Born Again Christianity

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JessLyn

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What does it mean to be a born again Christian? If you were baptized as a Christian and strayed from your faith, would that mean you would be need to be born again(baptized again) to be accepted back into the Christian faith? I’m really confused on this subject.
 
Its just a phrase what protestants use to give color to their heresy, basically, all you have to do is say a prayer for forgiveness and then you have an automatic ticket to Heaven, or at least, that’s what I was taught(I’m a former protestant) which contradicts what Scripture says about working out ones salvation, God bless!
 
We’re all born at the time of our biological birth (that’s number one) and then born spiritually at baptism (that’s the “again” part). So if one strays away from the faith and returns, there is no need – in fact, no possibility – of being born a third time.
Some non-Catholics refer to being born again as simply a mental or verbal acceptance of Jesus as savior. While that is certainly an important part of conversion to God, it is not the “born again” that Jesus referred to in the Gospel, because he clearly mentions “of water and the Spirit.”
 
All Catholics are born again Christians…see John 3;1-21 for the real meaning,
 
JessLyn said:
What does it mean to be a born again Christian? If you were baptized as a Christian and strayed from your faith, would that mean you would be need to be born again(baptized again) to be accepted back into the Christian faith? I’m really confused on this subject.
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I second what the above posters wrote, but wanted to add that you cannot be baptized more than once. Even if someone where to go through the ceremony a second time, they wouldn’t be actually baptized again. It’s not dissimilar to marrying a woman. You can’t decide to marry her again for your 10th anniversary even though you can have a nice ceremony and party.
 
Except if you were not baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in another faith. There are some such as Mormons and JW who do not baptize in the trinitarian belief and these baptisms are not recognized in the Catholic church.
 
JessLyn said:
What does it mean to be a born again Christian? If you were baptized as a Christian and strayed from your faith, would that mean you would be need to be born again(baptized again) to be accepted back into the Christian faith? I’m really confused on this subject.
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I have met many who called them selves born again Christians and they were angry and judgmental.
So where was the born again spirit?
Don’t worry what it is, when you see your sins fall away, you will know.
That is what being born again is all about.
 
Thank you all for your insightful answers! I really appreciate them and I now am not confused!

God Bless 🙂
 
In Protestant circles, being born again means accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. And baptism is an outward sign of an inward transformation, not necessary for salvation. Remember, most who leave the Catholic Church and become protestant, especially evangelical non-denominational protestant, have no idea what their current church believes regarding baptism. Those who were raised Protestant know no different because they have never been taught different.

As far as what being born again really is, when you have a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ, you will know exactly what it is, because really, it’s the only description that fits what has occurred.

Kris
 
To become a Christian and be baptized is to be born again spiritually. (Gospel of John 3:3-5)

Some protestant groups reject infant baptism or reject sacramental baptism entirely. Their “born again” experience is an emotional experience that can be repeated many times.

Apostolic Christians, Catholics and Orthodox, have the Sacrament of Penance to reconcile themselves with God if they fall away.

See:

catholic.com/blog/tim-staples/born-again-the-bible-way

catholic.com/tracts/are-catholics-born-again

ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/print2007/mbrumley_bornagain_nov07.html
“‘Are Catholics Born Again?’ by Mark Brumley | IgnatiusInsight.com”
 
CountrySteve said:
Its just a phrase what protestants use to give color to their heresy, basically, all you have to do is say a prayer for forgiveness and then you have an automatic ticket to Heaven, or at least, that’s what I was taught(I’m a former protestant) which contradicts what Scripture says about working out ones salvation, God bless!
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Not to derail the thread, but what you described is not “born-again Christianity.” What you described is Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS). People who believe in OSAS do describe themselves as born-again Christians, but not all born-again Christians (i.e. evangelical Christians) believe in OSAS.

Simply put, “born again” refers to “a new birth” which evangelical Protestants define as a conversion experience. Someone who has had a conversion experience is considered born again.

OK, carry on. 😃
 
ltwin said:
Not to derail the thread, but what you described is not “born-again Christianity.” What you described is Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS). People who believe in OSAS do describe themselves as born-again Christians, but not all born-again Christians (i.e. evangelical Christians) believe in OSAS.

Simply put, “born again” refers to “a new birth” which evangelical Protestants define as a conversion experience. Someone who has had a conversion experience is considered born again.

