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Born again Christian?

Hi everyone

how many times have we heard the term/phrase born again Christian being used?

What does it actually mean?

To me it implies that a Christian is being born again - contrary to the teaching of John 3. As I understand it, you have to be born again to become a Christian.

When some people ask me if I am a born again Christian - I simply tell them that I am a Christian.

What do you think about this term/phrase?

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on September 11, 2011 at 6:09am

B-T,

Born-again is a biblical term and encapsulates a whole doctrine (teaching). The key to the question is "What happens when a person receives/accepts/believes in Jesus and comes through repentance asking to be forgiven and saved."

There are three basic mind sets with many variations within these three groups. 1) There are those who see salvation as yet to be obtained, and thus one makes a profession of faith but are waiting for salvation. In the process they believe that you can lose your salvation, based on the idea that you never really had it. It is a hope (in that it may happen or not) regarding the future. 2) There are those who believe you become saved, but can simply lose it if you do not (insert a wide variety of ideas that are believed can cost a person their salvation). 3) Being saved literally means being born-again. The old is gone and the new has come (spiritually). In the being born-again process we experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, are marked, sealed, given a new name, become children of God, all in the present. This work of being born-again is dependant upon the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He convicts, draws and reveals. There are differing views regarding how much choice man has in the process leading to salvation, but the end result is His work in us regardless of the camp one is in leading up to salvation.

I hold to the third view. There are some terms that have been used to describe the salvation experience. They are complete salvation and full salvation to name two. When we look at life from beginning to end we see that the Bible talks of salvation being past (saved), present (being saved) and future (will be saved). These three points are understood for the child of God as justification/regeneration (past/saved), sanctification (present/being saved) and glorification (future/will be saved). We enter into the eternal everlasting relationship the day we accept/receive Jesus and begin the lifelong process of seeing this salvation being completed, but never in jeopardy of not being finished for the child of God.

Lord Bless,

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Permalink Reply by dean burrows on September 11, 2011 at 6:47am

when I finally began to believe I came to realize where my salvation comes from and who my salvation is. In the question of losing salvation I have always wondered can Christ be lost. Oh I can walk away form Him yet I am only saved because Salvation was always there is always there and will always be there.

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Permalink Reply by LucyP on September 11, 2011 at 6:39am

Good word LT.

Hi Bible-talk, I'm the opposite, I would rather tell people I am a born again Christian than a Christian. I think this is because so many people call themselves Christians, as a faith, But they don't necessarily have a real, personal relationship with Jesus. one eg. when filling in forms, where anything asks you to list your religion, ie my childrens school forms always had various tick boxes, for religion and I always put Christian even before I got saved, . So I guess I feel that born again indicates the way I feel now that The Holy Spirit is within me. (dont think they got that option on the school form lol)

Not sure what you mean about John 3, to me here God states clearly that we need to be born again of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings in Jesus' name

Lucy

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Permalink Reply by Bible-Talk on September 11, 2011 at 9:12am

Hi Lucy,

I agree with you on the issue of nominal Christians but I was thinking more about helping people understand what/who a Christian really is according to the scriptures. My understanding of the scriptures is that the Christians were followers of Christ and in John 3 (in a nutshell) Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus that he had to be born again to become a Christian; I believe the term born again Christian stems from this passage of scripture. Like you I too called myself a Christian before I was saved nonetheless I had to be born again to BECOME a Christian. What would you think about a term such as born again Christianity - would that sound biblically/scripturally feasible to you? After all the followers of Christ were called Christians (Acts 11:26) not born again Christians? I honestly believe that to be a Christian is to have an identity and it's not a name to be played with. It's just that the phrase "born again Christian" sounds like it means that a Christian (already saved) has to be born once more, if you see what I am trying to say?

In Christ,

Desmond

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Permalink Reply by stephen bahago on September 11, 2011 at 9:54am

i think like you do but as i understand it from those who use that phrase it is suggesting that someone is a spirit filled person meaning one can be a christian and still not be born again or is not living as he should- a christian. i think is lack of proper knoledge of the word-bible.

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Permalink Reply by LucyP on September 11, 2011 at 12:37pm

hi yes I can see what you mean, I suppose it is a redundancy in a way.

Thanks for giving me food for thought.

Be interesting to hear others thoughts on this.

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Permalink Reply by Bible-Talk on September 12, 2011 at 2:35am

Hi Stephen,

thank you for your thoughts - they are warmly welcomed.

In Christ,

Desmond

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on September 11, 2011 at 9:29pm

Hello B-T

>>To me it implies that a Christian is being born again - contrary to the teaching of John 3.

Can you explain to me what you mean to say by the quote above. How is John 3 contrary to the teaching of John 3. No one is a Christian until they are born again, yet you say that a Christian is being born again, I need clarification from you my brother.

Blessings

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Permalink Reply by Grace by the Lake on September 11, 2011 at 9:51pm

This discussion is confusing me a little bit. To me the Bible plainly says that we must be Born again. In order to see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

Then jesus goes on to say "truly,truly I say to you,unless one is born of water and the Spirit,he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" john 3:5

To me the term "Born Again" is not a "term". It is a TRUTH that came frm our lord and King ,Jesus Christ

In other words many can and will call themselves a Christian but let me ask you this; will you know them by their fruit? Truly ,truly I say to you born again is not a "term"

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Permalink Reply by Bible-Talk on September 12, 2011 at 2:29am

Hi Nancy,

Can I refer you to the reply I posted to David Velasquez :

I agree totally with you that you have to be born again to become a Christian. What I was trying to say was that the term "born again Christian" sounds like it means one is already a Christian and yet has to be born again once again to become a Christian again. Or, consider the two very simple equations below: