Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What means this term "Born Again"?

Dang man ya got a witness here.

The words “conversion” and “regeneration” are part and parcel to “born again” and I can say with absolute certainty that, by the grace of an unimaginably faithful God it’s as REAL as anything you can touch taste or see.

I am not the man I was when I first vent the knee before my Lord and by His continued grace poured out by ordinary means I won’t be the same the day I die as I am today.

Prick was an understatement.

Just a ploy to present at your parole board hearing.......

I went hunting today with a 74 year old AM graduate buddy who is an unbeliever and doesnt go to church and never studied theology.

I asked him if he's ever heard a person has to be reborn or be born again to go to Heaven. His answer was , "Oh yes, many times".

The reaction of some to the term “born again” and the parable of the prodigal son strike me as related.

The older brother in that story bears a presumption that he has earned his place in the household and is therefore owed something greater than the prodigal. When his brother returns, instead of rejoicing over the return of one who was lost, he is jealous of his fathers celebration.

The cynicism over those whose life is turned due to God’s grace is likely a lack of understanding of the depth of sin on the part of EVERYONE, even those who are, compared to other men on a human scale, “ok” and therefore the amount of grace God has bestowed upon them as well as those they see as “worse”.

The fact is we have all sinner and fallen short of the glory of God. None seek God, all have turned to their own way. God has bestowed grace immeasurable upon all even tho we’d like to think ourselves less in need and more able to help ourselves than others.

One must be born again because we are ALL born into death and condemnation the first time.

Not everyone is "born again" in the sense that most of us think of. If you read any lives of saints you'll find a large number of them were raised in devotion and never had a need to experience conversion.

Were they not born into a sinful nature, as Christian theology teaches that we ‘all’ are...? Were these “saints” exceptions to that...?
Serious questions.

I think the key phrase here is “...in the sense that most of us think of.”

Everyone must be born again; and every one must be converted.

The issue here is that in our (revivalist, experiential, individualistic) culture the phrase that is the subject of this thread has a connotation not necessarily biblical.

Fact is, and I think this is what you may have been getting at, being born again may not be a loud thing that one can point to, but a quiet and drawn out experience that lasts for many years in a “boring” and predictable way.

Be that as it may, it’s still born again.

And this was my point from the beginning. I know many people who have never been apart from their faith. Thus they never experience a "moment of acceptance" or "conversion" or being "born again".

According to many posting on this thread, those people are doomed to Hell.

Not to say these people do not sin, any more than any "Born Again Christian" can claim to be sin free.

I am not going to think, or say anything about being condemned to hell, or judge, that is not for me to do. We all know Who does that.

Everyone sins at one time or another. But it is a matter of degree. Some people REALLY ARE better than others. But that's getting off in the weeds from the real issue.

What is popularly defined as being "born again" is really just the realization that Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life and the acceptance of that reality. When this reality hits, it can't help but be accompanied by repentance. There are people who never go through that. They were baptized and raised in faith and they, seemingly naturally, are repentant and faithful from the earliest of ages. From the time they were toddlers even.

That is why you don't hear the Catholic Church speak about being "born again" in the same sense a Baptist would. That's not to say there isn't a tremendous outpouring of grace when someone "comes to Jesus". The more informed can correct me if I'm wrong about this, but the Catholic Church associates that outpouring of grace more with the act, the sacrament of confession that is a part of that in the Catholic tradition. For instance, St. Dismas, the repentant thief, received such an outpouring of grace when he confessed his sins to Jesus on the cross that he went to Heaven that day. (He also received a "baptism of desire" with that act. Specifically "Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.")

I believe that what enabled so many of the saints to live lives of holiness from the earliest times of childhood is the fact that they were baptized. The sacrament of baptism confers the spirit and therefore is "a baptism of water and spirit". Baptism is the Catholic "born again". Remember the definition of a sacrament - "An outward sign of an inward reality, instituted by Christ to give grace". Grace is the reception of The Spirit.

I'll avoid all the intricacies of what happens when someone decides to come to Jesus, but gets killed in an accident before they make it to confession or even baptism. We all know it's going to be OK for that person.

And let's not confuse this with the Pentecostal baptism of spirit. CMIIW on this, it is generally something that happens after one has been "born again" although they *can* happen at the same time.

Is that rambling enough for you? Sometimes it's tough straining those gnats.

I think I explained this in my post above yours.

Tyrone did a good job too; within different faith traditions this is “translated” different ways. American Evangelicalism has deciphered it as monolithic but it’s not.

I doubt the future cotton pickers/choppers were well versed in English or the Scripture on their trip over.

Even John Newton was before my time Doc, I should check with kaywoody though, my memory tis not what it used

to be.

The old sailor put some lasting words to an old tune. Even as an instrumental it's one of the most recognizable hymns ever.

Believe the Good News, confess and repent and you are saved, whether you have HIM to help you believe by coming into your heart or not. If you believe on HIM, you are not rejecting the spirit for the flesh and as such are of the spirit and as such are reborn, or IOW, born of the spirit.

Many are born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Many work for it or win the lottery. Either way they become rich. Same with being a Christian. Gifted with believe by upbringing or smitten on the road to Damascus.

The Reverend Billy Graham used this song in his ministry, it tells a great Story.

I think that's a very good way to put it.
And much simpler!

“Consider now, a person who thinks he has years left and is taken out by a drunk driver, a heart attack or any other freak accident. He must stand in judgment with his sins not covered by the Blood of the Atonement.” - Mickey Coleman

Theres like near 25 english versions of Bible that do not use precise words 'born again'
in translation of Greek: ( ἄνωθεν) anōthen

https://biblehub.com/interlinear/john/3-7.htm

https://biblehub.com/greek/509.htm

how do you know all those that only read such examples of Bible are not christians?

What would an atheist know about being born again? Really, please tell us.

Prove your claim I am atheist

and passing blind comment on posts you have on ignore?

Folks interested in rational understanding of language translation can read up
- be educated (by the links provided).