How do I know if I'm born again?

[Eileen_T]

Infant Baptism

There are conditions for Infant Baptism. At least one of the parents must be a practising Catholic.

The Church permits the baptism of infants so long as there is “a well-founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion.”

The Early Church
Both in the East and in the West the practice of baptizing infants is considered a rule of immemorial tradition. Origen, and later St. Augustine, considered it a “tradition received from the Apostles.”

St. Irenaeus, in particular, considers it a matter of course that the baptized should include “infants and small children” as well as adolescents, young adults and older people.(Adv. Haereses II)

 

[TobyLue]

Here is another one for misslollipops to ponder on.

“Master, what must I do to have eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law” What do you read there?” He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and you neighbor as yourself. “
Now what was Jesus’ reply? Was it, “No you are incorrect, you must read the bible, have an emotional experience, say the sinner’s prayer, remember the moment for the rest of your live, because you will no longer have fleshy moments in your live and go out and give testimony”. What this Jesus’ reply? According to misslollipops that is what is necessary for eternal life……So I ask again; what **was **Jesus’ reply?

 

[Eileen_T]

Let’s all remember to be charitable in our responses. I admit that am not entirely faultless myself.

I believe that misslollipops and other ex-Catholics have been led here by the Holy Spirit in a moment of Grace. They will not be led to see the Truth if we are lacking in patience and understanding.

I have decided that if I can’t be charitable in the face of deliberate, wilfull obstinency, I will discipline myself to not post a response.

 

[misslollipops]

All the list of sins that you say you did while a Catholic are the falut of just one person - you. C’mon, be honest now. You are angry at the Church for keeping the true Gospel from you for all those years, and now even your own sins are somehow the Church’s evil-doing?.

YOU blamed the church for your sins not me.
As a matter of fact most if not all of my cohorts were also Catholics. I hung out with a catholic crowd in a catholic organization and no one was leading a Godly life.
Sure there was a FORM of Godliness.
people made their Easter duty, holy days of obligation,
communion breakfasts, etc. But then right back to getting drunk on the weekends, gambling, fornicating, and all those other lusts of the flesh. It wasn’t the church’s fault.
The problem was we didn’t have the Holy Spirit guiding our lives because we were not born again.

 

[misslollipops]

Similarly i hope you are not suggesting that Holy Spirit EVER descended on him. That kinda rejects the Trinity doesnt it?

You should open your bible to lk3:22.
I use biblical references to support what I am saying.
It would be great if you did the same

 

[misslollipops]

what is Blaspheming the lord…

Per the OT, Blaspheming the HS means knowingly being disobedient.

Could you quote chapter and verse to support this statement please?

 

[misslollipops]

So you’re claiming to know better than Jesus what one must do to be born again? Cause that’s not what Jesus says at all.

John 3:5 Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (D-R)

Read romans 3:9 through 8:17 for an explanation of being born of the spirit

 

[misslollipops]

I’m not sure why you think this is somehow different than Catholicism. Do you think that Catholics don’t do these things?

Have you ever actually made the statement to God:
I turn my whole body, mind, and will over to you father?

Or something similar.

 

[misslollipops]

Notice she said ALL According to most Protestants on this board, once you are truly “saved” God doesn’t PERMIT you to sin… hmmm

.

This is false. read Rom7 and 8 about sin in the believer.

 

[misslollipops]

Thank you for this.

Do you believe that Catholics do not do this for some reason?

The catholics I know personally don’t do it.

 

[misslollipops]

From what I can tell, and she’s welcome to correct me here, she thinks because she didn’t do those things (turning your whole will, body, and mind, over to God through prayer, make your body a living sacrifice, invite the Holy Spirit to come into your life… in earnest, with all your heart) while she was attending a Catholic Church that it stands to reason that no Catholic does.

I never said no catholics do this.
It is pretty clear to me when a person doesn’t have the Holy Spirit guiding their life, or they are denying the Holy Spirit. The evidence is in their walk. It doesn’t matter what religion they follow.

 

[misslollipops]

.

Is there a scripture verse which tells me this is how to be born again?

Romans chap3 through 8 explains being born of the Spirit

 

[misslollipops]

Are you suggesting that adults should be baptized BEFORE they know and accept the gospel? It is right that people hear and accept the good news AND be baptized into Christ in order to be saved or “born again” as you like to put it.

. :tiphat:

I am saying NO ONE should be baptized before they hear and accept the gospel.Not even babies.

 

[Eileen_T]

Have you ever actually made the statement to God:
I turn my whole body, mind, and will over to you father?

Or something similar.

Of course, it is called trusting in God’s Providence. I did it when I made the total commitment of my life to accepting God’s Will including in the area of my fertility.

