How do you know that you are truly born again?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on September 9, 2014 at 10:37pm

Hello Janie,

One knows one is born again because of many reasons, which you can find in the book of James and 1st John and through out the word.

1. You are a changed person in the very core of you.

2. you sin, but you hate your sin

3. you love God. You seek to please him and obey him, not to win his favor, but because you love Him.

4. you love God's people and seek to serve them

5. you love the light and hate darkness

6. you can't get enough of his word. His word is alive to you. Even if you struggle to abide in the word, you love the word.

Just a few things that distinguishes a born again/regenerated person from a person who is not saved, but the thing is that a born again believer can get so starve of God's word, fellowship and prayer and praise that they may go thru long or short periods were you  cant distinguish them from the world.

However, God will correct his own

Much love to you Janie. I have missed you. :)

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 10, 2014 at 7:17am

Thank you  David... It wasn't that long ago I read 1st John chapter 1  and I think 2. I need to reread and go to my friends here and hope to continue the study. I always forget everything I read. 

About your 1 through 6 comments........ the only thing I see in myself now is that I hate darkness , but  I think I used to be almost all of the 6 back years ago, before I walked away from a Christian life... I started to say walked away from God but can someone really do that? Isnt God everywhere? But you know what I mean, I hope. 

Thank you for your reply.    Missed you too ....

 

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Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on September 10, 2014 at 11:31am

Hi Janie,

First and foremost..........We must understand what the word "believe" means in the original Greek.

Some folks think it is just an intellectual belief, like," I see the sun is shining." Anybody can see that.

Believers in the Word see the sun is shining with a type of "spiritual" belief. For instance: When the sun is shining it gives us warmth and 'light. The sun causes trees and plants to grow, producing food, building materials, shelter for winged creatures, and whatever else the sun causes to happen. This is what the fact of sunshine means.

And belief in God means much more to LIFE than the usual day-in-day-out routine............

The Greek word for "believe" is pisteuo, which means to have faith in, trust,  and to commit oneself to this feeling, causing one to live a life that shows this belief. It is presenting ourselves to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).

It means testing ourselves (II Corinthians 13:5), (Galatians 6:4).

Living a life of love (Galatians 5:6, and Matthew 22:37-40).

Incidentally, did you ever read the whole Book of John?

Good to hear from you, young lady.

Grace and Peace to you and yours.

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Permalink Reply by thewatchman on September 10, 2014 at 7:07pm

Perfect Richard

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 10, 2014 at 11:09pm

Thank you for your reply, Richard.  I need to copy yalls replies and put them in a folder to reread and learn.  It is good to hear from you too.  I think I was reading 1st John... I may have read it all. My memory seems to be not so good. My bible just sits here under my coffee table top. Shame I am.

David  please meet Watchman.... she is a special friend of mine and one of the most loving and caring people I know , so, she doesn't need to take a CHILL PILL.  Watchman , please meet David..... he is one of the most caring and is one of the absolutely craziest people I know so please have caution around him at any and all times  lol. lol. .... love you both.

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 23, 2014 at 9:10pm

Some folks think it is just an intellectual belief, like," I see the sun is shining." Anybody can see that.

Believers in the Word see the sun is shining with a type of "spiritual" belief. For instance: When the sun is shining it gives us warmth and 'light. The sun causes trees and plants to grow, producing food, building materials, shelter for winged creatures, and whatever else the sun causes to happen. This is what the fact of sunshine means.

And belief in God means much more to LIFE than the usual day-in-day-out routine............

I reread this again and I think I am getting what you are saying....  I just typed a bunch but erased it  because it made me look more like a hick than I am. But I think you are saying don't just know there is a God but know God.

The Greek word for "believe" is pisteuo, which means to have faith in, trust,  and to commit oneself to this feeling, causing one to live a life that shows this belief. It is presenting ourselves to God as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2).

It means testing ourselves (II Corinthians 13:5), (Galatians 6:4).

Living a life of love (Galatians 5:6, and Matthew 22:37-40).

Thank you for these verses... I will look them up...... maybe even have a recording online read it to me. :-). I will read with it.  Living a life of love would be a good thing. I kind of remember sensing the love of the Lord and felt love for Him.

Incidentally, did you ever read the whole Book of John?

Good to hear from you, young lady.

Grace and Peace to you and yours.

I was reading first John .... I abandoned the study and I was wrong to do that with my friends.

It was good to hear from you too Richard.... Thank you , Grace and peace to you and yours also

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on September 10, 2014 at 5:04pm

Janie,

so, if someone had backslid ..... .... can they possibly believe that they are saved without feeling a draw?

