Born again?

Question

When Jesus was asked what we must do to go to heaven, he said, "you must be born again". (spiritually, not physically) So to be a Christian, it is implied that you are born again. So whats up with the term "born again Christian"? It's being redundant.

Answer 1

I only saw two answers that were close: Hinds feet and happily married.

It refers to the difference between someone having been born into religion and having been born anew, as a new creation. It is not redundant, because it refers to a difference in culture and a difference in faith. Some people claim to be Muslim simply because they were born into a family that observes Muslim customs, or the parents were Muslim, or the country they were born in is an Islamic state. They think they were born into the religion because it is required of them to follow it or die. The truth is, they have to choose to do so before they can call themselves Muslim. It is the same with Christianity. Many people consider themselves christian because they were born into a family that had christian parents, or observed christian customs, or were born in a country that is predominantly christian. To be "Born Again" you must choose to do so, and thus the clarification of the title.

Hope this helps...

Answer 2

Pastor Billy says: You make a great point!

The original understanding of what it was to be "born again" was to undergo Christian baptism. This understanding of born again has both a historical and biblical backing. As baptism or the baptismal rite forms part of our initiation into the Christian Church you draw a valid conclusion of people being redundant when stressing they are both "born again" and "Christian".

However Glen the development of the term "born again Christian" stems from a revisionism of the original meaning by modern groups which seek to deny our Christian baptism is in fact being "born again". In a period of less than the last 100 years a small portion of Protestantism has started an entirely new movement around this one particular understanding and in their zeal to differentiate themselves they have entirely altered what it is to be born again.

see my sources it may help explain further

Answer 3

The trinity is not a Catholic thing at all, it's a part of nearly every Christian denomonation. Being 'born again' is a more common term among protestants. And just a note to the person who mentioned the King James Bible, I'm not sure where you're getting your information from but that version is becoming less and less common, most churches these days use the NIV, and as for swearing on it, no one should actually swear on a Bible because the Bible itself says not to swear on anything, "let your yes be yes and your no be no".

Answer 4

Why Most Christians Are Misled

They don't understand the truth about being "saved" or "born-again". They may have been deceived by a well-meaning pastor or witness.
I was deceived for many years. I had been taught that once you are "saved" or "born-again" you had your ticket to heaven. Not so. Unless you were to die at that moment.

Let's use the term "begotten" in place of those two terms, "saved" and "born-again." This will make it easier to understand.

Once we are "begotten" the Holy Spirit's influence is upon us. Our values change, our feeling towards God and other people will change. We are now ready to begin the road to "salvation" and the possibility of becoming "born-again." This is the process of living the doctrine, practicing the Godly walk that Jesus laid down for us. To live as a Christian, not just profess the doctrine but to live the doctrine, as much as possible. We still will fall short and fail from time to time but God forgives us when we confess our sin and ask forgiveness. We are heaven bound!

First you must realize that "born-again" is not what most people think it is. We are "born-again" of the spirit upon our resurrection when Jesus returns.

Jesus said, "You must be born again of the spirit to enter the kingdom." He means that you cannot enter the kingdom in your earthly body. We will be resurrected in a spiritual body, that is, those of us who are worthy to enter the kingdom.

So, when people proudly proclaim that they are a "born again" Christian, they are mistaken. You can't be born again until you die and are resurrected. To be more accurate, they could describe themselves as a "begotten" Christian. A repenting person who loves God and tries to live according to God's will.

Answer 5

YES!!! Thank you so much for posting this. I do not know how many times I've said this exact thing. Fundamentalist Christians have made "born again" into this new spiritual level of Christianity. People have made born again to mean some mature level that it should have never meant. We can call it as we wish, but born again is simply another way of saying that someone has accepted Christ's way of life.

