Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
Thank you! You're advice is very helpful! After looking at the responses that I received, I believe that I am born again! I think that because I was saved at a young age (age 8) I easily doubt my salvation instead of walking in faith.As with everything else everyone believes differently. For example I don't believe you have to speak in tounges at all. Or that baptism matters. However I do believe if you truly believe in Him in your heart, you are saved. However I also believe you can lose your salvation or at the least "rewards" in heaven. And by that I mean you need to ask yourself have you felt you have made changes in your life since becoming saved.
For example lets say you had a swearing problem before, or maybe an addiction to porn. Is it gone now? If so you have made changes and you know you are doing well. Of course if you are early in your christianity it may be a work in process. Then again we will forever be a work in process since perfection is impossible.
Most importantly, you asked how do you know if you are born again. If you weren't born again then you wouldn't ask that question. Asking means you truly want to make sure you are doing the right thing. Which shows your heart is in the right place.
Thank you for your insight! It's very helpful! I believe that I am walking in the spirit but I just tend to feel defeated easily whenever I make mistakes. I believe that I just need to walk in faith and not by feelings. As far as being religious, I tend to follow God or read his word because I know that I'm supposed too. It doesn't seem like it truly flows from the heart.
I would say that I personally haven't seen a dramatic change although at one point I did feel led to read his word more. Even now, I feel like I'm only following him because I'm supposed to not because I actually love him. It seems like I'm trying to save myself instead of trusting in him alone. I also tend to feel like if I stop reading his word or praying and let him take hold of the situation, then I wouldn't be interested in Christianity anymore and that's what worries me.
Thank you for your prayers! I am still seeking him and hope to build a relationship with him!I'm sorry but I find this to be really sad. I'm praying for you that you'll realize how much Jesus loves you and in return you'll wind up loving Him. For I love Him because He first loved me and made the ultimate sacrifice even though I didn't deserve it in the slightest.
I would say that I personally haven't seen a dramatic change although at one point I did feel led to read his word more. Even now, I feel like I'm only following him because I'm supposed to not because I actually love him. It seems like I'm trying to save myself instead of trusting in him alone. I also tend to feel like if I stop reading his word or praying and let him take hold of the situation, then I wouldn't be interested in Christianity anymore and that's what worries me.
Speaking from experience here:I would say that I personally haven't seen a dramatic change although at one point I did feel led to read his word more. Even now, I feel like I'm only following him because I'm supposed to not because I actually love him. It seems like I'm trying to save myself instead of trusting in him alone. I also tend to feel like if I stop reading his word or praying and let him take hold of the situation, then I wouldn't be interested in Christianity anymore and that's what worries me.
Again, speaking from experience:Thank you! You're advice is very helpful! After looking at the responses that I received, I believe that I am born again! I think that because I was saved at a young age (age 8) I easily doubt my salvation instead of walking in faith.
I will tell you the rest of this story, if you want to hear it.
Speaking from experience here:
As a kid of age 7, my mom began to take my sisters and I to church. Sunday School teachers taught us about all the stories in the Bible and about who God is, who Jesus is, and all the things churches of long ago taught. I was "saved" at age 12, baptized in the Holy Spirit at 16, and baptized in water not just once but twice, in my life. I am now 70 years old, living through a pandemic with the rest of the world. But I am at peace in the midst of this horrendous storm. There is, incredibly, no fear in me.
I can tell you this, dear one. I challenged God to prove Himself to me, for real, in my mid-40's or I was going to walk away from everything I was taught, up to that point. I was going to just toss it all; the weekly church habit, the "christian-ese", the phrases, the fake faces acting like they cared about me, ALL the religious garbage ... that had become nothing to me. But one thing remained: I wanted to know God. I HAD to know for sure IF He existed. I desperately needed to know how to cope with the destroyed life I had lived, a life that was tearing me apart. I had caused so much heartache to myself, and to my children, from the stupid choices I had made. Divorced three times, and having left a 7 year long relationship with yet another man, I was broken...
...and so, I angrily challenged God, demanded that He let me know him, for real, or leave me alone forever. And then I cried, sobs so deep that I choked on my own saliva at times. Thank God! At that very moment, a dramatic change took place within me. It was like a light was shining inside me, and I HAD to find my Bible. But I had to work all day, far from home, before I could even get to it. The story of my life from that point on, even as I recall it now, is incredible to me, more than 25 years later.
