What exactly does it mean to be born again?

Question

What are you supposed to do?

How are you suppose to feel?

If you try "with your whole heart" and don't feel those things then what?

Answer 1

I think it simply means crossing over from disbelief into belief.

You are suppose to acknowledge that we need to repent to God that we have not bared his image here on earth and work to change ourselves. Believe in Yahweh mainly and that he sent Jesus as his anointed to show us how to be.

Feelings? Depends. Generally you feel a weight lifted off after confessing sins and repenting. However, another weight is placed on your shoulders to act in the image of God. Feelings vary. Over time they go from elation to a steady and calm thing. Like when you get married, you are enamored but it does settle down. Sometimes it is calm from the start without the "romance."

It seems to be something that just happens. After study, prayer, and life applications of the principles you learn it just happens over time. Like when learning to read or multiplication for the first time. You resolve to make the right choices in life and that is what transforms you.

Spirituality is not supposed to be this emotional feel good thing all the time. That happens but it was never meant to be an emotional experience. It wasn't for me.

At any rate, there is no trying with your whole heart. You cannot be skinny and then try with your whole heart to be Mr. Olympia in an instance, it doesn't work that way.

Or being a white belt one day and a black belt the next day... Doesn't happen.

It's a process.

Those who say it does are only fooling themselves and will only find themselves disappointed in time. Those who teach this are also doing an injustice.

It's a spirit thing. Not a mind thing. The "heart" as we call it in the west is a mind thing. Emotions are from the mind.

The mind and spirit are never in sync to begin with in any religion or philosophical school. It is a process to sync up the mind and spirit...

Answer 2

There are 4 steps to gain what you seek:

1. Faith

You have heard that there is a Father in heaven who knows you and has a plan for your eternal happiness. You have heard that Christ removed the obstacles of sin and death through His atonement and resurrection. Faith is more than belief, but action. You believe and try to follow the truth and keep (as best you can) the commandments.

2. Repentance

Take an honest inventory of your life..thoughts and deeds. Take responsibility for your sins and ask your Father for forgiveness with a sincere heart and believing that he will grant it. Wherever possible, ask those that you have wronged for forgiveness and make restitution if necessary.

3. Baptism

You must be baptized by someone with proper authority to baptize for the remission of sins. This is tricky, becuase everyone says that they have authority from God. More on that later.
When you are baptized, you are making a covenant with God to follow him and keep his commandments (as best you can) and to stand as a witness of Him always. He, in-turn, promises you that your sins are wiped clean and that you may have eternal life.

4. The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Once baptized by authority, you will receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands by someone with the authority to bestow the gift. The Gift of the Holy Ghost will change your spirit forever. Almost like a DNA change. You are born again. The feelings are set forth in Galatians 5:22-23

You may change back, but if you continue to try to keep the commandments and continue to repent, you start a new spiritual life and are born again.

Answer 3

In Biblical terms, born again means to be born spiritually (of the spirit) as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John Chapter 3. This rebirth is granted to anyone who (1) Understands how sinful they really are and (2) is willing to confess that in prayer and start turning from their sins and becoming obedient to the teachings of Jesus Christ while seeking Him with all your heart. Its never a matter of how you feel - it is a matter of placing your trust and faith in Him. Don't give up or become discouraged. God's timing is not always the same as ours but He promises to answer everyone who sincerly seeks Him.
Reading your Bible and praying over what you read will help a great deal if your heart is humble and your cry to Him is sincere.

Answer 4

You must believe in the Lord Jesus and confess with your mouth that God raised Him from the dead and you shall be saved. the bible says anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. God knows whether you are truly serious or not in your heart...that is why you must accept him with your whole heart. Often times you wont feel anything right away but a transformation does take place, your name is written down in glory and you are on your way to heaven...believe in what you know to be true (faith) not in how you feel...

Answer 5

It means becoming a new creation in Christ. The old nature of your existence dies and a new nature is born.
Man is under condemnation and the penalty of death because of the sin he has chosen to make a part of his life. He lives for himself and denies that he has any need to respect or love God, the One who created him. He lives for his own enjoyment, ignoring God's love.
God sent His Son to remove the penalty, practice, and love of sin from man's life. Through faith in His Son, and the sacrifice he made, the sinful nature of man is removed and he once again enjoys fellowship with God.
Man is called by God to turn his back on sin and move toward Him in life practice. Repentence is changing the heart and mind through confession of wrong doing and asking forgiveness. In baptism is the beginning of moving toward God, the first steps to be taken. In the waters of baptism the old, sinful nature is dead and put to rest. Rising from the waters is taking on the new nature that was promised. When the new creation is alive the Holy Spirit of God comes into that new creature and the breath of life that once lived in Adam is alive once again in man.

You will hear many conflicting claims concerning baptism. It was taught by Jesus and the Apostles he chose to serve him during his time on earth. In every account of salvation in the Bible baptism is either stated, understood, or implied. It is not a thing we do as a work that earns from our own actions. We are baptised because we were commanded to be baptised. I am not willing to leave out any part of God's stated plan for my salvation, and I must be faithful to include that part when relating to others. I include this paragraph only because man made doctrine will undoubtedly require it.
There was a direct question asked and a direct answer was given on the day of Pentecost.
"What must we do to be saved?"
"Repent, and be baptised for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Answer 6

Being born again is about accepting Jesus as Lord in your life. Everyone is an individual, so there's no certain way you should feel, but if you believe that Jesus died for your sins and confess that he is lord, then you are born again. Read the Bible and pray to deepen your faith, and remember that it's about your relationship with Jesus, not about what you do or how you feel. :)

Answer 7

It means to be 'born from above'. Spirit regeneration. Jesus said, "except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." When questioned on this, "How is it a man enters his mother's womb a second time". He explains. "Flesh gives birth to flesh," physical birth, "And spirit gives birth to spirit". Being born again, or born from above. When someone asks Jesus Christ into their heart and life; to become their Lord and Savior; when they repent of their sins. The Holy Spirit awakens ones spirit, regeneration, and that person becomes born again.

Answer 8

Let me start with the biblical passage: John 3:1-

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.[a]"

4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

You can find born again (or born from above) is in verses 3 and 7. Jesus describes two different kingdoms: Man's and God;s. To enter the Kingdom of God you must be born again.

It takes a leap of faith to believe Jesus, so you might want to ask for help from other Christians.

Answer 9

Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus (buried in a liquid grave) and ask to be felled and lead by the Holy Spirit. At times you'll feel so much joy, but than we can't always go by feelings, we should believe by standing on the word of God. When you study the word of God daily in your heart you know. The word tells us to study to show ourselves. We shouldn't put our trust in man, for he'll fail us every time, but God want leave nor forsake us. We must also pray daily.

Answer 10

normally, when u see or nearly experience death u feel as if that incident changed your life which means that u'll start behaving differently frm yr normal behavior.
and that new behavior is so different that u seem to feel u have taken a new birth!

That feeling is upto you. u feel yourself. we don't.
we are supposed to make u feel better if u have gone through sumthng tragic.

u yrself will learn to feel "those things" in sumtym or the other..