How to be Born Again

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If you were asked what Jesus was asked by Nicodemus, what would your reply be? If Nicodemus had asked you, "How can a man be born when he is old?. . ." what answer would you have given him?
I would quote the Word of God to convict. Unless you turn and become again as a little child, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
 
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Waggles

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When I was standing out in a public shopping mall after having read a short testimony stuck
on a painted door (along with others) a man named, Bob, came over to me, and I asked him,
"Is this true?"
After saying yes, Bob opened up his rather battered dog-eared KJV Bible and read out the scriptures
to me - starting with John 3 he took me through the later chapters of John where Jesus preaches the
sending of the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, the holy Ghost.
And then the pièce de résistance Mark 16:15-20 this blew me away.
He went on through all the pertinent verses in Acts and then read through the epistles.
For the first time in my life the scriptures came of the pages and entered my heart. I was troubled
by what I had heard and went home asking myself "what if this is all true?"

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard, and has learned of the Father, comes unto me.
John 6:44-45
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him
of my Father.
John 6:65
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let
him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 7:37-39

And yes I obeyed the scriptures and got water baptized by full immersion, and one month later I was
baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke out in a new tongue according to scripture.
Then I became born from above or born again in the vernacular.
 
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Shempster

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That's a tough one because the term itself, the way the church describes it, is an esoteric experience which is normally associated with the new age movement. I have always found that odd.
I think he was referring to an esoteric experience alright, but I tend to think that Yeshua used that term from retrospect. In other words, you can look back on your life and see a moment where everything changed. You see how you were before and after. If you were reading your own biography you could say that you were "born again" at a certain point. That still points to an esoteric experience but perhaps it changes the term into more of just a name for the experience, not the experience itself.

The way I see it is that mortal flesh cannot inherit eternal life, so one must physically die to shed the flesh and step into a new body. Being born again.
There's only one problem with even that explanation: that scenario is basically reincarnation. Only to a different plane than earth.
 
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jimmyjimmy

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When I was standing out in a public shopping mall after having read a short testimony stuck
on a painted door (along with others) a man named, Bob, came over to me, and I asked him,
"Is this true?"
After saying yes, Bob opened up his rather battered dog-eared KJV Bible and read out the scriptures
to me - starting with John 3 he took me through the later chapters of John where Jesus preaches the
sending of the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, the holy Ghost.
And then the pièce de résistance Mark 16:15-20 this blew me away.
He went on through all the pertinent verses in Acts and then read through the epistles.
For the first time in my life the scriptures came of the pages and entered my heart. I was troubled
by what I had heard and went home asking myself "what if this is all true?"

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard, and has learned of the Father, comes unto me.
John 6:44-45
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him
of my Father.
John 6:65
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let
him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 7:37-39

And yes I obeyed the scriptures and got water baptized by full immersion, and one month later I was
baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke out in a new tongue according to scripture.
Then I became born from above or born again in the vernacular.

I have a couple of questions. First, what do you mean by, "a short testimony"?

If I read you correctly, you must follow certain steps in order to be born again, correct? So you if nicodemus asked you, "How can a man be born when he is old?. . .", you would lay out this plan for him in a similar manner.
 
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jimmyjimmy

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I think he was referring to an esoteric experience alright, but I tend to think that Yeshua used that term from retrospect. In other words, you can look back on your life and see a moment where everything changed.

I would have thought that an event such as rebirth would have been a little more noticeable .
 
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TheSeabass

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Jesus used the term "born" when talking about the spiritual change that takes place.

The reason being is when a baby is BORN it is born into this world without sin, innocent and pure. Likewise when one is BORN AGAIN, he rises from the waters of baptism without sin, pure.

Though the new birth is not the physical birth, the new birth brings one into the same state one is in at their physical birth - innocent, without sin.

I think Nicodemus would understand this for the Jews were not taught nor believed in the man made idea of original sin.
 
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jimmyjimmy

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Jesus used the term "born" when talking about the spiritual change that takes place.

The reason being is when a baby is BORN it is born into this world without sin, innocent and pure. Likewise when one is BORN AGAIN, he rises from the waters of baptism without sin, pure.

Though the new birth is not the physical birth, the new birth brings one into the same state one is in at their physical birth - innocent, without sin.

