In John 3:3 the scripture says (NIV)3 Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]"
Question for anyone that is interested....."have you had a born again experience...if so can you say the exact time in your life that it happened....also can you say how it "changed you"....also please indicate your belief with regards to whether or not you are "saved" due to the fact that you had a born again experience....or conversely whether you feel that the saving of our souls has absolutely nothing to do with having a "born again" experience.
If the UR position is indeed true, is it then not necessary to have a "born again" experience prior to death in this lifetime in order to be saved ?
Also would a person who had a "born again" experience in this lifetime have some sort of advantage in the next aion ?
Then ultimately for "all" to be saved....sooner or later they would need to experience being "born again".
Quote - "have you had a born again experience...if so can you say the exact time in your life that it happened....also can you say how it "changed you"....
When I was 12 years old I became convicted of my need to call on the Lord for salvation. He enabled me to do so, and He also gave me a (small) measure of faith to believe on Him (necessary for salvation). It started a working of the Holy Spirit in me over the years of leading, directing, growing me - and comforting me.
Quote - "....also please indicate your belief with regards to whether or not you are "saved" due to the fact that you had a born again experience....or conversely whether you feel that the saving of our souls has absolutely nothing to do with having a "born again" experience.
Yes I'm saved, and it happened when I called on the name of the Lord. (whosever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved Romans 10:13). The calling of God is irrevocable, and He ensures our perseverance (He who has begun a good work in you will complete it. Phil. 1:6). It's all according to His grace, plans, and purpose.
Quote - If the UR position is indeed true, is it then not necessary to have a "born again" experience prior to death in this lifetime in order to be saved ?
Those who have been chosen in this life to be spiritually reborn from above (born again) are the ecclesia, the "church", called out and set aside for a purpose. I believe at least part of that purpose is to shepherd the rest. Eventually every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus is Lord. This can only occur when someone is IN - not by (inaccurate translation) - but IN the Holy Spirit. And again, the scriptures say that whoever calls on the name of the Lord..will..be..saved!! :bigGrin:
Exactly what jabcat said except I was 10 years old. :happy3:
I just thought of something. Wasn't Jesus 12 years old when he was in the Temple talking to the Doctors? Maybe I was a bit too early, you think?
CHB
My "born again" experience happened when I was 19.I see the experience more like revelation or an understanding now.I beleive we continue to get"born again" experiences as God leads us and decides to use us for a purpose.
The saving process contnues in all of us...saving us from what is carnal and not life giving,since we all will be restored one day
blessings :icon_king:
Quote from: CHB on December 06, 2010, 06:36:04 PM
Exactly what jabcat said except I was 10 years old. :happy3:
I just thought of something. Wasn't Jesus 12 years old when he was in the Temple talking to the Doctors? Maybe I was a bit too early, you think?
CHB
I don't think so. I've seen people use the 12 yrs old as a purported "age of accountability". But I think the Spirit draws you whenever you're chosen to be drawn, and I've seen that happen at many different ages. :bigGrin:
P.S. Jesus was teaching at age 12!
Quote from: jabcat on December 06, 2010, 09:05:29 PM
P.S. Jesus was teaching at age 12!
Never thought about that. Thanks Jabcat.
CHB
Josiah became king of Judah at the age of eight.
2 Kings 23:25;
And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
Quote from: Beloved Servant on December 06, 2010, 09:28:50 PM
Josiah became king of Judah at the age of eight.
2 Kings 23:25;
And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
:thumbsup:
Quote from: CHB on December 06, 2010, 06:36:04 PM
Exactly what jabcat said except I was 10 years old. :happy3:
I just thought of something. Wasn't Jesus 12 years old when he was in the Temple talking to the Doctors? Maybe I was a bit too early, you think?
CHB
YLTMatt 1024 `A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord;
:bgdance:
Quote from: Beloved Servant on December 06, 2010, 09:28:50 PM
Josiah became king of Judah at the age of eight.
That's very young!
I think it's 7 years old in our way of counting. The didn't start counting at 0 at birth.
:cloud9: May 8th, 1986, two months before my 30th birthday (I was hard-headed) :mblush:
I asked Him the same question, and what I was given was, that He honors our faith where we're at. Blessings....
Quote from: WhiteWings on December 06, 2010, 10:01:14 PM
Quote from: CHB on December 06, 2010, 06:36:04 PM
Exactly what jabcat said except I was 10 years old. :happy3:
I just thought of something. Wasn't Jesus 12 years old when he was in the Temple talking to the Doctors? Maybe I was a bit too early, you think?
