Who here is NOT Born-Again but Still a Christian? (church, Messiah, Holy Spirit)

[hljc]

I have heard of many Catholics who went through Spiritual renewal program and received Jesus spirit which is the same a born again but different terminology than the Word of God but God knows the heart and will honor the faith in repentance ..... I receive Jesus Spirit some 15 years ago and had a pentecostal experience were Jesus spirit came and developed His place and taught here and went to hell and back a few time as Jesus pruned the spirit to the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and I intend to alway be a Christian and be collected with Jesus spirit at my departure from this world .... Go to the Minister of your church and ask for Prayer to be born again , and if you get opposition , CHANGE THE CHURCH.!

[pcamps]

Originally Posted by L'Artiste

i find that when people say they are born again, its to prove that they are that special snowflake of christianity and everyone else are fake christians and going to hell.Only they, the special christians are doing it "right" and every one else is eternally wrong.

It Something like that to a lot of Christians.

Understanding the things of God not the bible( 2 entirely different things because one is text the other is Spirit) is a sign of those who are born again. Their minds are renewed from interpreting scripture from ancient ignorance to their minds being made alive by the Spirit.

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by Heartsong

Mystic,

Are we not God's offspring, born of His Spirit? If not, how then can we hear his voice? I don't use the term "born again" much because it is abused by religious zealots, but I do believe that when the light of Christ shines into a person's heart and sets him free from the bondage of fear, it is then that he/she is begotten of God or is born of God. It is only by God's sovereign will that this happens to anyone - it's not something people can bring about by their will-power. I, you, everyone WILL BELIEVE when God decides to grant it to us. That's the way I see it.

We do not disagree, Heartsong. It is a difference between conception (begotten) and actual birth. God's Spirit is the "seed" that is planted at our physical birth that grows or not depending on the "spiritual soil" it is in. We were not doing so well in that department . . . so we needed Christ to bring God's Holy Spirit to a human consciousness so that when He was reborn as Spirit it would be available to us ALL within our consciousness. He is there(abides with us) to guide us to the proper development and maturation of our embryo Spirits. We still differ in the degree to which we listen and heed His call . . . but eventually we all will.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has told me "I've been born-again and have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior." Seriously, (1) this is the verbatim delivery, and (2) it always comes from someone who belongs to a fundamentalist, non-denominational or Baptist Church. Is this something that one just hears and then spouts? I don't know any people who belong to Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic or Orthodox churches who have this line down to a science.

For most of us, it's all about trying to live as best we can in accordance with the New Testament. If we do this, what happens afterward is based on faith that we will be judged correctly and compassionately by the Lord.

So then, I guess I'm a Christian but will not label myself as born-again. I don't use trite phrases like the above. Hopefully, I'll be seeing you in line at the pearly gates.

We used to have a born-again in the office--former heroin addict, did time in prison, the whole nine yards, switched her addiction to Jesus Is My Personal Savior, another phrase that makes me want to gag.

She used to pepper her sentences with When I Found Jesus, at which point another coworker would pipe up with "I never lost him".

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by L'Artiste

i find that when people say they are born again, its to prove that they are that special snowflake of christianity and everyone else are fake christians and going to hell.Only they, the special christians are doing it "right" and every one else is eternally wrong.

Originally Posted by pcamps

It Something like that to a lot of Christians.

Understanding the things of God not the bible( 2 entirely different things because one is text the other is Spirit) is a sign of those who are born again. Their minds are renewed from interpreting scripture from ancient ignorance to their minds being made alive by the Spirit.

I think you completely missed the point of what L'Artiste said, unless I am misreading your post.

[L'Artiste]

Originally Posted by pcamps

It Something like that to a lot of Christians.

Understanding the things of God not the bible( 2 entirely different things because one is text the other is Spirit) is a sign of those who are born again. Their minds are renewed from interpreting scripture from ancient ignorance to their minds being made alive by the Spirit.

i once knew a born again christian,she was my roommate and by the end of the semester i had to press charges against her.. guess she wasn't as born again as she thought

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

This is a keeper...that "special snowflake of Christianity."

.

thanks

[pcamps]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

I think you completely missed the point of what L'Artiste said.

No I agree with him. Like I said it is a catchphrase.

Ps

I never ever refer to myself as being born again.

[Mike555]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has told me "I've been born-again and have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior." Seriously, (1) this is the verbatim delivery, and (2) it always comes from someone who belongs to a fundamentalist, non-denominational or Baptist Church. Is this something that one just hears and then spouts? I don't know any people who belong to Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, Catholic or Orthodox churches who have this line down to a science.

For most of us, it's all about trying to live as best we can in accordance with the New Testament. If we do this, what happens afterward is based on faith that we will be judged correctly and compassionately by the Lord.

So then, I guess I'm a Christian but will not label myself as born-again. I don't use trite phrases like the above. Hopefully, I'll be seeing you in line at the pearly gates.

The phrase 'born-again Christian' is somewhat redundant because there is no such thing as a Christian who has NOT been born again. If one has been born-again he is a Christian. If one is a Christian he has been born-again. Now there are people who profess to be Christians, but in reality they have never been born-again. Only a Christian has been born-again through faith alone in Christ alone and will therefore spend eternity in the presence of God. Non Christians have not been born-again and are therefore spiritually dead.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by L'Artiste

i once knew a born again christian,she was my roommate and by the end of the semester i had to press charges against her.. guess she wasn't as born again as she thought

thanks

You're welcome.

A little off topic, but I had a bad experience moving onto campus. It was a 4 person suite set-up, and the other 3 were druggies. It was stressful, because I needed to leave that scenario without bringing up that issue and getting them in trouble. I forgot what "creative excuse" I used to break my contract with the housing office.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by Mike555

The phrase 'born-again Christian' is somewhat redundant because there is no such thing as a Christian who has NOT been born again.

Exactly. It goes without saying...and doesn't require pandering for that extra scoop of ice cream.