For about two years now I have been following a blog written by a wonderful Christian woman named Jessica Hoff. Recently she and some of her other contributors have been discussing the concept of the born again experience. Specifically how is it different from “religion” and is this thing called being born-again a moment or a process?
http://jessicahof.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/how-do-we-know-god/
http://jessicahof.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/born-again-2/
http://jessicahof.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/being-a-christian-4/
As I have read the posts and the thoughts of her commentators I thought I might add my two cents concerning being “born again”. If Jessica decides the post worthy of a reblog she has my permission in advance to do so and if not then I shall take no offense as at the very least it will fill a little bit of my corner of the blogosphere with thoughts that make me happy.
In this corner of Christianity ( being the American Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal cooperative fellowship) we use terms like “saved”, “redeemed”, and “born again” interchangeable to describe the conversion experience; That is the “I once was lost and now am found” experience.
Like Geoff who wrote http://jessicahof.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/being-a-christian-4/ I believe that being born again is not about coming to God for therapy (although Jesus is the Wonderful Counsellor). Being born again starts when a person realizes that his sin separates him from God and that there is a need for forgiveness. Being born again takes place when a person realizes that Jesus died on the cross to take mankind’s punishment for sin. Being born again takes place when a person confesses his sin by prayer to God and receives by faith forgiveness of that sin. Being born again takes place when Jesus comes into a person’s life and brings a dead spirit to life by supernatural work. In short, a man is not born again because of anything the man does but because of what Jesus did on the cross and what Jesus does personally in that man’s life to make the man come to life through the Holy Spirit. Prayer and confession only make a pathway for Jesus to come in. ( See John 3:3-6,16-18, Rom. 3:23 Rom. 6:23, Rom. 10:9, Eph 2:1-10)
At the moment a man is born again by the supernatural work of Jesus Christ that man is granted eternal life and a home in Heaven ( John 1:12, 3:16).
But let’s not pretend that obtaining Heaven is the pinnacle of Christianity. Being born again takes place in a moment of time but the born-again experience is an eternity of walking out (it’s a process called sanctification in the Bible). If the only point of being born again was going to Heaven then God would have beamed us off of Earth at the moment of conversion. Being born again is as much an experience and a walk as it is a moment. Once I was born again I was called to begin living as a born again Christian.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Eph. 5:8-20 NIV
Now I don’t live as a child of light to be saved or born again but because I am saved because I am born again. I was born again and my name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev 21:27) 32 years ago and I have not been the same since that day!
Lillie-Put 
Thank you Joseph for prompting the thought on this or thanks to Jessica. Although I haven’t yet visited the other sites I am with you that this is a Spiritual rebirth. The decision is made and the declaration is made that we believe and accept the Spirit of God. Although we had a physical birth the fullness of this life is living in the Spirit of God. In this dimension we find God and come to know His love, His mercies and His hope. Living in His light and having made the conscious decision to seek after His own heart we come to know the newness, the rebirth of God. Jesus came to show us the way to live as one with God. His sacrifice freed us from the flesh and His example showed us the Way to live in God’s Spirit. In His Spirit we are certainly “born again”. As with the flesh, we continue to grow in maturity as our souls seek Him daily…Thanks for this platform to write out our beliefs. Blessings my friend.
It is my pleasure to provide this platform Tom! I have been meditating this week on the fact that since this is a work of Christ’s Spirit within us it does not rely on our emotions. I think it is very important that we understand that being saved or born again has nothing to do with feeling saved or born again. Our salvation is based on the fact of Christ’s death and resurrection and the promise that He will apply the power of those acts to our lives personally. The feeling of salvation or the release from the sense of guilt is a healing that comes with salvation in time. But it is not the feeling that proves our born again experience but the Scripture!
Interesting perspective Joseph. I didn’t think of the “feeling” part.I concur that we are not saved because of our feelings/emotions but I can not deny some feelings I have because I am saved. As much as I don’t trust the mind and feelings of the flesh I do believe it is a conscious decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God where we come to know the abundance of His love, His rebirth and His new life. Thankful that His Spirit will reveal what we need when we meditate with Him and on His Word. Christ’s sacrifice secured our salvation and His life provided the Way for us to live to fulfill the Will of the Father which dwells within us. When we accept and believe that Christ died for us and when we accept the Holy Spirit as a new way of life we are reborn…Thank you for making me meditate on this and I see it requires much more “soul” searching. Blessings as you meditate on Him and share with others His revelation.
