Signs a person is regenerated.

Hello @Thatgirloncfforums, I believe that Pastor Pink was detailing one of the types of behaviors that contrasts a believer from a non-believer, and in this case, it's the grief/remorse that we believers feel whenever we sin.

I don't know what you were like prior to becoming a believer, but as a non-Christian I led a very sinful (and from my POV back then, a very fun) life/lifestyle, typically, w/o any grief or remorse whatsoever, as my interest was in doing things that were pleasing to me, not to God back then.

I just had my 35th "spiritual" birthday (PTL ), and it's been 35 years since I lived a 'life' of sin like I did prior to becoming a Christian. I have, of course, sinned many times in the last 35 years, but it has ~never~ seemed enjoyable to me, and I've always asked God to forgive me and cleanse me as soon as He makes it clear to me that I have done so.

That's what I believe Pastor Pink was getting at (as well the overall/general thought that non-believers typically act like non-believers, and believers (typically) act like believers .. even when we sin).

I hope that explains it?

God bless you!

--David

Hammster said:

They are repentant.

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I have a friend who is gay and was married to his boyfriend. He also proclaims Jesus (he sings to him). In your opinion, is the Holy Spirit in him or no? This is an important question, bc a lot of evangelicals and some Catholics have encouraged him to divorce his husband. Since doing so, he has been dubbed 'a prodigal returned home'. He now says of himself, 'I am now a Christian'. The thing is, he was baptized and like I said professed Christ's Lordship all of his life.

Thank you for your response. I just have found, that questions like the OPs lead down rabbit holes and creates divisions among people over who's saved and who's not and how can we tell?

Also, I, being more intellectually minded (some call me cold, nasty, unfeeling, ect), have found that emotions or states of grief and remorse causes me to lose touch with reality. For me, it's manipulation. So, although I try to do better overall, I would say, that for me, it's bourne out of an acknowledgement of facts visa vie the Sacraments and the Word, it's not something I feel or am stirred up by.

I understand though that everyone's experiences are different. I praise God that you have yours. God works on each of us as individuals. As long as we are looking to Word and Sacrament and what Christ does, I don't take issue with the internal effects one may feel (or in my case, not feel)

St_Worm2 said:

Hello @Thatgirloncfforums, I believe that Pastor Pink was detailing one of the types of behaviors that contrasts a believer from a non-believer, and in this case, it's the grief/remorse that we believers feel whenever we sin.

I don't know what you were like prior to becoming a believer, but as a non-Christian I led a very sinful (and from my POV back then, a very fun) life/lifestyle, typically, w/o any grief or remorse whatsoever, as my interest was in doing things that were pleasing to me, not to God back then.

I just had my 35th "spiritual" birthday (PTL ), and it's been 35 years since I lived a 'life' of sin like I did prior to becoming a Christian. I have, of course, sinned many times in the last 35 years, but it has ~never~ seemed enjoyable to me, and I've always asked God to forgive me and cleanse me as soon as He makes it clear to me that I have done so.

That's what I believe Pastor Pink was getting at (as well the overall/general thought that non-believers typically act like non-believers, and believers (typically) act like believers .. even when we sin).

I hope that explains it?

God bless you!

--David

2 Corinthians 13
5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
.​

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A revulsion against sin and a humility toward God and the world.

St_Worm2 said:

Here is one of the "signs" @Neostarwcc, in this case from pastor/theologian A. W. Pink.

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Grieving to be socially accepted is easy to fake, being kind to those who are cruel to you, is not.

Hammster said:

I’m not sure I understand this scenario.

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Milo Yiannopolous was baptized Catholic. He was/is gay. He married his boyfriend in 2018 (?) He divorced. Now he is working for the ultra-right Catholic paper, 'Church Militant'.

When he was gay, mobs of people told him he wasn't a Christian. Now that he is no longer active, these same people are lauding him.

It's like, 'Oh good. You're not gay anymore! Welcome to the Kingdom'

Michael Collum said:

Grieving to be socially accepted is easy to fake, being kind to those who are cruel to you, is not.