OK, carry on. 😃
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Can you give an example of a conversion experience?
Thank you
 
ventura2323 said:
Can you give an example of a conversion experience?
Thank you
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My own! 😃 I was born to two committed Pentecostal parents, was dedicated in the church, and learned the Bible stories. It wasn’t until I was about 10 years old however when I was in church and for the first time I felt convicted of sin and drawn to the altar. I knelt at the altar and prayed to God to forgive me of my sins and become my Lord and Savior. It was sort of just weight of realization that I was a sinner and that I needed God’s forgiveness; that I needed to be saved and washed in His blood. And the best part was that in knowing that I was forgiven I felt just surrounded by His love. For me, it was highly emotional. After that, it was like everything I’d been taught by my parents and Sunday school teachers became real in a way that it never was before. I’ve always believed in God, but I never knew him before that day. I began to read my Bible and fell in love with understanding the Scriptures, and I began to pray and really seek to consecrate myself to God. Of course, I was never taught and never believed that that moment was in itself enough to get me to heaven. That is the moment I received the gift of faith but faith must lead to repentance (which is lifelong journey, not an event).

But I’m certainly not promoting my own experience as “the norm.” Kirsten Powers, the Fox News analyst, has written about her recent conversion to Christianity. Her experience is not exactly the same as mine, but that’s OK. 🙂 It was more gradual for her, but she actually claims to have saw Jesus in a dream/vision!

Regardless of the details, most evangelicals would say that essential to a conversion experience is faith and repentance.
 
Does such a conversion experience involving being born again with water?
 
ltwin said:
Not to derail the thread, but what you described is not “born-again Christianity.” What you described is Once Saved Always Saved (OSAS). People who believe in OSAS do describe themselves as born-again Christians, but not all born-again Christians (i.e. evangelical Christians) believe in OSAS.

Simply put, “born again” refers to “a new birth” which evangelical Protestants define as a conversion experience. Someone who has had a conversion experience is considered born again.

OK, carry on. 😃
Click to expand...
Ahh, okay, thanks for correcting me, God bless!
 
ltwin said:
My own! 😃 I was born to two committed Pentecostal parents, was dedicated in the church, and learned the Bible stories. It wasn’t until I was about 10 years old however when I was in church and for the first time I felt convicted of sin and drawn to the altar. I knelt at the altar and prayed to God to forgive me of my sins and become my Lord and Savior. It was sort of just weight of realization that I was a sinner and that I needed God’s forgiveness; that I needed to be saved and washed in His blood. And the best part was that in knowing that I was forgiven I felt just surrounded by His love. For me, it was highly emotional. After that, it was like everything I’d been taught by my parents and Sunday school teachers became real in a way that it never was before. I’ve always believed in God, but I never knew him before that day. I began to read my Bible and fell in love with understanding the Scriptures, and I began to pray and really seek to consecrate myself to God. Of course, I was never taught and never believed that that moment was in itself enough to get me to heaven. That is the moment I received the gift of faith but faith must lead to repentance (which is lifelong journey, not an event).

But I’m certainly not promoting my own experience as “the norm.” Kirsten Powers, the Fox News analyst, has written about her recent conversion to Christianity. Her experience is not exactly the same as mine, but that’s OK. 🙂 It was more gradual for her, but she actually claims to have saw Jesus in a dream/vision!

Regardless of the details, most evangelicals would say that essential to a conversion experience is faith and repentance.
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Being born again differs from starting out with an experience.
Once the initial conversion It extends to an ongoing relationship with the holy spirit and is a path to actually being born again. It is not a one time thing, it is a process that goes on in our lifetime of learning and and overcoming. until we are re born into new creatures, not before.

Thank you for sharing your experience.
Louise
 
Our priest touched on this last Sunday. I didn’t see this mentioned in the thread yet, but…in the original Greek writings, the word for “again” also means “above,” or “from above.”

So to be born again can be interpreted to mean “born from above,” i.e. to have been born from woman and then, at receiving the sacrament of Baptism, to be born from Above.

In this regard, all baptized Catholics (Christians) have been born again. Which is what everyone else is saying. Just thought I’d through in that part about the alternate translation. 🙂
 
on_the_hill said:
Our priest touched on this last Sunday. I didn’t see this mentioned in the thread yet, but…in the original Greek writings, the word for “again” also means “above,” or “from above.”

So to be born again can be interpreted to mean “born from above,” i.e. to have been born from woman and then, at receiving the sacrament of Baptism, to be born from Above.

In this regard, all baptized Catholics (Christians) have been born again. Which is what everyone else is saying. Just thought I’d through in that part about the alternate translation. 🙂
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I have not been baptized, yet I understand what it means by being born again.
From above of course. Again meaning it is a process to be fully born again. Freed from all sin is to be born again.
Louise
 
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