How do I get Born Again?

[wholebread]

Old Sep 10, '13, 12:26 pm
Fr. Vincent Serpa Fr. Vincent Serpa is offline
Catholic Answers Apologist

Join Date: May 4, 2004
Posts: 4,316
Default Re: Does God give signs?
Hi,

God does give signs,

but when HE wants to give them and usually not because WE want them. It’s very easy to start imagining that we are seeing signs that are not real signs just because we want them so much.

Even those who have actually seen visions of Our Lady or Our Lord had many times when they wanted information and no sign was given. Most often, we do not receive signs.

The Lord wants us to trust Him and take Him at His word as it has come to us through Scripture and Church teachings.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.

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Recent apologetics answers by Fr. Vincent Serpa

 

[zz912]

Well you are right, I’m undercover, well if we are all born again we a brother right?

I am just trying to be a disciple of Christ, don’t label my self anything, I praying in tongues and had a deliverance/encounter by the Holy Spirit. in my room 9 months ago. My mom has recently gone back to the Catholic church, and we have had many discussions about this and that, as I have many concerns, but from these answers you seem to know what you are talking about.

I have a question for you about this. Who is the standard for judging what is, and what is NOT the Christian faith? Is it you? Who/What does the Bible say is the authority on this matter?

 

[QNDNNDQDCE]

Well you are right, I’m undercover, well if we are all born again we a brother right?

I am just trying to be a disciple of Christ, don’t label my self anything, I praying in tongues and had a deliverance/encounter by the Holy Spirit. in my room 9 months ago. My mom has recently gone back to the Catholic church, and we have had many discussions about this and that, as I have many concerns, but from these answers you seem to know what you are talking about.

It is important to distinguish between the Evangelical Protestant idea of a “born-again experience” with the concept of being “born again” taught in the Scriptures. The Evangelical concept would be more properly referred to as a conversion experience, where we turn away from sin and toward God. But our whole lives are a process of conversion, so it is wrong to isolate salvation in a single moment of this kind. Thid brings up all sorts of troubling questions, such as, “did I really mean it hard enough?” and so on. More traditional Protestants and Catholics see that God instituted the sacrament of baptism as the sign and seal of regeneration, so we can look at this definite moment with assurance from God’s word (cf. John 1:13), as opposed to holding baptism as a personal confession that we have been saved (were you really, or are you deceiving yourself?). Christ refers to baptism as both a second birth and a spiritual birth. It follows our fleshly birth, and elevates us into the new life of grace, which is a spiritual birth. We continue to move closer to God throughout our life (or back toward sin), but the mark of bapism always remains.

 

[10brink]

all though i was educated roman catholic-- when i got born again – the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit started to manifest – and it’s not me – when prophetic edification – exhortation-- and comfort–

it is only in the roman catholic charismatic fellowship that can relate to this-- and of course – pentecostal-- and – other charismatic – fellowships that can relate to the anointing of being born again-- with the power of the Holy spirit-- and when you are it is easy to determine-- some one – speaking out of their “learned mental intellect” becasue ther is no “wittness of the Holy spirit”

and some people quote – a whole line of scripture-- supporting their position-- but with out the impartation of the spirit

 

[onebigcatholic]

Born Again Through Baptism
By Stephen Ray
blog.catholic-convert.com/?p=238
When someone asks me “Have you been born again?“ I simply answer “Absolutely, but I’ve been born again the Bible Way!“

hello randy carson-- do you have any other “favorite” people like stephen Ray – who is a "recovering “non catholic” convert

because educatated trained non catholic convert’s do a superior job of teaching scripture information

thanks –

 

[rfournier103]

Christian-

I don’t want to seem rude, but may I ask why you are asking this question?

Is it because you don’t know the answer? Or because you think Catholics don’t know the answer?

I’m curious because non-Catholics appear in this forum almost daily asking questions like this based upon their assumptions about what Catholics supposedly know and don’t know about Christianity. It sort of seems like you’re testing us…trying to decide if we are true Christians according to your definition of the term…

Randy

You’re so right!!! Thank you!

Well you are right, I’m undercover, well if we are all born again we a brother right?

I am just trying to be a disciple of Christ, don’t label my self anything, I praying in tongues and had a deliverance/encounter by the Holy Spirit. in my room 9 months ago. My mom has recently gone back to the Catholic church, and we have had many discussions about this and that, as I have many concerns, but from these answers you seem to know what you are talking about.

Thank you so much for your generous praise. Welcome aboard.

 

[ckutac]

hello randy carson-- do you have any other “favorite” people like stephen Ray – who is a "recovering “non catholic” convert

because educatated trained non catholic convert’s do a superior job of teaching scripture information

thanks –

Three others that come to mind off the top of my head are:
Tim Staples
Dr Scott Hahn
Michael Cumbie

 

[Todd977]

Ordinarily, a person is born again in the sacrament of Baptism. Of course, God, who established the sacrament of Baptism as the ordinary means, can effect the same spiritual rebirth in an extraordinary manner apart from the sacrament. Traditionally, the extraordinary ways a person is born again are referred to as “baptism by blood” (Christian martyrdom) and “baptism by desire.”

As far as the changes being born again makes in a person, the two principal effects are purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit. For a more elaborate discussion of these and other effects, I refer you to the section in the *Catechism of the Catholic Church *on “The Grace of Baptism,” paragraphs 1262-1274.