That moment changed my life! The difficulties AND the miracles, the joys I experienced for the first time, actually knowing Him as God's daughter, were worth everything! Even the years prior to that moment were worth all of the pain - because it drove me to the point where I challenged God to prove Himself to me. My story is filled with incredible things that defy belief - unless you know the ONE, true God. Only God can teach us who He is, and He does so via His Holy Spirit. That Bible reading you're doing is empty because you haven't come to this point in your life yet. But if you get to that point where I found myself, that Bible will take on a life you never dreamed of. It's your link to HIM, when you're ready to see. I now understand what it means to "devour" the Word, because I did it.
I will tell you the rest of this story, if you want to hear it.
I will try to keep posts short(er), so will do them in segments.
FIRST THINGS:
I am a writer, by profession, as of only about eight years ago. God did that (one of His incredible miracles, here). He built all the skills within me, from childhood to my 70 years, for just this time in my life. My one and only purpose is to reach those who are fed up with playing church and want to find God, for real, at the near end of this age. It is His purpose in making me and I am at peace about that. Therefore, my posts are to do what He has built me to do - to help those who are desperate to know God, to find Jesus, to know the TRUTH about why we are on this planet. HE showed me these things through the teaching of the Holy Spirit, as I consumed the Word over a six month period. I was like a kid who has had only one piece of cake her entire life, then is turned loose in a cake shop and told she can eat as much cake as she wants (I personally love cake). He showed me His Truth because I craved it. He showed me because I was desperate to know Him - or I was done.
I will continue my story for you in the next post so this doesn't come off as too long to read.
I would absolutely love to hear the rest! It's been a blessing so far!Speaking from experience here:
As a kid of age 7, my mom began to take my sisters and I to church. Sunday School teachers taught us about all the stories in the Bible and about who God is, who Jesus is, and all the things churches of long ago taught. I was "saved" at age 12, baptized in the Holy Spirit at 16, and baptized in water not just once but twice, in my life. I am now 70 years old, living through a pandemic with the rest of the world. But I am at peace in the midst of this horrendous storm. There is, incredibly, no fear in me.
I can tell you this, dear one. I challenged God to prove Himself to me, for real, in my mid-40's or I was going to walk away from everything I was taught, up to that point. I was going to just toss it all; the weekly church habit, the "christian-ese", the phrases, the fake faces acting like they cared about me, ALL the religious garbage ... that had become nothing to me. But one thing remained: I wanted to know God. I HAD to know for sure IF He existed. I desperately needed to know how to cope with the destroyed life I had lived, a life that was tearing me apart. I had caused so much heartache to myself, and to my children, from the stupid choices I had made. Divorced three times, and having left a 7 year long relationship with yet another man, I was broken...
...and so, I angrily challenged God, demanded that He let me know him, for real, or leave me alone forever. And then I cried, sobs so deep that I choked on my own saliva at times. Thank God! At that very moment, a dramatic change took place within me. It was like a light was shining inside me, and I HAD to find my Bible. But I had to work all day, far from home, before I could even get to it. The story of my life from that point on, even as I recall it now, is incredible to me, more than 25 years later.
That moment changed my life! The difficulties AND the miracles, the joys I experienced for the first time, actually knowing Him as God's daughter, were worth everything! Even the years prior to that moment were worth all of the pain - because it drove me to the point where I challenged God to prove Himself to me. My story is filled with incredible things that defy belief - unless you know the ONE, true God. Only God can teach us who He is, and He does so via His Holy Spirit. That Bible reading you're doing is empty because you haven't come to this point in your life yet. But if you get to that point where I found myself, that Bible will take on a life you never dreamed of. It's your link to HIM, when you're ready to see. I now understand what it means to "devour" the Word, because I did it.
I will tell you the rest of this story, if you want to hear it.
By the way, I don't get paid to write. It's all volunteer, for this very reason, in a tiny little newsletter for a tiny little village in Ohio.
With that said, I must take a break. If anyone wants to hear what my story is about, let me know. Should I create my own space for those who want to read my posts, or just keep going here?
It's okay not to say where you're from. Not a good idea, anyway, online when we can avoid it. Crazy days we are living in, don't you think?I'm not going to tell you exactly where I'm from, but I'm an Ohioan myself.
Whatever you want to do is fine with me.
There are two events which make a person a Born Again Believer in Christ.
Mark 16:16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
1) The Non Believing person Must Believe, Jesus is the Sacrifice for their sins, at which point, they will be Forgiven.
2) The now Believer Must become Baptized, in order to receive the Holy Spirit into their Being.
Gal. 2:20
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?