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How do you know that you are truly born again?

How do you know that you are truly born again?  Are there any other verses besides John 3:16 that you believe that is helping you to know you are saved? Are there any folks here who had back slidden for years and then returned to feeling repentance and saved? Anyone here who once felt they were saved but then later they knew they were not?

I have heard of people who backed away from God and Christianity for years and then in their testimony say things like ... they sensed the Holy Spirit pulling/tugging at their heart , so they repented and came back to the Lord with even greater compassion and love and belief than before.

This evil world is scaring me and scaring even more because I know that not only me but many many folks aren't ready.  I want to have a desire to come to God because of the verse that talks about (He first loved us.), not because Im petrified.

I know you don't go by feelings..... so, if someone had backslid .....or perhaps wasn't saved in the first place .... can they possibly believe that they are saved without feeling a draw? John 3:16 says whosoever believes in me........  What exactly does 'believe IN Him mean? 

I know I have asked these questions before and I know I had gotten answers from a couple of yall..... but I forgot . Thank you for any reply

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Permalink Reply by Seek on September 22, 2014 at 9:27am

So then were you arguing about whether or not you were arguing?  :-o

Sorry, carry on.  Just had to add a bit o' levity.  ;-)

Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 22, 2014 at 9:39am

thanks dv for letting me know what happened.

Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 24, 2014 at 1:40pm

thank you for the verses.

What stops you from coming to Him? You do not have to answer that here, but I will say that in many cases (not necessarily yours) most people feel they have done too many bad things for God to ever love them.

Everything

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on September 24, 2014 at 1:51pm

God has proved for that ...

Eph 2:1-22 NIV84  As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  (2)  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  (3)  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.  (4)  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  (5)  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.  (6)  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  (7)  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  (8)  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- (9)  not by works, so that no one can boast.  (10)  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  (11)  Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)-- (12)  remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.  (13)  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.  (14)  For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,  (15)  by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,  (16)  and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  (17)  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  (18)  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.  (19)  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,  (20)  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  (21)  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  (22)  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
(The bold is for emphasis, but the whole chapter is important)

Permalink Reply by Seek on September 22, 2014 at 8:29am

Janie, this is why you don't go on feelings.  Satan will keep us thinking we're no good, of no use, unsaved, whatever until we convince ourselves of it so thoroughly.  I want you to truly truly think on this one question and consider it, mull it over a bit, maybe sleep on it a night, before you answer....

Why do you care about folks who aren't ready if you've assured yourself you're not saved?

I believe I was saved when younger, but don't really recall.  I only recall one instance that makes me think I must've been.  I am good at blocking painful memories though, it's why I've lost the first whole nine years of my life.  And I have a terrible case of short-term memory as well. 

But the reason I know is:

a) I didn't go looking for God, He came looking for me.  (That doesn't mean you'll recognize it when He is doing that.  Has anyone ever came up and tried to preach the gospel to you?  Invited you to church? An old pastor call to check on you? - that's God reaching out).

b) Because if I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord.  That's something I've always kinda known deep down.  I just didn't feel like He cared, or like I care, or that it mattered, or that I could always come to Him later...which I did, and now am saddened by all the loss and waste of all those years.

Don't you sense the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart?  Why is it you think you came looking for a place like AAG?  Why do you think you keep asking about it, questioning your salvation, etc.?  I can say I didn't feel the Holy Spirit tugging me.  I just felt I'd made such a mess of my life and didn't have anywhere else to turn.  And that was because I couldn't recognize the Holy Spirit, and many times those who say they felt it probably didn't feel it then because they didn't recognize it.  But now they recognize it for what it was then and so call it appropriately.

Do you believe Jesus existed?  History can show us that.  Do you believe however He was the son of God?  Do you believe He actually went through the death on the cross.  That He performed miracles.  Look at scripture at all the words long before (and history can also show us these scriptures were written long before), that spoke of the Messiah that could not have known beforehand unless by God's revelation.  Then look at the scriptures depicting the life of Jesus and compare them.  I don't see how anyone couldn't believe for one.  But then do we confess Him as Lord or like I was in my teens and early adult years, decide I'm going to do things my way and if I live long enough, I can always turn to Him when I'm older but right now I enjoy my life the way it is?

Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 22, 2014 at 10:30pm

Seek I will anser your questions later on... I am hoping for sleep

Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 23, 2014 at 9:38pm

Janie, this is why you don't go on feelings.  Satan will keep us thinking we're no good, of no use, unsaved, whatever until we convince ourselves of it so thoroughly.  I want you to truly truly think on this one question and consider it, mull it over a bit, maybe sleep on it a night, before you answer....

Why do you care about folks who aren't ready if you've assured yourself you're not saved?

Because I care for them.

I believe I was saved when younger, but don't really recall.  I only recall one instance that makes me think I must've been.  I am good at blocking painful memories though, it's why I've lost the first whole nine years of my life.  And I have a terrible case of short-term memory as well. 

But the reason I know is:

a) I didn't go looking for God, He came looking for me.  (That doesn't mean you'll recognize it when He is doing that.  Has anyone ever came up and tried to preach the gospel to you?  Invited you to church? An old pastor call to check on you? - that's God reaching out).

b) Because if I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord.  That's something I've always kinda known deep down.  I just didn't feel like He cared, or like I care, or that it mattered, or that I could always come to Him later...which I did, and now am saddened by all the loss and waste of all those years

You mentioning how you being saddened because you wasted all those  years reminds me of when I felt the same thing back when I loved living for the Lord.

Don't you sense the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart?  Why is it you think you came looking for a place like AAG?  Why do you think you keep asking about it, questioning your salvation, etc.?  I can say I didn't feel the Holy Spirit tugging me.  I just felt I'd made such a mess of my life and didn't have anywhere else to turn.  And that was because I couldn't recognize the Holy Spirit, and many times those who say they felt it probably didn't feel it then because they didn't recognize it.  But now they recognize it for what it was then and so call it appropriately.

Its been a few months or more but I believe there was a couple times I did feel His presence. One of the times I hadn't even been reading on AAG or even thinking about God. I remember I ws walking into another room and I remember I stopped and raised my hands in praise I could feel the spirit. It was like my person was doing this without my mind thinking to do it.... does that make since? But, anyway it made me nervous and I stopped praising and proceeded to do whatever t was that I set out to do. I had forgotten that again.

I cant remember exactly why it was I came here but I think it was because I was having some major issues and I was very angry and wanted to strike out at Gods children. I have mixed feelings as to why I keep asking about my salvation..... one is  because I don't want to go to hell and the other is I want God to hear my prayers when I pray for others.  I want to have the desire to desire knowing and loving God and especially the faith to believe in Him again.

 I will try to respond to your other  comments tomorrow. Thank you for trying to help me

Permalink Reply by Seek on September 24, 2014 at 3:16am
Janie I have just one point to make...unsaved people do NOT praise God. Think about it.
Permalink Reply by Leonard T on September 24, 2014 at 12:29pm

They praise a god and might even attempt to praise the one true God in a church or other setting. The key is that God does not accept such worship or praise.

Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 24, 2014 at 1:32pm
Seek
 They praise a god and might even attempt to praise the one true God in a church or other setting. The key is that God does not accept such worship or praise
and there you go.
Permalink Reply by Seek on September 24, 2014 at 2:02pm

Do you believe a spontaneous praise at home, unseen, is an attempt?

Permalink Reply by Leonard T on September 24, 2014 at 2:09pm

I am not following you. Please clarify what you mean so I can reply accordingly.

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