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davidc
Member



Joined: 2010/8/15
Posts: 272
France

 Re:

Passerby, you ask

"What really make us 'born again', is it the set of ceremonies, a set of belief, a set of sound theological knowledge, a set of good conduct?"

No. It is when the Holy Ghost comes and makes His home in us that we are born again and become children of God.

Until that time, it will be ceremonies, beliefs, theology and conduct. But when He comes, the shadows disappear, and the life of Christ Himself comes and abides in us forever.

And, yes, we know. We have the witness in ourselves.

David


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david

 2011/6/5 18:48Profile
lylewise
Member



Joined: 2009/2/20
Posts: 494
Celina, Texas

 Re:

Bless you.

 2011/6/5 18:52Profile
passerby
Member



Joined: 2008/8/13
Posts: 742


 Re:

Are you born again?

Being converted and a primarily church-goer in an open non-denominational christian fellowship, the term ‘born-again’ is very familiar to my ears. In the bible, the term is directly stated only in the 3rd chapter of John and in places where it is implied, it is not used as a prime or starting point for preaching the gospel. Today, many says that it is rather a new form of religion, the term is spoiled and embarrassingly cheap, so we ask are you really born again?

The issue about being born again has its own simplicity but at the same time complex, in the end only God can say who is and who is not. By introspection, faith, and reference to biblical principles, one can say that he is among the ones.

However, how about other believers, they were baptised, they can remember their altar call or date of conversion but lack holiness in their conduct. They love wordly music, eat too much, love material things, smokes, drinks, talks vainly, having indecent romantic affairs with believers or non-believers, etc. And there are also believers who are coming to the altar call over and over again.

How about them? backsliders, phonies, false brethren, carnal christians, babies in faith, apostate, persons who lost their salvation, or simply unconverted? Do the letter of the apostle Paul to the corinthians apply?

Then there are believers that do not belong to our denomination, is it right for us to think that that they are not saved until they hear our or some preacher preach, believes this and that, or join a certain church.

Are you born again? a simple and yet a complex issue which one has to discuss from time to time, directly or indirectly on the pulpit and outside the pulpit, in fellowship within our group and with our interaction with the other believers, for warning and to bring someone to the right path.













 2011/6/9 7:00Profile
Renoncer
Member



Joined: 2010/6/26
Posts: 483


 Re:

Passerby,
Asking the question, "Are you born again", is extremely important, because so many people are deceived by a false assurance. That is why God says, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless, of course, you fail the test!"
(2 Corinthians 13:5)

A person may say, "I believe; I have faith". But, how do you know that you truly have saving faith? Even the demons believe, and shudder! (James 2:19)

God gives us the test of true saving faith. In fact, the entire book of 1stJohn is filled with tests to see whether or not we are in the faith. However, you will find that these tests reveal a gloomy picture about the evangelical church. That is why people don't take it seriously, because if they did, they would have to admit that they have been playing a game for all their lives! Pride will not allow that! It takes too much humility to admit that we've been wrong for so many years, even though we claimed that we were right!

But, who then can be saved? Thankfully, what is impossible with man, is possible with God.

Love in Christ,
Renoncer

 2011/6/9 7:35Profile
lylewise
Member



Joined: 2009/2/20
Posts: 494
Celina, Texas

 Re:

Just as scripture says,"What is impossible with man is possible with God. Renoncer, thank you for reminding us of what is often quoted but rarely, and we do mean rarely understood.. It speaks to a miracle does it not? It also speaks to man's efforts to do what is impossible for him to do. Salvation is a graceful and loving gift of God. That sounds so redundant and repetitive. We keep stating the obvious but the majority of those in religion do not understand this verse. Doesn't the mere picture of one being born again sound traumatic? I attended my first child's birth when you could film them. To this day I cannot watch that miracle with out being greatly broken up and in awe of what happened before my very eyes, but we are talking about one who is grown when we say," Born Again". How much more traumatic is this statement when we are speaking of one who is already formed? One says, it is just a picture, not literal as Nicodemus would point out to The Creator of the universe. OK now lets bring death into it. Now lets bring an added new nature to it. Now lets bring God indwelling man into it. As I write these words I do not even feel worthy to speak of how great this action of God is upon the life of a man. How can we view this in such prosaic fashion?

