Is it possible to be born again more than one time?

[zoidar]

Good Day, Zoidar

Forgive me... this is the best answer I have seen...

View attachment 268237

I don't know what to say, more than it happens that people lose their faith and come to faith again. Of course only God knows if they were and are truly born again.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Do you then hold to a person dying with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit may still end up in hell?

Read the books of Matthew and the Apocalypse to see what happens to multitudes who think they are already and for life saved.
Yes , prayerfully, the whole books, complete.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I don't know what to say, more than it happens that people lose their faith and come to faith again. Of course only God knows if they were and are truly born again.

Is there a reason to know ?
Scripture says to work out our salvation with fear and trembling-
for a reason.
Today has enough trouble for today.

 

[friend of]

Do you then hold to a person dying with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit may still end up in hell?

Of course not. : )

 

[zoidar]

Of course not. : )

I hope you are right. I'm drawn both ways.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

The Bible refers as we know to be born again as to when a believer comes to saving faith in the living God. We also know that some believers lose their faith to later in life come to faith again. Does this mean such a person has been born again twice?

One scenario might be that the believer never was born again the first time. But then how do we know the second time is a true rebirth?

It may also be so that the first time was a real rebirth, but the Holy Spirit was quenched, and the person left Christianity practically, but still had faith somewhere down inside (possibly denied), and coming back to faith "again" was simply relighting the spark, the Holy Spirit that was there inside.

The third option is that the person was reborn, then lost his faith which got the Holy Spirit to leave, to later in life be born again a second time and once again receiving the Holy Spirit.

Can a person be born again more than one time? Please back up with scriptures (and, or with Church fathers).

Christ love,
P

You can be born again, be filled with His Holy Spirit and then suddenly completely "fall away" through unbelief. This is possible. We know we have eternal life when we believe in Jesus . If we stop believing we no longer have eternal life. Scripture warns us of this condition. Those who quench the Holy Spirit will eventually "fall away" if they do not repent. This is why we must fight the flesh and all its threats to our salvation. Deception is the catalyst for unbelief or "falling away".
Be blessed.

 

[BobRyan]

I voted "yes - explain" because one can be "severed from Christ, fallen from grace" Gal 5:4 and then be "grafted in again if they do not continue in unbelief" Romans 11.

 

[St_Worm2]

Of course only God knows if they were and are truly born again.

Hello again Zoidar, that is true in the ultimate sense, and yet, He does seem very interested in His children 1. making sure that we are in the faith/in Christ and 2. knowing that He has given us ~ETERNAL~ life, and that we are truly His forevermore, and that, on this side of the grave

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?
6 But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.

1 John 5
11 The testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may ~know~ that you have eternal life.
​

--David

 

[AlexDTX]

Can a person be born again more than one time? Please back up with scriptures (and, or with Church fathers).

Jesus called the Word of God a seed in the parable of the sower and the seed. A seed can be planted without germinating and remain in the soil for many years before germination occurs. Likewise, people can receive the Word as a seed in their heart without having the new birth, but think they are Christians because they temporarily embraced the faith.

When the seed of the Word germinates in truth, the new birth will be experienced. For some it might be a mild experience but later on becomes greater with maturity and deeper faith. That person may think he had a second rebirth, but it is still the same new birth the first time that has finally blossomed.

This brings up the question, can a person lose their faith? The answer is, yes, but it is very difficult. Hebrews 6 alludes to this. How can one be unborn? By dying. The process of death of one's faith is the hardening of the heart. The new birth circumcises the heart, but, like our skin, it can become calloused when enough friction, such as caused by holding the handle of a shovel with many diggings, rubs the skin over time that hardness of the skin grows to protect the tissue.

Likewise with our spiritual hearts. Enough discouragement, fear, abuse, rejection, belittling, or willful engagement in sinful activities, will harden a heart to protect it from the voice of the conscience, or the rebukes of the Lord. When someone reaches a point when they absolutely do not want to walk with God anymore, their new birth dies. Not that the Holy Spirit leaves them. Instead they leave the Holy Spirit. But even in this scenario I believe the Lord will still do all that he can, without violating a person's free will, to draw them back. Nonetheless the writer of Hebrews says:

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, ...

Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.​

We guard our hearts from hardness of heart by keeping our minds on the Lord and responding in obedience to his promptings.

 

[Redwingfan9]

The Bible refers as we know to be born again as to when a believer comes to saving faith in the living God. We also know that some believers lose their faith to later in life come to faith again. Does this mean such a person has been born again twice?

One scenario might be that the believer never was born again the first time. But then how do we know the second time is a true rebirth?

It may also be so that the first time was a real rebirth, but the Holy Spirit was quenched, and the person left Christianity practically, but still had faith somewhere down inside (possibly denied), and coming back to faith "again" was simply relighting the spark, the Holy Spirit that was there inside.

The third option is that the person was reborn, then lost his faith which got the Holy Spirit to leave, to later in life be born again a second time and once again receiving the Holy Spirit.

Can a person be born again more than one time? Please back up with scriptures (and, or with Church fathers).

Christ love,
P

You can only be saved once. There is one moment in time when the Holy Ghost changes the heart of a man and saves him. He cannot then lose that salvation and later reclaim it. It's a once and for all event.

 

[Cis.jd]

The Bible refers as we know to be born again as to when a believer comes to saving faith in the living God. We also know that some believers lose their faith to later in life come to faith again. Does this mean such a person has been born again twice?

One scenario might be that the believer never was born again the first time. But then how do we know the second time is a true rebirth?

It may also be so that the first time was a real rebirth, but the Holy Spirit was quenched, and the person left Christianity practically, but still had faith somewhere down inside (possibly denied), and coming back to faith "again" was simply relighting the spark, the Holy Spirit that was there inside.

The third option is that the person was reborn, then lost his faith which got the Holy Spirit to leave, to later in life be born again a second time and once again receiving the Holy Spirit.

Can a person be born again more than one time? Please back up with scriptures (and, or with Church fathers).

Christ love,
P

Like Born Again again?

 

[renniks]

Salvation rests on belief. Can a person quit believing, be convicted and believe again? Of course. Romans 10:11

 

[FutureAndAHope]

The Bible refers as we know to be born again as to when a believer comes to saving faith in the living God. We also know that some believers lose their faith to later in life come to faith again. Does this mean such a person has been born again twice?

One scenario might be that the believer never was born again the first time. But then how do we know the second time is a true rebirth?

It may also be so that the first time was a real rebirth, but the Holy Spirit was quenched, and the person left Christianity practically, but still had faith somewhere down inside (possibly denied), and coming back to faith "again" was simply relighting the spark, the Holy Spirit that was there inside.

The third option is that the person was reborn, then lost his faith which got the Holy Spirit to leave, to later in life be born again a second time and once again receiving the Holy Spirit.

Can a person be born again more than one time? Please back up with scriptures (and, or with Church fathers).

Christ love,
P

The bible does not explain in detail whether a person can be born again, i.e. receive the Spirit of God, more than once. But what it teaches in general is that repentance is available for a sinner. Takes James as an example:

Jas 5:19-20 My brothers, if one of you has gone out of the way of the true faith and another has made him see his error, Be certain that he through whom a sinner has been turned from the error of his way, keeps a soul from death and is the cause of forgiveness for sins without number.

Now whether this person has the Spirit of God dormant in them during their error, or whether he leaves, and then returns, is up for debate.

Some would quote Hebrews 6 as showing that a person can not repent if they leave faith. However the scripture says that this person is "attempting to re-crucify Christ". Yet we know the cross covers a life time of sins.

Heb 9:27-28 And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation.

So the person referred to in Hebrews 6, is some one that has walked away from Christ and died in their sins, for which there is no repentance. Not a believer who may have left the church and now seeks to return. Why? For the cross covers a life time of sins.

 

[Kenny'sID]

Does this mean such a person has been born again twice?

Why not? Twice, times, whatever it takes.

Haven't read the thread but I'm sure the proverbial, "They were never save to begin with" has been brought up, but it happens all the time. people get saved then fall away back to the world, and as in the Prodigal Son scripture, God is always ready and willing to gladly have them back if they repent.