I think Nicodemus would understand this for the Jews were not taught nor believed in the man made idea of original sin.

Apparently, Nicodemus had no idea what Jesus was talking about.
 
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TheSeabass

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Apparently, Nicodemus had no idea what Jesus was talking about.
He should have John 3:10. The Pharisees claim was they knew the OT scriptures and the OT scriptures spoke of the necessity of a spiritual change. JW McGarvey puts it "The Jewish teachers or doctors of the law made very arrogant claims to knowledge, but it often happens that the professedly learned are remarkably unacquainted with the first principles of their religion. It was so with the Jewish teachers (Matthew 15:14). Nicodemus should have understood that such a change as Jesus was speaking of would be necessary, for (1) It was foreshadowed in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 10:16 1 Samuel 10:9; 1 Samuel 16:13; Psalms 51:10; Ezekiel 18:31; Jeremiah 4:4). (2) John the Baptist suggested the need of some such change when he attacked the Jewish trust in their descent from Abraham (Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8)."

The Pharisees still rejected it Luke 7:30.
 
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If you were asked what Jesus was asked by Nicodemus, what would your reply be? If Nicodemus had asked you, "How can a man be born when he is old?. . ." what answer would you have given him?

I would say, person can be born anew by words of God, because they can make change in persons heart so that person becomes righteous.
 
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Apparently, Nicodemus had no idea what Jesus was talking about.

Indeed, but what I find most interesting is that Nicodemus was correct on one point. A person is unable to physically squeeze back into their mother's womb to be birthed a second time.

He understands...
Birth is a one-time event.
Birth is not reversible.

Since salvation is also a one-time event and irreversible, Jesus' analogy is quite fitting. However, if you believe that salvation can be lost (or regained), this analogy becomes rather inadequate.
 
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TheSeabass

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Luke 15:32
It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found."

Do people live physically, die physically and be alive again physically? No, for what is physically impossible is not necessarily spiritually impossible.

A physically dead person cannot do anything. Yet Peter's hearers in Acts 2 were spiritually dead. Since physically dead people cannot do anything mean spiritually dead people cannot do anything either? No, for the spiritually dead in Acts 2 were able and willing to hear and understand Peter's sermon, be pricked in their hearts, asked what they must do and obey a command given them by Peter.

A person cannot be physically born again a second time but people can be spiritually "alive again" as was the prodigal.
 
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jimmyjimmy

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Indeed, but what I find most interesting is that Nicodemus was correct on one point. A person is unable to physically squeeze back into their mother's womb to be birthed a second time.

Birth is a one-time event.
Birth is not reversible.

Since salvation is also a one-time event and irreversible, Jesus' analogy is quite fitting. However, if you believe that salvation can be lost (or regained), this analogy becomes rather inadequate.

Now you've done it.

59907743.jpg
 
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bbbbbbb

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When I was standing out in a public shopping mall after having read a short testimony stuck
on a painted door (along with others) a man named, Bob, came over to me, and I asked him,
"Is this true?"
After saying yes, Bob opened up his rather battered dog-eared KJV Bible and read out the scriptures
to me - starting with John 3 he took me through the later chapters of John where Jesus preaches the
sending of the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, the holy Ghost.
And then the pièce de résistance Mark 16:15-20 this blew me away.
He went on through all the pertinent verses in Acts and then read through the epistles.
For the first time in my life the scriptures came of the pages and entered my heart. I was troubled
by what I had heard and went home asking myself "what if this is all true?"

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard, and has learned of the Father, comes unto me.
John 6:44-45
And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him
of my Father.
John 6:65
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let
him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 7:37-39

And yes I obeyed the scriptures and got water baptized by full immersion, and one month later I was
baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke out in a new tongue according to scripture.
Then I became born from above or born again in the vernacular.

If you had died after believing the gospel, but before being baptized in water where would you have gone?

In the month between being baptized in water and speaking in another tongue, if you had died, where would you have gone?
 
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Waggles

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First, what do you mean by, "a short testimony"?
These testimonies were printed out on A4 size sheets and laminated then blu-tacked to the painted
doors for passerbys to read.
The one that caught my eye was from a former hippy who was baptized in water and the Holy Spirit
with the Bible evidence of speaking in tongues and was instantly healed from Hepatitis C and her
heroin addiction. Then went on to become a new person living a new life in Jesus.

