDove
Thanks guys for your responses.

Catholics and Protestants agree that to be saved, you have to be born again.
Being born again in the RCC happens when we are baptized. Im sure there are many counter arguments but that's not what I want to get into. Im just establishing the RCC definition of being born again so that there is no confusion.

We'll go through the questions.

To be born again a person only needs to believe in Jesus?
All Christians believe in Jesus and are therefor born again when viewed from this perspective.

Going to church, being baptized, receiving communion, confessing sins and resisting temptations will not get you born again?
The response was no. Many Protestants believe that being born again is all that is required to be saved, right. And so I've come across ppl on other forum that claim to be saved already but they don't try to resist temptation which leads to sin and they don't repent.
Their attitudes and approaches towards people are not Holy at all, often conveying a sense of self righteousness.

A person who is born again has won their salvation and cannot loose it?
Ok some believe this and some don't.

A person who is born again will be free of sin?
My understanding is that sin will stay with us in this world until the day we die. As we grow in Jesus we become better and as a result win more battles against the evil one and his temptations.

Now it seems some denominations actually believe they are immune to the temptations of evil. They say they've been transformed into the likeness of Christ and are therefore sinless. Such a bold claim which I cannot adhere to

A person will know when they are born again as the Holy Spirit will be in them?
And, anyone can discern if they're born again or not?
This is the most confusing part for me. The definition of being born again here becomes subjective. One person will say they had a dream, another says they had a profound enlightening and there are countless ways that people describe being born again.

So how can one be certain what they experienced equates to being born again, that it wasn't their imagination, a random dream or thought, a hallucination, a mental illness or a deception presented by the evil one? The authority of this decision now becomes your personal feelings and is therefore very exposed to error as many people do indeed fall into a false sense of salvation.

I don't think the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus can be easily translated. As a Catholic im born again under both the RCC and Protestant definitions.
Im not claiming to hold the truth nor am I criticizing anyone. Im just pointing out where I see the possibility for people to fall into error by having this authority.

 

[GodsGrace]

for_his_glory, wondering, LovethroughDove
Thanks guys for your responses.

Catholics and Protestants agree that to be saved, you have to be born again.
Being born again in the RCC happens when we are baptized. Im sure there are many counter arguments but that's not what I want to get into. Im just establishing the RCC definition of being born again so that there is no confusion.

We'll go through the questions.

To be born again a person only needs to believe in Jesus?
All Christians believe in Jesus and are therefor born again when viewed from this perspective.

Going to church, being baptized, receiving communion, confessing sins and resisting temptations will not get you born again?
The response was no. Many Protestants believe that being born again is all that is required to be saved, right. And so I've come across ppl on other forum that claim to be saved already but they don't try to resist temptation which leads to sin and they don't repent.
Their attitudes and approaches towards people are not Holy at all, often conveying a sense of self righteousness.

A person who is born again has won their salvation and cannot loose it?
Ok some believe this and some don't.

A person who is born again will be free of sin?
My understanding is that sin will stay with us in this world until the day we die. As we grow in Jesus we become better and as a result win more battles against the evil one and his temptations.

Now it seems some denominations actually believe they are immune to the temptations of evil. They say they've been transformed into the likeness of Christ and are therefore sinless. Such a bold claim which I cannot adhere to

A person will know when they are born again as the Holy Spirit will be in them?
And, anyone can discern if they're born again or not?
This is the most confusing part for me. The definition of being born again here becomes subjective. One person will say they had a dream, another says they had a profound enlightening and there are countless ways that people describe being born again.

So how can one be certain what they experienced equates to being born again, that it wasn't their imagination, a random dream or thought, a hallucination, a mental illness or a deception presented by the evil one? The authority of this decision now becomes your personal feelings and is therefore very exposed to error as many people do indeed fall into a false sense of salvation.

I don't think the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus can be easily translated. As a Catholic im born again under both the RCC and Protestant definitions.
Im not claiming to hold the truth nor am I criticizing anyone. Im just pointing out where I see the possibility for people to fall into error by having this authority.

I do want to correct one thing you said.
I feel it's important because many Protestants believe this about the CC but even the CC does not believe it.

The CC does NOT believe that a person is born again when he is baptized. It teaches that the Holy Spirit is received at baptism...
BUT
if you care to check, you'll find that there is an explanation to this.
The person baptized as an infant, must, at some point in their life, accept the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and "wake Him up" as some priests explain it.

Think of it,,,if all it took was baptism,,,it would mean that all catholics are going to heaven.

 

[humble soul]

The bottom line is.....no one is guaranteed a ticket to Heaven. Such notions actually lead to pride and more sin. We will all have to face Judgement Day where we will be held to account.
what will I say in my defence ?
I'm only human?

 

[Christ the King]

The CC does NOT believe that a person is born again when he is baptized. It teaches that the Holy Spirit is received at baptism...

I never heard of that term "born again" so maybe they mean baptism is it's equivalent
Anyway, this is were I read that born again for a Catholic is baptism

Are Catholics Born Again?

Catholics and Evangelicals understand the term "born again" to mean something different. But who is right? We break it down for you.

www.catholic.com

Are Catholics "Born Again"?

Q. Doesn't the Bible say we must be "born again" to be "saved"? Are Catholics "Born Again"? Absolutely Catholics are "born again" — they a...

www.catholiceducation.org

Think of it,,,if all it took was baptism,,,it would mean that all catholics are going to heaven

Isn't born again and being saved different? If it's the same thing then this is just the old faith alone vs faith + deeds discussion which im already at peace with.

But do u understand what I mean about a person trying to discern a born again moment from something else? Isn't there as good chance of being mistaken?

People often criticize the authority of the RCC which I can understand.
But now I see that some people think their own subjective feelings have more authority than the Church. This i find amazing

 

[for_his_glory]

Sinless again before God in this world or the next?

The 3rd post from LovethroughDove answers the 6 questions I presented. Do you agree with his answers?

I've seen the faith alone vs faith + deeds arguments.
I just ask myself, is it better to come before God with faith and no deeds, faith and bad deeds or faith and good deeds? Surely one doesn't want to present with no deeds or bad deeds. Good deeds beats bad or none.

The question I have may be delicate i think. Im going to ask another member cos they know the RCC and will more likely understand my question without taking offence.

I take no offense as we all are searching for truth.

I was talking about being sinless before God while still being here on earth. When we come to Jesus confessing we are a sinner in need of God's grace for salvation, Ephesians 2:8; John 3:5-7, we are made completely new again through the Spiritual rebirth as all things are made new again through God, John 3:5-7. We are reconciled with God and counted as righteous before Him, 2 Corinthians 2:17-21, Ephesians 1:3-14, Colossians chapter 3. It's all about maturing in our relationship with Christ and walking in obedience to God's commands as we stay in His will. We are being perfected daily as we walk in the Spirit as none of us are perfect in the flesh and we will fall to temptation at times because the flesh is weak, but God sees ad knows our heart and will always forgive us when we mess up.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

About faith and deeds I like what James has written on this.

James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

 

[for_his_glory]

Isn't born again and being saved different?

Yes, it is different. In Matthew 24:1-12 Jesus tells us of those things that will happen before He returns. Vs. 13 He says, But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. It will be those who are Spiritually made new again by faith in Christ Jesus and sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption, Ephesians 1:13, 14 as no religion has anything to do with our salvation as it's a personal relationship with Christ as we fellowship with the Father.

 

[Christ the King]

About faith and deeds I like what James has written on this.

I like that passage from James as well...