It just takes some people awhile for it all to sink in.

 

[Jonaitis]

The Bible refers as we know to be born again as to when a believer comes to saving faith in the living God. We also know that some believers lose their faith to later in life come to faith again. Does this mean such a person has been born again twice?

One scenario might be that the believer never was born again the first time. But then how do we know the second time is a true rebirth?

It may also be so that the first time was a real rebirth, but the Holy Spirit was quenched, and the person left Christianity practically, but still had faith somewhere down inside (possibly denied), and coming back to faith "again" was simply relighting the spark, the Holy Spirit that was there inside.

The third option is that the person was reborn, then lost his faith which got the Holy Spirit to leave, to later in life be born again a second time and once again receiving the Holy Spirit.

Can a person be born again more than one time? Please back up with scriptures (and, or with Church fathers).

Christ love,
P

I have a problem with the belief that God, who mercifully saw us at and saved us from our worst condition, in full display, can yet can turn fickle when we struggle with our remaining corruption within. It sounds deistic in a way, that he is present at our conversion, but abandons working out our salvation in us in the Christian walk. If he brought the sinner to a regenerate state, he will carry out the rest of the work throughout that person's life until it is completed in glory. Christ isn't a half-savior, he doesn't half-redeem. It also makes God sound insufficient to fully save those whom he loves.

 

[renniks]

I have a problem with the belief that God, who mercifully saw us at and saved us from our worst condition, in full display, can yet can turn fickle when we struggle with our remaining corruption within. It sounds deistic in a way, that he is present at our conversion, but abandons working out our salvation in us in the Christian walk. If he brought the sinner to a regenerate state, he will carry out the rest of the work throughout that person's life until it is completed in glory. Christ isn't a half-savior, he doesn't half-redeem. It also makes God sound insufficient to fully save those whom he loves.

God doesn't abandon us, but he doesn't stop us from leaving him.

 

[Al Touthentop]

The Bible refers as we know to be born again as to when a believer comes to saving faith in the living God. We also know that some believers lose their faith to later in life come to faith again. Does this mean such a person has been born again twice?

Every time the phrase "gift of the Holy Spirit" is used, it doesn't mean the same thing. There is one way to be born again according to the apostles and that is to be baptized. It's not required that one keeps doing it over and over again every time one sins. At least that's not what the apostles taught.

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

This washes away your past sins and as Peter says, gives us a good conscience toward God.

If a person strays from the path, we try and talk them off the ledge and bring them back to Christ. As John says to baptized Christians:

1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The context also teaches us that repentance - ceasing from sin - is required. So a person who repents and confesses (to God) is forgiven and he can walk back "in the light" restoring his fellowship with God.

He's not reborn, he's restored his relationship with God. While he walks in disobedience, he has no relationship with God. He's in darkness.

"God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."

Our fellowship with God depends on whether we walk in the light or walk in darkness.

 

[Al Touthentop]

I have a problem with the belief that God, who mercifully saw us at and saved us from our worst condition, in full display, can yet can turn fickle when we struggle with our remaining corruption within. It sounds deistic in a way, that he is present at our conversion, but abandons working out our salvation in us in the Christian walk. If he brought the sinner to a regenerate state, he will carry out the rest of the work throughout that person's life until it is completed in glory. Christ isn't a half-savior, he doesn't half-redeem. It also makes God sound insufficient to fully save those whom he loves.

That's a doctrine of man. It seems unfair that we have to continue to walk in the light. But this is what he told Ezekiel about that.

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies. 27 Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive. 28 Because he considers and turns away from all the transgressions which he committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die."

 

[Al Touthentop]

My answer is yes... BUT... here is the deal. We only have John 3 in terms of being "born again" using that phrase. We have other scriptures where "born anew" and other phrases are used. However, in that day, the word was used many places outside of Scripture and was fairly common in the culture which might explain why Yeshua was, in part, troubled by Nicodemus' answer?

Romans 6 is an in-depth study of what it means to be born again and how it is accomplished.

 

[NBB]

If you get cold far from God you don't need to be 'born again' again, you just need to repent and get close to God and get 'warm' like the first time.