Excuse my ignorance, but what on earth defies a "born again" Christian?

Question

What's the difference between a born again Christian and an ordinary one?

Answer 1

In John chapter 3 Jesus explains all this to a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader at the time.

What Jesus is telling him is that everyone is born physically, of course. But when we are born physically we are born separated from God -- we do not have a relationship with God because we have sin in us. Therefore, Jesus goes on to say, all people need to have a 2nd birth (hence the term "born again"). This 2nd birth is not a physical one like the first birth, but it is a spiritual birth -- one that puts that person into a personal, one-on-one relationship with God Himself.

If you read the rest of the book of John, Jesus later explains that this spiritual birth can only come through Jesus. See John 14:6 and John 5:24 among other verses.

So how, exactly, does that happen? It happens when a person, you for example, recognizes that he is a sinner, whose sins separate you from God. But God still loves you and wants a relationship with you. So He came to earth in a human body (aka Jesus) to die on a cross and go to h**l for 3 days and nights. While there He took on the punishment for your sins so that you can have a relationship with God. Since your sins are paid for, by Christ, you are now free to have a personal relationship with God. So you then "accept", "trust" (whatever you want to call it) the work Jesus/God did on your behalf at the cross -- taking on the punishment that you deserve in order so that you can go to heaven and be with God forever.

I hope that makes sense. If not, IM me.

Peace.

Answer 2

To be born again you must believe.

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Then repent of your sins.

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Accept Gods offer of Pardon and make Jesus Lord of your Life.

Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Col 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

I trust this helps and pray that you find and serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Answer 3

Read John 3.  

It is a Christian who is trusting in Christ alone to save them.

Answer 4

They say you get possessed with holy spirit and can read in tongues. Some Paul hocus teachings.

Answer 5

"Born again" just means they've accepted Jesus into their heart.

Edit: How does someone know they're a "real" Christian? lol! Beats me! Seems like every time a Christian does or says something horrible, the response from the rest of them is, "Oh he/she must not be a REAL Christian."

In reality, people are people. Christians are no different than us. They're not perfect. They make mistakes. According to the way I was taught, the only thing that sets them apart is that they accept Jesus into their hearts. Then they try their hardest to live their lives showing Jesus' love to people.

Answer 6

Jesus said unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Anyone who is not born again is not a follower of Christ and therefore not a Christian, no matter what they say; Jesus decides, not them, and His words are clear in the Bible.

Answer 7

  [ It means to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Covenant of His blood.]

Mat 26:27   And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave {it} to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you;  

Mat 26:28   for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.  

   [Here is the chapter where Jesus speaks of it.]

http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/t...

  [This verse is in the same chapter.]

Jhn 3:15   so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.  

Answer 8

Someone who is truly a Christian is born again. It refers to a spiritual rebirth when we place our faith in Christ and receive Him in our hearts for salvation.  

Answer 9

Privet. Deeply

You are not Ignorant but Wise. NO ONE CAN BE BORN AGAIN?

GENENNO ANOTHEN ( MEANS ) IT MEANS BORN FROM ABOVE

and unlearned people believe it means Born Again

WHEN A PERSON IS BAPTISED ( THEY ARE BORN FROM ABOVE

AS JESUS WAS WHEN HE WAS BAPTISED ) IN BIBLE

All In the Bible were baptised ONCE .. You were

baptised. If you sin and turn away, you are forgiven . Baptism

means GENNEO ANOTHEN,, in Greek , you were born from Above

As Jesus shown us how to do in the River Jordon, when he was

baptised ( when Jesus was in Flesh on Earth) by John the Baptist

JESUS BAPTiSM

Jesus was baptised in the River Jordon by John,

By Water/ Then the Holy Ghost came FROM ABOVE ( GENNEO ANOTHEN) in the form of a Dove and said THIS IS MY BELOVED

SON.. IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED and Jesus was baptised

with the Holy Spirit

Jesus is Baptized (Matthew Chapter 3 and Luke Chapter 3)

We all err and are forgiven.. if we pray. You are following the teachings of Chirst and the Bible.

God Forgives sins / and your Baptism still stands. No where in the Bible is Baptism offered TWICE.

You are born in Flesh Once and Once from Above GENNEO ANOHEN

in Baptism from God

True CHRISTIANS NEVER REBAPTISE ANYONE ( AND OTHERS WHO DO ERR .. IT IS MEANINGLESS AND UNNECESSARY . YOU ARE NOT BORN AGAIN

YOU ARE BORN FROM ABOVE ( AS IN BIRTH ON EARTH ) ONCE BY GOD IN BAPTISMT

The two expressions ( Genneo Anothen and Born AGAIN ) are not exactly the same, so I thought I better do some digging this week to find out what’s going on. What I found is that the word translated as born again in the King James Version is anothen

ANOTHEN MEANS FROM ABOVE

. Anothen is a Greek word whose ordinary meaning is from above. It also used metaphorically for “anew” This word occurs 13 times in the Greek New Testament. The translators of the King James Bible translate anothen as “from above” in every case but John 3:3 and John 3:7. In fact, the King James Bible even translates anothen as from above in John 3:31.

King of Peace - You Must Be Born From AboveFrank Logue's sermon on John 3:16 called You Must be Born From Above for King of ... us what must be the best known verse in all of scripture, John 3:16. ...

www.kingofpeace.org/sermons/sermon-022... - 16k

IF  YOU ARE IBORN AGAIN.. YOU BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION

BORN AGAIN IS REINCARNATION BEING BORN ( TWICE , THREE TIMES ETC)

Answer 10

they are supposed to have been "born again" in the spirit

Answer 11

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Romans 1:28,29,30  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

29  Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost

Acts 14:26,27,28To see are you a true disciple

God religion is Holy.1 Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am HOLY

Answer 12

I came because I was curious about the answer.

No one explains it.  They repeat the idea of trusting believing taking in Jezus.  However, they don't explain how this differs from every other committed Christian.

I do know it's a new movement (70-80's), & a Christian friend of mine was wincing about remembering the days before this "hocus pokus" came along & you just "believed".   However, I was curious how they would define it!  Also, it seems to have generated the whole "I believe but don't have a religion" critizisim of various church denominations.