Are you Born Again ?

[Ayodhya Nath Bhat]

We are not saved by our works, but when we are saved, our life will certainly reflect that decision by our good works. ("Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" James 2:17.) Do you have total 100% assurance that you possess eternal life, and if someone asked you to prove it to them from a Bible, could you do it?

DO YOU SHOW EVIDENCES OF SPIRITUAL LIFE?

Following are ten evidences the true believer in Jesus Christ possesses, all from the epistle of First John. Please read these pages, and ask yourself how many of these are manifested in your life.  

"But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you ... and things that accompany salvation..." Hebrews 6:9

I. SUBMISSIVE RESPECT

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:
Do you respect God? Is your opinion just as important or even more relevant than His? Are God's pronouncements authoritative in your life? Is Jesus Christ your Lord?

II. SCRIPTURE OBEDIENCE

"But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him" (1 John 2:5)
Do you read the Bible daily? Do you read the Scriptures seeking to obey what you find? Are you in rebellion against God's Word or in submission to it? Do you love the Bible?

III. SOCIETAL REJECTION

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15)
Do you love the world, your money, and your possessions? Do they mean more to you than Jesus Christ and His approval? Would you be willing to give up all for Christ?

IV. STEADFAST FAITHFULNESS

"They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us" (1 John 2:19)
Are you faithful in regular fellowship with God's people in a local church? Are you able to be sparse in church attendance for weeks at a time without any real guilt about it? Do you long for fellowship with the saints in the assembly?

V. SECOND COMING ANTICIPATION

"When he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3)
Are you living in the daily awareness that Jesus Christ will return for His own? Are you eagerly looking forward to His coming for you? Does your daily life reflect the fact that He may come today? Are you ready to meet Him at any time?

VI. SIN SENSITIVITY

"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9)
Does your sin bother you? Do you wish you sinned less than you do? Are you sinning less now than when you first made a profession of faith in Christ? Do you enjoy your sin, or does it affect your happiness? Do you realize God sees all sin?

VII. SIBLING LOVE

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death" (1 John 3:14)
Do you love other believers in Jesus Christ? Do you enjoy being in their company, or would you rather be with the people of the world? Are Christians your dearest friends?

VIII. SUPPLICATIONS ANSWERED

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight" (1 John 3:22)
Do you pray? Can you point to specific answers that could have come from no one but God? Do you find yourself conversing regularly with God as a trusted friend?

IX. SHARP DISCERNMENT

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1)
Do you find it easy to sort out the claims of various religions? Do you see all religions as the same? Do you understand the doctrine of Christ? Do you believe Jesus Christ is God?

X. SPIRIT AWARENESS

"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13)
Do you have a conscious awareness that the Holy Spirit of God lives in you? Does He teach you things from the Scriptures on a regular basis? Does the Holy Spirit convict you when you sin, or can you sin with abandon?


Love

Ayodhya

[Seeker]

Welcome back Ayodhya!

That's a good top ten list to help us examine our consciences daily.

[secretman]

Here we go again ¿¿copying and pasteing without giving the credits??

gonna save U that work, Ayodhya's text is copied from one of these three websites

Web number 1

Web number 2

Web number 3

Haven't we talked about this before? Even i remember i suggested this article before:

Catholics Born Again? The answer is yes!

thanks and may God bless U all!

[Seeker]

You're right secretman.  We need to be very careful about copying and pasting without giving credit to the source.  Thanks for finding the references.

[Melody]

Ayodhya,

Thanks for the list, must make it a point to print it out & reflect daily as Seeker said.

Also, Secretman thx for looking up for where Ayodhya got the matter - Ayodhya take note pls! thx you both!

Blessings,

Melody

[jesusandyou]

Eleventh Evidence:-

Acting like born again and lacking the holiness.

Twelth Evidence:-

Not accountable to both men as well as God.

[jesusandyou]

Now a days the cofirmation comes from the Pastor so that you don't need to worry about the fruits  .

[trmichels]

Here is from one of my books.

A Born Again, Spirit Filled, Charismatic Christian

Because I profess to be a Christian who is also a Catholic, and Born Again, Spirit Filled and Charismatic, I have had several people, including Christians, ask me what being a "Born Again" or  "Spirit Filled" Christian is. Instead of saying that I am a Born Again, Spirit Filled, Charismatic I could simply say that I am a Christian, but that would not adequately describe what I am, or explain why I believe what I do about Christianity. It also would not explain how I have come to be the person I am, and what I hope to be in the future.