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Concur. The hardest thing for me right now is forgiving a certain person who doesn't think they have done anything wrong. So they are unrepentant. The only solution I have found is to keep crawling up to lay beside Christ on the cross. Calvary is painful and hard. Dying to myself so that my enemies can live, is the most difficult thing I have ever experienced. I rely on Christ's grace alone

Thatgirloncfforums said:

Concur. The hardest thing for me right now is forgiving a certain person who doesn't think they have done anything wrong. So they are unrepentant. The only solution I have found is to keep crawling up to lay beside Christ on the cross. Calvary is painful and hard. Dying to myself so that my enemies can live, is the most difficult thing I have ever experienced. I rely on Christ's grace alone

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I find difficulty with this also, from times when it was "easy" I've noticed forgiveness having a "turning the other cheek as an offensive weapon" effect against the stronghold of evil.

So if you are able to bring down jericho within yourself, perhaps in the fullness of time, their walls will come down also.

Michael Collum said:

Grieving to be socially accepted is easy to fake, being kind to those who are cruel to you, is not.

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Hello @Michael Collum, while I generally agree with you about that, the Pink quote really has nothing to do with being "socially acceptable" as a CINO, it's simply one of the signs that helps a believer (or a CINO) know if they are in Christ or not (after all, our sin is internal and, normally, not obvious to others, like lust or pride or hate, for instance). Though I suppose it could be a sign to others if the sin is that obvious (of if we have confessed it to them), the understanding of someone's personal sin and the Christian's internal reaction to it (that Pastor Pink was referring to in his quote above) was meant as a help/sign for the sinner alone.

Non-Christians rarely care when they sin (as I said earlier), well, unless they get caught

On the other hand, I have seen many non-Christians choose to respond with kindness to those who are being cruel to them, for all kinds of different reasons (none of which have to do with obeying, pleasing and/or glorifying God, which are some of the things that are typically at the heart of why true believers chose act in accord with the dictates of verses like Matthew 7:12 in their treatment of others .. and why they ask God for forgiveness when they fail to do so ).

God bless you

--David

Michael Collum said:

I find difficulty with this also, from times when it was "easy" I've noticed forgiveness having a "turning the other cheek as an offensive weapon" effect against the stronghold of evil.

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Yes! I liken it to the story of the woman caught in adultery. All too often I want to stand in Satan's place with the crowd, as the great accuser. I use to think that there was merit in this. That's how much I was deluded. I use to believe that we made others stronger in their relationship with God by playing the offensive, by playing Satan. Now, I work moment by moment on not standing with the crowd. I was helped along by others turning on me, and without knowing it, placing me in the adulterer's spot. For awhile all I could hear were the accusations of my former friends turned enemies. But now, without leaving her place, I am starting to see things from God's perspective and realize that even my former friends are adulterers too (where I am). I am learning to take on the mind of Christ which says, 'Are there any here who accuse you?', That is to say, Satan and his demons or 'that girl''? To which my former friends reply, 'No one Lord' and my reply in and with Jesus, 'Then neither do I accuse you, go in peace and sin no more'.

So if you are able to bring down jericho within yourself, perhaps in the fullness of time, their walls will come down also.

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Exactly! I love this! Yes. I play a long game and I play for keeps. I know that their walls will come down, that's the promise of eternal life that I have from Jesus.
I hope for the salvation of my former friends and in hoping that we will be together for eternity, I must forgive them. Otherwise, we would all be in hell (hell being the 'communion' of people who can't abide one another)

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Longsuffering
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control

(Yes, it's simplistic but I do believe still accurate enough to offer good indications)

Isn't this the sum of the Law? To love God and neighbor as yourself? Therefore, how much joy, how much love, how much self-control?

I see a difference between asking what the fruits or effects of the Spirit are and asking (as the OP does), 'What are signs a person can look at to say "The Holy Spirit lives in me."

WolfGate said:

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Longsuffering
• Kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control

(Yes, it's simplistic but I do believe still accurate enough to offer good indications)

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Hammster said:

So based on that, how would I know if he’s saved?

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He's been baptized. He has always professes the Catholic faith, especially the three ecumenical Creeds. By those criteria would you conclude that he is God's child?

I don't really understand the reasoning. I rarely make such judgments about people, to my own fault, I guess, I'm primarily concerned about my own hide. But, not really because I find myself hoping even atheists will be saved.

On rare occasions do I feel that the Spirit "testifies" to me about the trustworthiness of other persons. Once or twice a certain pastor, and concerning sacraments, etc. But usually I'm out and about. I don't have a church so much as territory, and someone has to patrol it...

The only sign is the promise of The Messiah (Jesus) that if a person trust in Him (Jesus) for God's free gift of Eternal Life. Then they are born again, a child of God.