If a believer, a born again, regenerated person falls back into the mud and vomit or complacency God saved them from, they can go through periods where their fleshly appetites dulled the voice of God in their life. That person cannot depend on feeling either for their emotions/feelings are being primarily controlled by the flesh, rather than the Spirit, which doesn't mean that God is not in control of how much He allows any of us to stray. How long can a person be allowed to be in a state of rebellion/complacency without correction or a draw? I have no idea, but I do know that it will be for as long as God allows. Once a person is born again, that person no longer belongs to them selves or Satan, they belong to God as his children, not just as his creation, but as His own. I know God treats us as individuals and hence, individually in such matters, but He will correct them and draw them sooner or later, that we can count on. He is THE FAITHFUL ONE... LIKE HIM THERE IS NO OTHER. HE ALONE REIGNS AND IS WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE.

That is why no matter what trials and tribulations you go through you don't stop wanting Him. That is why you have been here for so long asking and seeking. I have never met another individual who is not born again in 20 years like you, someone who seeks answers and Him as much as you do. It seems to me that you seek him because God will never let you go. No matter what you do, you are His. You belong to him.

However i am not like God, who knows the heart and the mind, so if for some incomprehensible  and completely foreign reason to me you seek assurance of your salvation so much (for years) without being born again, then, Repent. For God is Holy and you have sinned against Him. Against Him we sin when we sin. Repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you don't want to be fake about it, ask God to grant you a broken/contrite heart and find rest in Him.

Much Love to you...

Do you know He is Lord? Do you love Him, not how much you love him, but do you love Him?

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on September 10, 2014 at 5:50pm

Amen

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 10, 2014 at 11:15pm

Do you know He is Lord? Do you love Him, not how much you love him, but do you love Him?

I don't know if I do or not.... but at the same time I must know I don't or wouldn't I be following Him and serving Him ? I used to love Him. 

Thank you for your reply....

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on September 12, 2014 at 5:50am

Ribbon,

How do you know that you are truly born again? 

1Jn 5:1-13 NIV84  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.  (2)  This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.  (3)  This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,  (4)  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  (5)  Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.  (6)  This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  (7)  For there are three that testify:  (8)  the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.  (9)  We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.  (10)  Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.  (11)  And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  (12)  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  (13)  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

 

Are there any folks here who had back slidden for years and then returned to feeling repentance and saved?

I was saved at age 5. I rebelled at age 14 choosing to live for me. This rebellion lasted until I was 31. Through some things that transpired over several years leading up to 31 I came to the end of me and on March 9, 1992 I turned the control (willful choice) of my life over to Him. This does not mean I do not battle self daily, but rather my desire now is to live for Him and His glory.

 

Anyone here who once felt they were saved but then later they knew they were not?

I have come across many, some were even pastors, who received Christ after years of thinking they were saved. This false assurance usually is caused by placing their trust in a false gospel. By this I mean the criteria for being saved that they were taught was not in alignment with God. For some it was the fact that they said a prayer years ago. Some believed because they were baptized as a child. Other trusted in their good works.

 

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.

There are those who have experienced that. For me it went much further into a divine spanking (not trying to be funny). I can look back now and see God’s had clearly in many things that crumbled around me that all put together was used by Him to drag me out of the pit of living for me.

 

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.

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. God has a Scripture for that:

 

Rom 10:9-13 NIV84  That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  (10)  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  (11)  As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."  (12)  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  (13)  for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

 

Verse 9 tells you God’s path. Verse 10 tells us what that means. Verse 11 and 12 tells us that the offer is for all people. Verse 13 (very important) tells us that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Everyone means that no one is excluded. It does not say everyone except those who have not done such-and-such. Oh, no! The blood of Jesus is more powerful, and the love of Jesus is more powerful, than any sin or sins.

 

 

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?

This is where our faith, our trust, must be in what God’s Word says. We cannot trust our feelings. We must be careful about trusting others … at least to a point. But, the precious Word of God is wholly trustworthy. I again refer to Romans 10:9-13. We can also read 1 John (the whole book). We can read Ephesians chapters 1 and 2.

 

John 3:16 says whosoever believes in me........  What exactly does 'believe IN Him mean? 

To have a assurance and conviction regarding the truth of God’s Word and the effect of Christ’s work (life, death, resurrection).

 

Rom_14:9  For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Rom_14:15  If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.

1Co_8:11  So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.

1Co_15:3  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

2Co_5:14  For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.

2Co_5:15  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Heb_9:15  For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

1Pe_3:18  For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

 

 

Lord Bless,

LT

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Permalink Reply by ribbon on September 22, 2014 at 4:32am

Thank you LT for answering each of my questions. I will copy them if I haven't already. I see that my post along with a couple others post has been deleted.  Forgive me if anyone felt uncomfortable with what I had said about anything.  I didn't mean for anything to get deleted.

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on September 22, 2014 at 8:40am

Janie,

The posts that are deleted were not deleted due to anything you said. Those posts were taking the discussion in a different direction. Also some posts had the appearance of argument, between my self and Watchman although neither one of us was arguing :) and since we are mindful of the purpose of this site, we rather not have those here.

That's all beloved, nothing else.

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