I knew that in doing so I was buying the farm, so to speak, rather than just “leasing” it for a time. I knew being a Catholic meant I had to be obedient to ALL the Church taught, not just what suited me.

This was after I had searched for the Truth and found it in the Holy Catholic Church. I knew it was up to me to heed St Paul’s warning.

Hebrews 2:1* Therefore ought we more diligently to observe the things which we have heard, lest perhaps we should let them slip.*

If I fail in this, I have no cause to blame the Church. Rather I need to repent and strive to do better.

 

[krissy343]

I am saying NO ONE should be baptized before they hear and accept the gospel.Not even babies.

So what is to be the fate of those babies if they should die before they are able to be baptized?

 

[krissy343]

Romans chap3 through 8 explains being born of the Spirit

So what about John 3:5? (sorry if this was already quoted) According to this you need to be born of water AND Spirit. Or do you have another way to interpret that?

 

[Eileen_T]

I am saying NO ONE should be baptized before they hear and accept the gospel.Not even babies.

Then you are setting yourself against the teaching of the Early Church Fathers who were taught by those who had it direct from the Apostles.

Specifically Irenaeus who was taught by Polycarp, who was a disciple of St John the Evangelist.

Do you claim to know better than them? It would benefit you more if you stopped being closed minded, and actually read up on Church history.

Why are you here? To learn the Truth about Catholic Teaching, try to justify your reason/s for leaving the Church, or to try and destroy the Faith of Catholics so you can get them out of the Church?

 

[fellowChristian]

misslollipops----

So let me get this straight. According to your logic.

The people you hung out with were not living according to how you think they should have been living?

That because of some great power you have, you can read their hearts?

And of course these people who sat with you at Mass were Catholic?

So all Catholics are doing it wrong?

That is like saying **all **mexicans are criminals because you know one who is jail.(I am of Latin flavor) You can not judge all Catholics by one or two or even twenty bad ones. Thats not right.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

You know and even if all the Catholics you hung out with were low lives and losers. It does not make the Church Christ founded anyless **His!!! **

You know the three parables…

The Lost Sheep? That was a stupid person who follows anyone anywhere.

The Lost Coin? That was the person whos parents neglected to teach them the faith properly.

The Prodigal Son? That was the prideful and disobedient person who knew his faith and didn’t care.

Which parable do you fall under? Some fit right in one, others are a combination of all three.

I bet one of your parents are Catholic.

**4. Honor thy father and thy mother.

**1 Timothy 3:15 ****

15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

What church is St. Paul talking about?

newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm

Do you really believe that Jesus expected you to wait until 1517?

ewtn.com/faith/teachings/churb4.htm

You really need to learn your history.

 

[Gamera]

Have you ever actually made the statement to God:
I turn my whole body, mind, and will over to you father?

Or something similar.

Yes, of course!

But do you think that constitues being born again? You said Saul was born again on the road to Damascus. What verse shows him making the statement to God, I turn by whole body, mind and will over to you Father? You said the crowd present at Pentecost was born again when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. What verse shows those 120 people making the statement to God: I turn my whole body, mind and will over to you Father? And If I understood you correctly, you intimated that Peter was born again when he told Jesus, ‘You are the Messiah, the son of the living God’. What verse shows him telling Jesus, ‘I turn my whole body, mind and will over to you?’

And all of those examples are inconsistent with the premise that we are born again when we “accept Jesus as Savior.” Making a statement and “accepting” are two different things. So in your view which constitutes being “born again?” Accepting Jesus as Savior? Or making a statement to God? Or having the Holy Spirit descend upon you? Or seeing a bright light and hearing a holy voice?

 

[Linnyo]

I am saying NO ONE should be baptized before they hear and accept the gospel.Not even babies.

And that is the fault with your thinking! Everything you say come from the egocentric position of “I am saying…”
You need to take stock of what you are saying and recognise that it is NOT your opinion that matters but Gods. Until you can put him first, you will be tripping over your words. The Holy Spirit is certainly not guiding your words in this forum.
The Gospel tells us very clearly that we are not in a position to judge others yet you have come here to judge us. That means that you yourself are denying the gospel. The Gospel tells us to have our families baptised and, again, you are denying the Gospel.
Just because your friends aren’t living Godly lives doesn’t mean that all Catholics don’t live Godly lives. That is a very sweeping generalisation on your part! Also, if it is signs you need then what does that say about your faith life? Many Catholics also have gifts of the Spirit. Many can prophesy, speak in tongues, interpret tongues etc but not everybody gets ‘outwardly visible’ gifts that are as signs to the unfaithful. Everybody is different! God is always the same.