A simple yet complex question? Is it complex? You shall love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The slave of Christ will understand this immediately and be cut to the quick by it every time they read it. They will question their very salvation when reading the words of John's Epistle, for the spirit that indwells them convicts them of these shortcomings and applies it pointing to the precious blood of the Savior. If it weren't for the true understanding of sanctification and repentance, we would be left undone. Thank God for the gift of repentance in the life of the believer. For the false professor they quickly over look this for they have Abraham as their father so to speak. They are falsely assured and unless truth is spoken and God intervenes they will continue believing the lie.

"What think ye of Christ" a sermon on this site by Tozer, speaks to this better than anyone I have ever heard address it. Why? Because the simple picture of the false professors adrift with the life raft in the distance is so revealing. Worth the listen and comes near the end of the teaching. He is such a simple country man but with an incredible depth in Christ. Take it up with Tozer is something I will quickly pass off to others that question cheap belief. Look at what extent men will go to with false assurance. It would be better to deal with this issue with Christ in scripture, but men will view Christ's words through the filter of modern church culture and will not be able to make application of it today. The religion of the 5 foolish virgins, the many who stand at the Grooms door giving evidence of their loyalty and servitude, and those who believed in Christ yet were quick to pick up stones to kill Him are bound to ancient history and the pages of so many copied manuscript and that is were they stay.

So many today will say, "One cannot know, only God knows". That is a lie! Satan has deceived many and they buy into it. From the old grandma who has attended the church her whole life to the man who stands elevated to the crowd before him. It is a lie! Any born again believer knows this. Now shall we talk about true assurance?

Let us speak of Paul's letters. Let's talk about the practice of sin vs. still being bound to this nature that we will only be free of when this body dies. Let's talk about the new nature we are given that battles daily this body of sin. This is worthy of discussion but lets not make the mistake of grouping the new life given a believer with the the false salvation of the majority and seeing the actions in these lives as the same. Prayer is not the same. Renewing the mind is not the same, testimony is not the same, worship is not the same, assurance is not the same, the affections are not the same, the view of sin is not the same, the love of God is not the same, the conviction is not the same, sanctification is not the same and on and on.....................

When many in the church say do not judge for it is too complex, what they are saying is do not exercise the gift given the believer of discernment. They cannot judge and they should not, for they do not have the ability. We do, and we should under His instruction. The culture says we must be tolerant. Look what it has become and is still becoming. The church for the most part has followed suit.

 2011/6/9 10:59Profile
Christinyou
Member



Joined: 2005/11/2
Posts: 3710
Ca.

 Re:

It takes two to give new life. This Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. So is the Born again expierence, new Life, the incorruptable Seed of the Father, Jesus Christ born again in us and now we are a new creature.

Mt 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Mt 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

WE are a new creature as Paul says. "Christ in you the Hope of Glory." "It is no longer I who live But Christ who liveth in me, and the life I now live, I live by the Faith of the Son of God."

1Peter 1:23
Col 1:27
Gal 2:20
and many other, Paul speaks of this new Person that we are now identified by as be in Christ and Christ in you 146 times in his Gospel.

New birth, New Creature, In Christ, Christ in you, by the Word of God, the incorruptable Seed of the Father.

John 1:1-4

In Christ: Phillip


_________________
Phillip

 2011/6/9 14:03Profile
Christinyou
Member



Joined: 2005/11/2
Posts: 3710
Ca.

 Re:

Are You Born Again?

How, by whom and what difference in the birthing?

In Christ: Phillip


_________________
Phillip

 2011/6/13 18:45Profile





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