Religion is making a come back, but with so many religions out there you might be confused as to which religion to choose. When I was 21 I became a born again Christian. If you were to ask me to explain what that was back then, I would have had a very hard time explaining the theology behind it. After many years studying the bible, I believe I have a real theological answer for some of you who might be wondering what the term "born again" means in Christian theology, so I will use this blog entry to the best of my ability to explain to you what this term means, and what it implies. The term born again is used in some modern English translations of the bible in the new testament in the gospels, one gospel is the gospel of John; (John 3:3 ESV) Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born againb he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In this verse Jesus is telling a religious ruler of the Jews, that one must be Born Again. An other way to say it is that one must be born of the Spirit or born from above. I will list a couple of bible verses below that talk like this.
1. John 3:6-8 ESV. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.c 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘Youd must be born again.’ 8The winde blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
2. 1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
I don't mean to give a deep theological definition here, but what I aim to do is give some clarity as to what it means to be born again, and how it happens in a persons life. There is an element of faith involved in conversion, for this is what the born again experience has done for me. The word "salvation" is synonymous with this experience, for this is what it means to be born again. In many denominations of Christianity there are different ways a person can be "born again" and I don't mean to give all these reasons here, what I want to communicate is what happened to me when I was 21, because I believe the theology of this experience is dogmatic in the sense that it is universal. Some churches insist that their theology is correct, while other churches are in agreement. The doctrine used by most churches to describe this experience is the term "regeneration", this term can be used in the "baptismal" form of regeneration, or it can be used in the term of "regeneration by faith alone.
Which ever way you use to describe being born again, what is clear is that one has a conversion to faith in Jesus Christ. You might have heard of something called the sinners prayer, and I believe that this prayer is what brought about my conversion from no faith in Christ, to faith in Christ, being born again if you will. Some in the church might say that if it was that easy to go to Heaven, just before a person dies all they need to do is recite a prayer of repentance and faith. To the world this seems foolishness, but I can assure you to God it is the truth. We are currently living in a world where the church is making it very difficult to communicate this born again experience, and terms are being used in the evangelical church that redefine the term born again. You won't hear this term preached very often, because the gospel is being distorted into a gospel of law, where newly converted Christians are being asked to add something to their salvation. This is deeply frustrating to me and those of us who understand, that salvation is a gift, and even the apostle Paul warned the church in his time that if any one comes to you adding some law, or work of the flesh to your salvation they are to be accursed; (Galatians 1:6-9 ESV.) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Paul above is affirming that the real gospel is a gift of grace, and there are no spiritual laws that one must keep in order to receive or maintain this gift. The born again experience is defined as one freely from their own volition, receiving the free gift of new & eternal life, paid for by Christ, (by and through faith alone.) This is Mike.
2. 1 Peter 1:3-5 ESV. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
I don't mean to give a deep theological definition here, but what I aim to do is give some clarity as to what it means to be born again, and how it happens in a persons life. There is an element of faith involved in conversion, for this is what the born again experience has done for me. The word "salvation" is synonymous with this experience, for this is what it means to be born again. In many denominations of Christianity there are different ways a person can be "born again" and I don't mean to give all these reasons here, what I want to communicate is what happened to me when I was 21, because I believe the theology of this experience is dogmatic in the sense that it is universal. Some churches insist that their theology is correct, while other churches are in agreement. The doctrine used by most churches to describe this experience is the term "regeneration", this term can be used in the "baptismal" form of regeneration, or it can be used in the term of "regeneration by faith alone.
Which ever way you use to describe being born again, what is clear is that one has a conversion to faith in Jesus Christ. You might have heard of something called the sinners prayer, and I believe that this prayer is what brought about my conversion from no faith in Christ, to faith in Christ, being born again if you will. Some in the church might say that if it was that easy to go to Heaven, just before a person dies all they need to do is recite a prayer of repentance and faith. To the world this seems foolishness, but I can assure you to God it is the truth. We are currently living in a world where the church is making it very difficult to communicate this born again experience, and terms are being used in the evangelical church that redefine the term born again. You won't hear this term preached very often, because the gospel is being distorted into a gospel of law, where newly converted Christians are being asked to add something to their salvation. This is deeply frustrating to me and those of us who understand, that salvation is a gift, and even the apostle Paul warned the church in his time that if any one comes to you adding some law, or work of the flesh to your salvation they are to be accursed; (Galatians 1:6-9 ESV.) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Paul above is affirming that the real gospel is a gift of grace, and there are no spiritual laws that one must keep in order to receive or maintain this gift. The born again experience is defined as one freely from their own volition, receiving the free gift of new & eternal life, paid for by Christ, (by and through faith alone.) This is Mike.
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