How to be Born Again

oyster67 · Mar 20, 2021

There are so many different topics and ideas and opinions about so many things on this forum. What if someone just wants to get Born Again? Is that complicated and controversial also? Is the on-ramp to salvation hard to find and navigate? What could we say to a lost person just coming in here seeking Jesus?

Let's make at least one thread that is devoid of bickering and arguing and is seeker friendly. Just state how simple it is to come to Jesus and why (don't use it as an opportunity to criticize the previous poster.)

My thought and verse(s) on being/getting Born Again:___________________________

oyster67 · Mar 21, 2021

Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, all of us have been born with a sinful nature that acts as a poison within us. Our loving Lord Jesus has provided a remedy. It is his very own sin-cleansing blood. All we need do is confess our need for it and accept it. The following is a picture of Salvation from the Old Testament:

Numbers
21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for [there is] no bread, neither [is there any] water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Those poisonous snakes represent sin in our lives. They came when Adam disobeyed and the curse fell upon all men.

That brass serpent that God commanded to be made represented His very own Son, Jesus. He was nailed to a wooden pole and his blood was spilled as an antidote for our sins. What must we do to be cured from that deadly poison of sin within? Just Behold Him, believe and receive Him now. There is nothing that we can add to what He has already done. Just believe Him and receive Him today. Just look up and behold.

That is how one begins a new life in Christ. That is how to be born again.

notuptome · Mar 21, 2021

oyster67 said:

Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, all of us have been born with a sinful nature that acts as a poison within us. Our loving Lord Jesus has provided a remedy. It is his very own sin-cleansing blood. All we need do is confess our need for it and accept it. The following is a picture of Salvation from the Old Testament:

Numbers
21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for [there is] no bread, neither [is there any] water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Those poisonous snakes represent sin in our lives. They came when Adam disobeyed and the curse fell upon all men.

That brass serpent that God commanded to be made represented His very own Son, Jesus. He was nailed to a wooden pole and his blood was spilled as an antidote for our sins. What must we do to be cured from that deadly poison of sin within? Just Behold Him, believe and receive Him now. There is nothing that we can add to what He has already done. Just believe Him and receive Him today. Just look up and behold.

That is how one begins a new life in Christ. That is how to be born again.

In a figurative or allegorical description I can agree.

Romans 10:9-10, Romans 10:17 and John 16:8-10 Hearing God's word creates faith to believe in Jesus unto salvation. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment. All this is suppled by God so we can believe. Most of the third chapter of John Jesus teaches what it means to be saved or born again.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Naomi123 · Mar 21, 2021

Yes Oyster...the path is simple....absolute obedience to God....to walk as Jesus did....remembering that Jesus said...I and the Father are One....have the Vision of God ever before you...and you will surely receive the Promise....it is there when you reach the empty tomb
you are following the greatest command to Love God above everything...so we walk without complaining...happy to do as God requires of us

yes the walk will be lonely...but be of a happy heart that the Father is with you all the way...he never deserts his children...never

Runningman · Mar 21, 2021

Nicodemus wanted to know, too, how to be born again:

John 3
4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Jesus tries to explain to Nicodemus that the kind of spiritual birth He is talking about is not one of flesh and blood, but rather a birth of the internal spirit. This internal spiritual rebirth comes from the God, the Holy Spirit, and is directly related to faith in God the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus tells Nicodemus what to do by verse 16.

This is how you be born again and yes it's simple:
John 3:16
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

StevenRachui · Mar 21, 2021

Oyster, per the responses apparently not. Within these threads you see aspects of Calvinism, legalism and more. The truth is that coming to a relationship with Christ is very simple.
1. You realize your need for Christ and dependence on Him for your salvation. It seems you are already finished with step 1.
2. Repentance is next where you put your sin before God and ask that He enter your life as savior and God. This is often done through prayer.
3. You are baptized into Christ by immersion that identifies you as now being a part of Christs body. The act of immersion baptism is a symbol of your own death to sin, cleansing and rebirth into Christ as you rise from the water.

