What does it mean to be born again?

Question

How does it differ from other types of baptism?

Answer 1

One key Scripture reference to being "born again" or "regenerated" is John 3, 5, where Jesus says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
This verse is so important that those who say baptism is just a symbol must deny that Jesus here refers to baptism. "Born again" Christians claim the "water" is the preached word of God.
But the early Christians uniformly identified this verse with baptism. Water baptism is the way, they said, that we are born again and receive new life--a fact that is supported elsewhere in Scripture (Romans 6,3-4; Colosians 2,12-13; Titus 3,5).
No Church Father referred to John 3,5 as anything other than water baptism.
Tertullian
"No one can attain salvation without baptism, especially in view of the declaration of the Lord, who says, "Unless a man shall be born of water, he shall not have life'" (Baptism 12:1 [A.D. 203]).
Have a blessed and peaceful day

Answer 2

I believe being born again means you have received the Holy Spirit, by asking Jesus to come into your heart and be your Lord and savior. When you are born again you will be able to discern things of God. Baptism to me is an outward sign of whats going on inside.

Answer 3

Born again refers to asking Jesus to live inside you & rule your life. You then choose to follow the Scriptures as your guide for life.
Baptism has nothing to do with being born again. It is an outward symbol of an inner change. It is a symbol to show others you've made the decision to follow Jesus.

Answer 4

for me, to be Baptized, it is a process where we are baptized into CHrist Death. where we should change our past life in such doing bad things,... as I know there are so many kinds of Baptism, 1 is the infant Baptism were Infant were Baptized which is a wrong practice, because the LOrd said we should repent 1st our sins. and we know that a infant cannot repent his/her sins.. 2nd one is pouring or springkling, we cannot be buried by means of pouring or springkling, the thing that i am saying that to be buried in baptism is our past personality is buried into Christ death ok?... the true process of Baptizing should be done by Immersion which is the right process like what Jonh the Baptist did in Jesus Christ, but i want you to know that Jesus was not baptized because He need to repent for His sins, He was Baptized because He want to obey what the Father had said unto Him..ok..

Answer 5

when adam was created his spirit was alive,but when he was eaten the fruit,he was spiritually died.To wake up from deathfull situation jesus came to this world to give re-birth to the people.When anybody repent themselves by the blood of christ and take baptism in the name father,son and holyspirit,that is called to be born again.If u have still any quereies u can go through from bible from the book of rome 5,6 chapters.

Answer 6

What does it mean to be a born again Christian? The classic passage from the Bible that answers this question is John 3:1-21. The Lord Jesus Christ is talking to Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (a ruler of the Jews). Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night. Nicodemus had questions to ask Jesus.
As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He said "...Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again...." (John 3:3-7).
The phrase "born again" literally means "born from above." Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart--a spiritual transformation. New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1-4, 18). John 1:12,13 indicates that "born again" also carries the idea "to become children of God" through trust in the name of Jesus Christ.
The question logically comes, "Why does a person need to be born again?" The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:1 says, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins..." To the Romans in Romans 3:23, the Apostle wrote, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." So, a person needs to be born again in order to have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God.
How does that come to be? Ephesians 2:8,9 states, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." When one is "saved," he/she has been born again, spiritually renewed, and is now a child of God by right of new birth. Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin when He died on the cross, is what it means to be "born again" spiritually. "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation..." (2 Corinthians 5:17a).
If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you consider the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to your heart? You need to be born again. Will you pray the prayer of repentance and become a new creation in Christ, today? "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe on His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13).
If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is a sample prayer. Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation. "God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness - the gift of eternal life! Amen!

Answer 7

Sinful flesh does not inherit the kingdom of heaven. all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. these are the truths of the Bible and Jesus himself explained these things that no man can enter in to heaven unless he be born again.God is righteous and he does not join himself to sin and when man sins he falls short of God. If every man does sin and the penalty for sin is death and separation from God...than mankind is lost unless the penalty is paid. God could not simply say sin is not sin nor could he say that which is not holy is holy because God is righteous but God had a plan to save his creation because even though man is sinful God loved his creation...God had a way of salvation for man before he made him and this was to bring man out of sin and into his righteousness not to join in Man's unrighteousness. Gos is righteous and merciful he could not let the penalty go unpaid and say it is okay that man sinned or pretend that man did not sin he chose to pay that penalty of death for us. God came to the world in the form of man and overcame temptation and remained perfect and he paid the penalty of death with his flesh that whoever would accept this atonement would not die but have everlasting life with him...It is by faith that we Christians say we are born again as we are yet in the sinful world in our sinful flesh...but by faith in the atonement and the resurrection we say that we are born again new creatures and that the man of sin is nailed to the cross with Christ and resurrected in his glory to worship God in spirit and in truth and in newness of life. Those who accept the atonement of Christ have by faith that promise of eternal life with God in heaven it is in this faith that we are saved.

Answer 8

it means to be a fundi----like Glenn Beck