     I am what I am because I was raised in a strong Christian family, all of whom were raised in the Catholic Church, and all who had their understanding of Christianity founded in Christian tradition and Catholic doctrine. I also am what I am because Yahweh predestined me before time to become what I am, and He lead me to search for the answers to the meaning of life, and what my personal purpose in life was. And because I, by myself, could not find the answers to those questions, He led me to a point in my life where I had to turn to my Christian upbringing, because I wanted something more in life, and out of life, which allowed me to want Jesus to be my personal Lord and Savior, which in turn allowed me to become "Born Again" of the Holy Spirit.

     The "Born Again" experience is often the beginning of a change in an individuals life; a commitment to God; a release from drugs, alcohol or other problems. It often leads the person to profess their faith and belief in God, gives them a strong desire to share their belief, and gives them a desire to bring others to Christ. With that in mind let's look at what the Bible says about being Born Again, Spirit Filled, Charismatic and Saved.

Born Again and Spirit Filled

Many Born Again Christians attribute the "Born Again" experience to accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, and asking to or having the Holy Spirit manifest himself in their life. Sometimes the person is prayed over by others, sometimes they accept Jesus quietly, on their own. In either case, when the Holy Spirit comes into a person's life they may feel extreme peace, relief, love or other emotion. Some people cry tears of joy while they are being prayed over. Some people have a feeling of physical warmth, tingling, or electricity going through their body. These feelings and reactions are attributed to the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit". When a person is "Born Again" they are also filled with the Holy Spirit, thus they are "Spirit Filled".

(end)

That being said, I realize the Confirmation is the laying on of the hands that often conferred the presence of the Holy Spirit on the early Christians. And I suspect it worked, at least for some of them. Just as it does for some of us.

Bding "Born Again" is not about the ACT of onfirmation, it is abnout a personal ACCEPTANCE of the belief (faith) that Yahweh is the one and only god, that Jesus and the Holy SA Born Again, Spirit Filled, Charismatic Christian
Because I profess to be a Christian who is also a Catholic, and Born Again, Spirit Filled and Charismatic, I have had several people, including Christians, ask me what being a "Born Again" or  "Spirit Filled" Christian is. Instead of saying that I am a Born Again, Spirit Filled, Charismatic I could simply say that I am a Christian, but that would not adequately describe what I am, or explain why I believe what I do about Christianity. It also would not explain how I have come to be the person I am, and what I hope to be in the future.
     I am what I am because I was raised in a strong Christian family, all of whom were raised in the Catholic Church, and all who had their understanding of Christianity founded in Christian tradition and Catholic doctrine. I also am what I am because Yahweh predestined me before time to become what I am, and He lead me to search for the answers to the meaning of life, and what my personal purpose in life was. And because I, by myself, could not find the answers to those questions, He led me to a point in my life where I had to turn to my Christian upbringing, because I wanted something more in life, and out of life, which allowed me to want Jesus to be my personal Lord and Savior, which in turn allowed me to become "Born Again" of the Holy Spirit.
     The "Born Again" experience is often the beginning of a change in an individuals life; a commitment to God; a release from drugs, alcohol or other problems. It often leads the person to profess their faith and belief in God, gives them a strong desire to share their belief, and gives them a desire to bring others to Christ. With that in mind let's look at what the Bible says about being Born Again, Spirit Filled, Charismatic and Saved.

Born Again and Spirit Filled
Many Born Again Christians attribute the "Born Again" experience to accepting Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, and asking to or having the Holy Spirit manifest himself in their life. Sometimes the person is prayed over by others, sometimes they accept Jesus quietly, on their own. In either case, when the Holy Spirit comes into a person's life they may feel extreme peace, relief, love or other emotion. Some people cry tears of joy while they are being prayed over. Some people have a feeling of physical warmth, tingling, or electricity going through their body. These feelings and reactions are attributed to the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit". When a person is "Born Again" they are also filled with the Holy Spirit, thus they are "Spirit Filled".

Born again is personal acceptance and belief (faith) in Yahweh, Jesus and the Holy Spirit; it is not the ACT of Confirmation, but personal ACCEPTANCE that makes us 'born again".