That is IT. Welcome go God's family. Now, that is NOT it in terms of your growth and maturation as a Christian but from that point forward you are a Christian. Being a Christian or becoming a Christian does NOT mean that you are perfect and have it all together but simply that you have reached the end of yourself and realize your need for Christ. After salvation your life is reshaped to pursue Christ and better align your own life to Christ's example. In terms of baptism that itself can be a discussion that some disagree about. i would only point you to Christ's own example where he, as a sinless man, submitted to baptism for the same reasons as described above. Can one be saved without baptism? I believe yes. Should every Christian be baptized to follow Christ's example and clearly show the world the point in time where their life is transformed? I believe yes. To me it boils down to this. Christ did it. Christ commanded it. The apostles reinforced it. What is a persons reason for not doing it? Any reason that is given pales badly in comparison to what Christ exampled for us.

shittim · Mar 21, 2021

Say this and mean it-

"Heavenly Father, I know I am a sinner, I accept the Price Jesus paid for my sin at the cross.
I come to you and ask your forgiveness and permission to enter your Kingdom, begin the process of conforming me to the image of your Son, in Jesus name I pray, Amen."

shittim · Mar 21, 2021

There isn't that much to learn to truly be a Christian.
Men have added a lot of garbage, Jesus paid it all.

Bingo · Mar 21, 2021

"Poof... I am born again leaves a lost soul in a fantasy dilemma!"
"An essential change of heart and willing to change are not meant to be easy.
Responsibility and accountability being an absolute necessity of applying and to act
upon the inspiration of God's principles of life, within ones own life. And,
fragmented language brings cause of fragmented lives. In spirit and truth should
be firmly established."
~this side of the glass~

Naomi123 · Mar 21, 2021

StevenRachui said:

Steven....don’t you think there is something more.....remembering that the people rose up against Moses...killed the prophets, stoned Stephen,looked to kill Elijah, killed the Apostles....the the crucifixion and subsequent death of those who were killed during the ages for the true message....nobody will kill you for telling them nice things....there is a message that people despised...rather a commandment....rememberin that Gods word does not change....it is the same from the beginning of time....it’s has to do with the sacrificial act of obedience....denial of self and worldly pleasures...what are your thoughts.....what do you think they could not bear to hear...as it is to this very day

rembember Elijah who was surrounded by all the false prophets.....no matter what the false prophets did God did not answer....

shittim · Mar 21, 2021

Men have talked to death for thousands of years the instant, in the twinkling of the eye, decision to become obedient to Him forever.
I like my 3 lines better than all the religious gobbledygook.
best wishes

Nehemiah6 · Mar 21, 2021

oyster67 said:

It is necessary to go to the verses and passages which directly relate to being born again (the New Birth).

1. The Lord Jesus Christ made it crystal clear that the New Birth was an absolute necessity in order to enter and to see the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-8)

2. The Gospel of John tells us that sinners are born again by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and receiving Him as their Lord and Savior: He came unto his own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:11-13)

To "believe on His name" is to believe everything about Christ, who He is and what He has accomplished for our salvation. Particularly that He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification (Rom 4:24,25), and that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). To "receive" Him means to acknowledge that we are sinners in need of His salvation, and that we are turning from all our sins and idols, and turning to Christ to receive Him into our souls (Rev 3:20) as both Lord and Savior. He cannot be your Savior unless He is also your Lord and Master.

Which means that we totally surrender our lives to Christ, and totally submit to Him in full obedience. This is what repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ means (Acts 20:21). As Saul said to Christ on the road to Damascus "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6). Which also indicates submission to Christian baptism immediately after receiving Christ (Acts 9:17-20). One cannot separate baptism from salvation, even though baptism does not save, but establishes that one is saved by grace (Mark 16:15,16).

3. The Bible tells us that it is the Gospel -- the Word of God -- which is "the seed" of the New Birth (1 Peter 1:23-25), and that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 10:17). Therefore people must hear or read or be exposed to the Gospel in order to be saved and experience the supernatural New Birth (which means to be born again, to be born from above, to be born of the Spirit, or to be born of God):

1 CORINTHIANS 15: THE GOSPEL IN A NUTSHELL
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that He was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

We are to believe with all our heart that Christ died for our personal sins, and rose again for our personal justification, and that we are justified by grace through faith apart from any good works or good deeds. And those who believe receive the gift of eternal life (Rom 6:23).

shittim · Mar 21, 2021

Or you can pray the three lines in #7.
Whichever works for you, they both point to Him.
blessings

throughfaith · Mar 21, 2021

1 cor 15 ,1-4
Rom 10.9 -15
1cor 1,21
Eph1.13.