CHB
YLTMatt 10
24 `A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord;
:bgdance:
Ahhhh, WhiteWings. You just ruined the joy that jabcat gave me. Shucks. :sigh:
CHB
Quote from: CHB on December 07, 2010, 01:46:37 AM
Quote from: WhiteWings on December 06, 2010, 10:01:14 PM
Quote from: CHB on December 06, 2010, 06:36:04 PM
Exactly what jabcat said except I was 10 years old. :happy3:
I just thought of something. Wasn't Jesus 12 years old when he was in the Temple talking to the Doctors? Maybe I was a bit too early, you think?
CHB
YLTMatt 10
24 `A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord;
:bgdance:
Ahhhh, WhiteWings. You just ruined the joy that jabcat gave me. Shucks. :sigh:
CHB
I actually saw that as confirmation for you C; that even though you were younger than our Lord, it's OK, because we're under Him no matter what - and so it's still a good, legitimate thing. :2c: :bigGrin:
Born again to me, means that the mind of Christ was either birthed or awakened in the person the Holy Spirit was dealing with at the time. That now man would begin to see and descern with an understanding the deep things of God as man begins his walk from the shallows of the natural mind to the deeps of the knowledge of Christ in mans restoration.
Col 3:1 If, then, ye were raised with the Christ, the things above seek ye, where the Christ is, on the right hand of God seated,
Col 3:2 the things above mind ye, not the things upon the earth,
Col 3:3 for ye did die, and your life hath been hid with the Christ in God;
Col 3:4 when the Christ--our life--may be manifested, then also we with him shall be manifested in glory.
At least thats how the Lord gave me to see and recieve.
We who are born again in our lifetime are the "called out ones", the first fruits, the ecclesia. I believe through no merit of our own that we will be rulers with Christ over the rest of humanity that is saved after death.
In general I believe born again is when at any time a person goes from living a life not really caring about their actions and thoughts to someone who does care.
The conversion of Saul of Tarsus did not make Paul perfect, but it turned someone who didn't care into someone who did.
There are a lot of born again experiences that people have, and not all of them will include church, religion, the bible or even the english words Jesus Christ.
Quote from: Paul Hazelwood on December 07, 2010, 06:59:19 PM
In general I believe born again is when at any time a person goes from living a life not really caring about their actions and thoughts to someone who does care.
The conversion of Saul of Tarsus did not make Paul perfect, but it turned someone who didn't care into someone who did.
There are a lot of born again experiences that people have, and not all of them will include church, religion, the bible or even the english words Jesus Christ.
:thumbsup:
Hi;
Interesting when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus that he told him to be born again.
When we are first conceived in the flesh we have no say in the matter. Likewise in the conception of the spirit we have no say in the matter.
That could be a problem if trying to earn our own salvation, but is a blessing when coming to see the magnitude of the work of Christ.
Luke 18:17
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
Born again means born from above.
[born] "again"
G509
ἄνωθεν
anōthen
an'-o-then
From G507; from above; by analogy from the first; by implication anew: - from above, again, from the beginning (very first), the top.
We start our born again experience as a little child, realizing that everything we know is wrong and we have to start all over again. Born again is not for little children who naturally accept the love of God. It is for adults who have been blinded by the god of this world.
John 3:3
Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. "
Being born again really means that you no longer desire the works of the flesh but rather live to please the Father.
Some perspectives on being born again
Nicodemus asked your same question.
Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus *said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
Jesus answered as follows,
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
Unless a person breaks the womb of the world(dying to the world) and takes a breath of the Spirit (living to Christ) in the new creation of Christ they cannot enter into the kingdom of God. This means they cannot live within the benefits of life in the Spirit, under the Lordship of Jesus in the power of His grace- free from sin.
"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
It is life "In the Spirit" that constitutes entering the kingdom of God. It is not about heaven or hell. It is about becoming "partakers of the divine nature", being conformed internally to "the image of Christ". Those who have been born again are growing in the spirit walk and the earth walk is dying in them.
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"
Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? "No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
(Joh 3:3-13)
There is a view from heaven and there is a view from earth. There is a wisdom from below and a wisdom from above. In order to be "renewed in the spirit of your mind" and to be "born again unto a living hope by the resurrection of the dead" a person must confess with their tongue, Jesus as Lord, and believe with their heart that God raised Him from the dead.
That is the beginning of the renewed mind. "Thou art the Christ, the son of God", Peters confession to Christ was the "petra" upon which the house of God is built. So it will be until every knee shall bow....and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.
All begin as babes, "born again unto a living hope". All must "continue in My word" to be "made Free", in order to grow in grace and mature as disciples, until they live their lives "as the wind", led by the spirit, walking in the spirit, bearing the fruit of the spirit.
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. And coming to Him as to a living stone(petra) which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(1Pe 2:1-5)