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

zoidar said:

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.

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There are periods where believers sealed in the Holy Spirit doubt. Maybe this is what you speak of?

Ken Rank said:

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?

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I believe there is more to the Nicodemus matter. Jesus stated “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things?”

As the teacher of Israel Jesus would be calling into question his knowledge of the Scriptures. Some have suggested Jesus May have been referring to Ezekiel 36:22-32. The clear “I will” statements of YHWH:

Ezekiel 36: NASB

22“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23“I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.24“For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.26“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28“You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29“Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30“I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31“Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. 32“I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”

zoidar said:

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.

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The Apostle Paul tells us:

Romans 8: NASB

14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

zoidar said:

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.

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As we say in marksmanship “can we tighten the shot group a bit?”

Meaning, are we speaking of a person who proclaims Christ as Savior and later denies His atoning work and then “loses his faith” and thus becomes an enemy to the faith? I think that all the warnings in Hebrews addresses this as apostasy and the Apostle John noting those who were with us and left were never of us. So that would be the apostasy “clause.”


But I think you are referring to someone who was on fire for the Lord maybe converted early in their lives and then went on a period of coldness weighed down by the ways of the world which is a form of idolatry. Meaning putting the things of the world before the ways of God. Is that person born again when early in their lives on fire for the Lord and then a period of cooling and then years later either by tragedy or God’s loving chastisement, or a general “being rebuked and taken to the woodshed” then once again is on fire for the Lord...Is that person “reborn again”, or never was first born again in their youth, or a born again Christian who has by the Grace of God been restored?

I am in a veterans and first responder support ministry and will tell you many there find that their PTSD and anxiety has more to do about the wasted time in their lives where they did not serve God in the love of the new creation He made them. Such hearts in their “wasted time” struggled with this. They never denied Christ and His Finished Work. But they doubted God wanted them because of their perceived lassitude in serving Him. The normal response is they tried and tried to get right with God. Notice they tried by their ways. Cutting deals with God “If I do this will you do this God?”

The cutting a deal or self made “ways” to return puts their baggage between them and Christ. When we should be relying on God’s Grace with Jesus at our side as blood bought adopted children dealing with the baggage. What we see this is the difference between “the room of good intentions vs the room of Grace.”

It’s not a loss of faith but a dysfunctional approach to understanding God’s Grace. This takes discipleship and some of these warriors may have not received it early on, or moved away to serve and burned out in fellowship with other believers. These men are among our strongest church partners now. Not perfect as none of us are and still have struggles which we all shoulder with them in brotherly love and friendship.

Think on it. The often used parable of the Prodigal son is used and frankly abused a lot. Let’s visit what actually happened. The son after squandering his father’s inheritance is feeding pigs and starving. He comes up with his own scheme, although a humble one, to go back and serve his father as a servant as his father’s servants are always fed, clothed and sheltered without want. This would be the approach of the room of good intentions. But what happens? As the father sees him from afar, he runs out to his son and hears the repentant words and cuts him off before hearing the good intentions proposal, and embraces the son and then commands the best garments be given a ring and a feast is prepared for the son. That son experienced the room of Grace thrust upon him by a loving father.

It is why I call that parable the Parable of the Gracious Father.

Maria Billingsley said:

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.

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What you describe is apostasy and there is no return. So someone cannot one day be saved, then unsaved, saved again, unsaved again, back to saved again as your theology teaches.

And Scriptures do not teach what you propose. Other than describing the difference between an adopted child of God and apostate:

Hebrews 6: NASB

7For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

BobRyan said:

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.

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Always important to put clippings in context:

Galatians 5: NASB


Once again we have a group of people trying to add to the Finished work of Christ demanding circumcision and thus the full keeping of the Law. Paul says then fully keep it and then says:


He says he has confidence that his audience will adopt the Gospel of Grace and the one teaching Grace plus Law will bear his own judgment.

Now on

Romans 11: NASB



Paul is addressing how Israel was blinded so that God’s mercy be shown to the Gentiles. This is a comparison to the two ethnic groups of the Bible. Israel vs Gentiles. This is confirmed by verse 25. Paul confirms the mercy and love of God will return to Israel when the time of the Gentiles are complete. The majority of the OT attests that God will embrace Israel again at the culmination of all things.

These half verses you posit out of context (eisegesis) will always be defeated with rudimentary exegesis.

Jonaitis said:

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.

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Wow great observation.

Al Touthentop said:

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."

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I believe quoting verse 26 undercuts your argument. Notice whose righteousness God is referring to in that verse.

Unless a seed dies, it can not spring to life again with a new body.

John 12:20 (WEB)
Now there were certain Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. 21 These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

zoidar said:

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

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According to Jewish teachings, there were eight ways to become born again, six of which Nicodemus qualified for:

You Must be Born Again

zoidar said:

No I'm speaking of people who have lived a Christian life and leave Christianity, become Atheists or whatever to later return to the Church.

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Living a Christian life in what way?

If people think free will saves, they can be lost and saved a million times over. But once saved you will hate and overcome all sin.
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9 (KJV 1900)

Dave L said:

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” 1 John 3:9 (KJV 1900)

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The following scripture speaks of such a person that was born of God, but went astray, so I'm thinking you have misunderstood the scripture you quote to mean, "They were never saved to begin with" when that is in error.

James 5:19-20 New International Version (NIV)
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Kenny'sID said:

The following scripture speaks of such a person that was born of God, but went astray, so I'm thinking you have misunderstood the scripture you quote to mean, "They were never saved to begin with" when that is in error.

James 5:19-20 New International Version (NIV)
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

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It's part of not being able to habitually live in sin.

yeshuaslavejeff said:

Was Jesus troubled? Nicodemus was a 'scholar' wasn't he? he 'should have' known, but said he didn't know, that throughout Israels history having their hearts circumcised was , for them , "born again", or so I've been told ....
A heart unto Yahuweh , then, circumcised by Him , not by human hands, as also in the NT.....

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Of course he wasn't troubled. My point is, there are Jewish writings that are extrabiblical that you the phrase "born again" outside of the spiritual usage in John 3. Perhaps that is why Nicodemus was confused for a moment because, perhaps, he was attempting to apply the more secular meaning of "beginning anew" to a spiritual aspect he hadn't applied it to before. The phrase, like I said, was not unique to the NT, it was a cultural phrase being applied in a spiritual manner.

Remember, Yeshua spent a great deal of time revealing the spirit of the law which was derived from the letter of the law. Don't kill and not hating were tied together as was no committing adultery and lusting in the heart (and many other examples I can share). Nicodemus was probably stuck in his mind, using the more secular letter of "born again" and was confused when it was being used for this spiritual purpose by Yeshua.

Al Touthentop said:

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

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Please read post 58.

redleghunter said:

I believe there is more to the Nicodemus matter. Jesus stated “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things?”

As the teacher of Israel Jesus would be calling into question his knowledge of the Scriptures. Some have suggested Jesus May have been referring to Ezekiel 36:22-32. The clear “I will” statements of YHWH:

Ezekiel 36: NASB

22“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. 23“I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.24“For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. 25“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.26“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28“You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29“Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30“I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. 31“Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. 32“I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord GOD, “let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!”

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I am not contesting your post, it's a good point. But read post 58 when you get a second. I deliberately didn't say much yesterday... I kind of went into more depth just now.