I was very challenged when reading this as being Roman Catholic such a testimony was definitely not
part of our way of doing things. That's why I had to ask Bob "is this true?"
Being born again was a very new doctrine for me. Miraculous healing and transformation of one's life
and one's faith was outside of my RC experience.

If I read you correctly, you must follow certain steps in order to be born again, correct? So you if nicodemus asked you, "How can a man be born when he is old?. . .", you would lay out this plan for him in a similar manner.
Yes, absolutely. Just as Jesus gave specific instructions in detail for the building of the Ark, the building
of the Tabernacle, and the building of the Temple, so Jesus gives specific instructions and details for a
believer (a worshipper) to become the temple of the living God to dwell in.
 
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jimmyjimmy

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These testimonies were printed out on A4 size sheets and laminated then blu-tacked to the painted
doors for passerbys to read.
The one that caught my eye was from a former hippy who was baptized in water and the Holy Spirit
with the Bible evidence of speaking in tongues and was instantly healed from Hepatitis C and her
heroin addiction. Then went on to become a new person living a new life in Jesus.

I was very challenged when reading this as being Roman Catholic such a testimony was definitely not
part of our way of doing things. That's why I had to ask Bob "is this true?"
Being born again was a very new doctrine for me. Miraculous healing and transformation of one's life
and one's faith was outside of my RC experience.


Yes, absolutely. Just as Jesus gave specific instructions in detail for the building of the Ark, the building
of the Tabernacle, and the building of the Temple, so Jesus gives specific instructions and details for a
believer (a worshipper) to become the temple of the living God to dwell in.

Thanks,

I still don't understand what a "testimony" is in this context. The gospel isn't about Christians. It's about Christ.

I don't see Jesus giving Nicodemus instructions on how to be born again. In fact, I see just the opposite. Jesus tells him that he doesn't have anything to do with it.
 
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Apex

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These testimonies were printed out on A4 size sheets and laminated then blu-tacked to the painted
doors for passerbys to read.
The one that caught my eye was from a former hippy who was baptized in water and the Holy Spirit
with the Bible evidence of speaking in tongues and was instantly healed from Hepatitis C and her
heroin addiction. Then went on to become a new person living a new life in Jesus.

How do you know someone is really speaking in tongues or merely mimicking? Is there a difference in the way it sounds? Also, does God limit his healing capacities to the faithful? Why has there never been a verifiable and medically documented case of a miraculous healing of an amputee? Are there no faithful amputees? Does God only heal in secret?

Yes, absolutely. Just as Jesus gave specific instructions in detail for the building of the Ark, the building
of the Tabernacle, and the building of the Temple, so Jesus gives specific instructions and details for a
believer (a worshipper) to become the temple of the living God to dwell in.

What are those instructions? And are they ever listed in full within one single passage? If not, why?
 
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bbbbbbb

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How do you know someone is really speaking in tongues or merely mimicking? Is there a difference in the way it sounds? Also, does God limit his healing capacities to the faithful? Why has there never been a verifiable and medically documented case of a miraculous healing of an amputee? Are there no faithful amputees? Does God only heal in secret?

What are those instructions? And are they ever listed in full within one single passage? If not, why?

I will preface my response by saying that I am not Pentecostal nor do I believe that Pentecostalism is biblically sound.

That said, I know of several medically validated cases of divine healing by God, not through faith healers. This past year I met a young lady who was born with autism. She was unable to attend school. Her very successful parents took her to all of the top medical specialists in her country (China). These men had been trained in the top medical schools in the United States. They all agreed that she had autism and that there is no cure for it. As a result, they told her parents to institutionalize her and have another child in her place. Neither parent was a Christian. Some Christians learned of the problem and volunteered to pray for her healing. God completely healed her. When I first met her I would never have guessed that she had ever been remotely autistic.

You can say and believe what you will, but don't tell people that God does not heal medically impossible cases.
 
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bbbbbbb

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The grave.

Do you believe that if you died today you would be eternally in the grave? If not, why not?

During the periods prior to your water baptism and your speaking in tongues, do you believe that if you had died then you would have remained eternally in the grave? If not, where do you think your eternal destination would have been? Would it have been the same place you believe you will eternally be now?
 
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