Born Again?!

What does it mean to be reborn? How does one "born again" ?

I have heard the phrase before but I never put some thought into it until now. I did a little google searching and found out that (according to the Bible) you have two births. The physical birth, and the spiritual birth. In order to be born spiritually, you must accept Jesus. Now now... I am not trying to be THAT GUY but I think the Bible may be onto something here.

I remember in an interview George Bush was asked if he was a Christian and he replied "Well, you can say I was born again" - Why not just say "Yea, I am christian"

hmmm....

I am convinced there is more to this born again stuff than meets the eye.

Who or What is Jesus? Is he a metaphor for something? The inner self perhaps? The physical self of us?

Take this verse for example, from Luke chapter 17

Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

Straight from Jesus' mouth. This kingdom IS within us. How do we find it? Is it already there but we have not yet realized it?

Here's my story. I hardly ever went to church as a kid. My parents weren't religious at all.
By the time i was 18 i had racked up so much sin that i was feeling like i was literally gonna lose my mind. During this time i could feel a spiritual battle going on inside me. Half of me wanted to go to hell and face my consequences, while the other half just wanted to let it all go, forgive myself and accept Christ...(even though i didn't even know how).

So one late night, alone in my room, everything came to a head and i made a choice. It was the hardest thing i've ever done, (and the easiest). I fell down on my knees sobbing and asked God to help me and forgive me, and i asked Jesus to help me and enter into my heart.

What happened next was what i refer to as the 'inrush'. It was like a spirit rushed into me like a wind and literally lifted me off my knees. What happened that nite was straight-up supernatural.

Everything changed in my life after that. It was like i had been looking out of a dirty, fogged-up window all my life and someone suddenly opened it so i could see outside. The whole 'born again' thing sounds cliche', but i assure you it is real, and it will change your life for the better.
I know true repentance is the road to a true born again experience, so if there's something inside you that is convicting you of the way you've been living, and pushing you towards Christ, you'd be wise to heed it.
Peace.

BTW, the very fact that you started this thread tells me that God is after you.
People love to say they "found' God.
I say it's the opposite. Like C.S. Lewis, (God bless him), said, "God hunted me down like an indian hunts and stalks a deer"

That's how it was for me also. It was a long drawn out battle where i ran, hid and fought against God, until i was exhausted and couldn't fight Him
anymore...then He got me.

God always gets His.

reply to post by Davidius


The born again thing was just a christian revival effort made in the 60's. The term being born again really just means converting back to or converting to.

Originally posted by Davidius
What does it mean to be reborn? How does one "born again" ?

I have heard the phrase before but I never put some thought into it until now. I did a little google searching and found out that (according to the Bible) you have two births. The physical birth, and the spiritual birth. In order to be born spiritually, you must accept Jesus. Now now... I am not trying to be THAT GUY but I think the Bible may be onto something here.

Interesting question. It sounds like you're referencing a passage from John 3:

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The 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."

As far as the Bush quote, I think he's just using the term the way many Christians do. Essentially, it's synonymous with saying "I'm a Christian" (which makes the term "born again Christian" somewhat redundant I think lol). I'm not personally familiar with the 60's revival effort zaiger brought up, but that may have been the time when Christians started widely using the term.

As far as symbolic interpretations or additional writings on the concept, I would recommend reading the apocryphal books and gnostic texts found in the Nag Hammadi library. For example, here’s a passage from the gospel of Philip:

It is from water and fire that the soul and the spirit came into being. It is from water and fire and light that the son of the bridal chamber (came into being). The fire is the chrism, the light is the fire. I am not referring to that fire which has no form, but to the other fire whose form is white, which is bright and beautiful, and which gives beauty.

Truth did not come into the world naked, but it came in types and images. The world will not receive truth in any other way. There is a rebirth and an image of rebirth. It is certainly necessary to be born again through the image. Which one? Resurrection. The image must rise again through the image. The bridal chamber and the image must enter through the image into the truth: this is the restoration. Not only must those who produce the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, do so, but have produced them for you. If one does not acquire them, the name ("Christian") will also be taken from him. But one receives the unction of the [...] of the power of the cross. This power the apostles called "the right and the left." For this person is no longer a Christian but a Christ.

I’m sure you can find additional relevant passages if you do some searching. Good luck with your research!

[edit on 23-3-2010 by Rock Lobster]

Originally posted by zaiger
reply to post by Davidius

 

The born again thing was just a christian revival effort made in the 60's. The term being born again really just means converting back to or converting to.

Wrong.

Being "born again" is a process done TO a man by the work of the Holy Spirit of God. Not vice versa. Secondly, the concept of being "born again" was introduced by Jesus Christ, and last time I checked He died a couple thousand years before the 60s.