Answer 6

Catholics believe that baptism with water -- by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling -- in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, cleanses us from original sin and personal sin and initiates us into the life of the Church. It is more than merely symbolic; it's more than an expression of belief of the one being baptized (; it is a Sacrament, both a sign and medium of sanctifying grace. Baptism does something; it remits sins: Like all Sacraments (the other 6 being Eucharist, Confession, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and Unction), Baptism is not a work of man; it is a work of Christ, an act of His grace.

I know little of this born again faith besides what I looked up in Wikipedia:
Born again is a term that has been associated with evangelical renewal since the late 1960s. The term is most frequently used by the Evangelical, Fundamentalist, and Pentecostal branches of Protestant Christianity.




Gospel According to Saint John
Chapter 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.

"Unless a man be born again"... By these words our Saviour hath declared the necessity of baptism; and by the word water it is evident that the application of it is necessary with the words. Matt. 28. 19.

Answer 7

I do not think that means what you think that means.

Many people will thumbs down this because it contradicts what they've been taught. Think it over and read the scriptures. See if you don't agree with me.

When God created us, we were in spiritual form. Satan drew away a third and God made man flesh to give the third a chance for redemption. Our souls were not created by God at the moment our mothers got pregnant. They were created long ago.

To be born again of the water and the blood is to be born in the flesh. You cannot be a Christian or Christ Man (a man who seeks to be like Christ) without being man (born in the flesh).

Therefore, to use the term "born again Christian" is redundant. Every human has been born again.

Answer 8

Well, that is not my personal take on the concept. Be it Christian or devoted to any other spiritual path, in my personal understanding is that it implies a deep willingness to 'surrender."

Please don't misunderstand my meaning. I do not begin to suggest or advocate any particular religious dogma. Having explored the question now for some time, what I have come to preceive is that being 'born again' and the concept of 'surrender' are interchangable. That is to say, 'born again' is an impersonal and public term ror the concept of 'surrender.' 'Surrender' does not mean that you must pledge blind faith to one particular belief system or dogma.

What 'surrender' does seem to require is a willingness to 'let go' of worldly desires\lust for physical (and thus temporary) things we encounter during our lives (money, attention, ego fame, egoic interests, etc.) and instead focus on all the inumerable wonders of creation that are revealed to us in obvious (and sometimes obcure) ways in every passing moment of our life experience.

Equally important is that true 'surrender' means that (as in the example set forth by Jesus) we accept the more unpleasent things that arise in our life experience and embrace them with equal welcome (as being gifts that we do not fully comprehend). ..rather then to look for targets of blame (i.e. cast stones) and in that way be willing to commit to walking in the path of Jesus and so many other sages and saints...a path of unqualified love and compassionion alone, free of all worldly attachments and judgement.

I suspect that there are many who would may not share my views and even those who would take strong exception to them. But that is OK....It is the way of this world we find ourselves inhabiting. The most important thing is that if your intermost heart leads you to earnestly seek for eternal truths, follow its call ...find your own path...and by all means trust your heart.'s deepest wisdom..for that is, in the end, what 'God' and grace is all about. Blessings...

Answer 9

Being a "born again Christian" means you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior of your life. Some people thoroughly know the Bible, yet do not know Jesus as their PERSONAL Lord and Savior. "A born again Christian" is used to describe someone who has accepted Jesus. Mostly we are called "Christians", but if we are using it to talk how God saved them, that would apply. Also, a "born again Christian" doesn't mean that a Christian was reconfirmed to the faith, It means more like "Born again AS a Christian." When Jesus met him, he told him that he must be born into the Spirit of God, and believe in him. You do not necessarily refer to someone as a "born again Christian", unless we are talking about the way God saved us and we became Christians to sing and praise to him all eternity through his grace and mercy.

God Bless,
LOGIX MASTER

Answer 10

I think that the term "to be born again" is that you have decided that you want to be a new person, that you want to be closer to God and have decided that you want to make God the most important thing in your life. "Born Again Christians" are people who haven't always been the best people, but when they are "Born Again" they decide to take up thier cross and follow Jesus in everyday life, Well at least that's what I think... I hope I helped! ♥ GOd BLesS ♥