Thanks for sharing this conversation with me. The “feelings” thing is something God has been working in me lately and I have come to see that feelings are a part of the healing His salvation brings.
I guess this comes out of conversations I have had with several people about how they have lost their sense of salvation because the feelings have left.
I love that you posted this today, Pastor J it goes right along with our class I think. God is giving me the knowledge I will need when I help disciple others in their new walk in Christ.
Praise God for that Deb! I am having a great discussion with tom about salvation and feelings. I would love to have your take on the matter.
After meditating on this I have to say that salvation really does not require emotions because of what Jesus did on the cross. Having said that I do believe God has allowed us to feel the wonderful joy of His spirit inside of us at our rebirth. For myself, I had such an overwhelming sense of unconditional love when I first got saved I was sobbing, now that’s emotion. But as I walk out this faith walk I don’t really think about do I feel saved or not because I know I am by faith . This is so hard for me to explain because my heart has been transformed in so many ways by His spirit that it’s not so much a feeling I have as it is a sense of reverence for Him. Being saved doesn’t put the desire to do His will in your heart, you have to want to seek out His will, it’s not about a feeling you have. I believe like salvation it is a choice to serve Him to the fullest or at least strive to do so.
I think this is wonderful, and insightful. It brings to light a much more in depth visual of what the Christian experience should look like. In that, I feel the Lord is showing that we can EXPECT those changes to begin to happen by faith. I know that for me personally, He’s taking a completely broken, and emotionally damaged vessel, and bringing me to complete restoration through His love. I’m forever grateful that I have people around me who write things like this, and have discussions that excite me about walking together with Christ.
I can’t say enough about how much joy I feel when reading these things, because they remind me of the importance of more than just the fact that the Lord loves me. They remind me that the sanctification process is also very important. That for me, skipping my time with the Lord for even just one day isn’t such a good idea. It’s funny because for all this time, I’ve been searching for good online study material that doesn’t cost anything. Turns out, it’s right here and its’ awesome
I praise God that you have been blessed by this Eric. Let me encourage you to join our on-line class on the Book of Acts. I would love to have your take on the thoughts there.
The idea of being born again being an experience as well as an event is just such a liberating thought because just as getting born again was not my work neither ios the born again walk. I am a participant but God is the power and the victory behind it all.
I would be delighted. It’s just that my blogging experience is very limited. I will need some insight as to how to use this wordpress deal efficiently…in other words…how exactly do I join?
Well you could simply remain a commentor on my blog and visit it daily. You could start reading the other devotional bloggers in the church (we have four). Or you could begin to blog daily or weekly yourself. I can help you with these things just set up a time and we can sit down and discuss.
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Well, there is also the concept of “enduring to the end.” Being born again may be related to a specific experience, but the Christian, by his continued walk of righteousness, testifies of his change of heart and his new life.
Here’s two thoughts from the Book of Mormon:
Mosiah 4:11
11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
Alma 5:26
26 And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?
Gail at Making Life An Art
Thanks for adding to the conversation here.
I agree that being born again is a walk but it does flow out of a conversion a transformation from one thing to another. Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:a The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5:17-18.
Even our ability to successfully walk out the Christian life is reliant upon Christ’s continuous work in our lives. Everything even our Christian behavior flows out of Christ’s regenerative work which begins at the moment of our confession of faith. We do nothing without Him. As Jesus said in John 15:7 “Apart from me you can do nothing.”
Even my endurance to the end (which I believe is in the bag) while it is my choice can only be done by continually drawing on His power in my life.
Christ is everything!
Agreed! Isn’t it great to have scripture and the Holy Ghost to guide us on this path?!
Amen! As a Pentecostal Christian who believes that the biblical account from Acts chapter 2 of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is still for today with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues I am extremely grateful that I have both Scripture and the Holy Spirit to guide me through life.