John146 · Mar 21, 2021

oyster67 said:

Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, all of us have been born with a sinful nature that acts as a poison within us. Our loving Lord Jesus has provided a remedy. It is his very own sin-cleansing blood. All we need do is confess our need for it and accept it. The following is a picture of Salvation from the Old Testament:

Numbers
21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for [there is] no bread, neither [is there any] water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Those poisonous snakes represent sin in our lives. They came when Adam disobeyed and the curse fell upon all men.

That brass serpent that God commanded to be made represented His very own Son, Jesus. He was nailed to a wooden pole and his blood was spilled as an antidote for our sins. What must we do to be cured from that deadly poison of sin within? Just Behold Him, believe and receive Him now. There is nothing that we can add to what He has already done. Just believe Him and receive Him today. Just look up and behold.

That is how one begins a new life in Christ. That is how to be born again.

Jesus goes on to say that He must be lifted up. After the Son is lifted up, those who believe on Him will be born again.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

throughfaith · Mar 21, 2021

Naomi123 said:

Yes Oyster...the path is simple....absolute obedience to God....to walk as Jesus did....remembering that Jesus said...I and the Father are One....have the Vision of God ever before you...and you will surely receive the Promise....it is there when you reach the empty tomb
you are following the greatest command to Love God above everything...so we walk without complaining...happy to do as God requires of us

yes the walk will be lonely...but be of a happy heart that the Father is with you all the way...he never deserts his children...never

Is this how a person becomes ' born again ' ?

JBTN · Mar 21, 2021

1 John 5:1 once you believe in Jesus, you have been born of God.

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/59/1jn.5.1.esv

throughfaith · Mar 21, 2021

StevenRachui said:

Oyster, per the responses apparently not. Within these threads you see aspects of Calvinism, legalism and more. The truth is that coming to a relationship with Christ is very simple.
1. You realize your need for Christ and dependence on Him for your salvation. It seems you are already finished with step 1.
2. Repentance is next where you put your sin before God and ask that He enter your life as savior and God. This is often done through prayer.
3. You are baptized into Christ by immersion that identifies you as now being a part of Christs body. The act of immersion baptism is a symbol of your own death to sin, cleansing and rebirth into Christ as you rise from the water.

That is IT. Welcome go God's family. Now, that is NOT it in terms of your growth and maturation as a Christian but from that point forward you are a Christian. Being a Christian or becoming a Christian does NOT mean that you are perfect and have it all together but simply that you have reached the end of yourself and realize your need for Christ. After salvation your life is reshaped to pursue Christ and better align your own life to Christ's example. In terms of baptism that itself can be a discussion that some disagree about. i would only point you to Christ's own example where he, as a sinless man, submitted to baptism for the same reasons as described above. Can one be saved without baptism? I believe yes. Should every Christian be baptized to follow Christ's example and clearly show the world the point in time where their life is transformed? I believe yes. To me it boils down to this. Christ did it. Christ commanded it. The apostles reinforced it. What is a persons reason for not doing it? Any reason that is given pales badly in comparison to what Christ exampled for us.

It is crucial that a person understands that it is the Holy Spirit who immerses us into the body of Christ and this has nothing to do with water . This can confuse the whole issue. It especially confuses new believers if they are taught water is needed for salvation. Even if its couched as ' first sign of obedience ' or somehow associated ( and or necessary) with receiving the Holy Spirit.

throughfaith · Mar 21, 2021

Naomi123 said:

Telling a person to 'walk as Jesus did 'is not the good news . Neither is obedience. To be born again, God commands 1 cor 1.21 .

throughfaith · Mar 21, 2021

I believe a high percentage of believers today have been deceived into wrong doctrines, Such as ' regeneration precedes faith ' , Baptismal regeneration ' ' partial regeneration ' ( aka previenient grace ) ' that people were regenerated in the Old testament ,conditional salvation, Acts 2.38 is for today salvation, ect that the simple Gospel message has been flipped on its head.

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