Born Again
about being............." BORN AGAIN "
You may believe you are.........
At one point in your life, you may have had an experience you can remember, and say " on this day...I took this action.....and became a ' Born Again Christian '
Certainly, it is important to believe you are....
because with that belief there is a strong sense of security in Jesus
But the Lord was clear to point out that believing you are saved, and being saved, may not be the same.....
He said to the group who knew Him, and did things they were expected to do,
" but I don't know you "
So I ask, " does the Lord know YOU "
If you were in that group, would he have been talking to you ?
In a faithful focus on Jesus, that is a question to ask yourself daily
It's really not hard to determine for yourself...Paul is very helpful.
In his letter to the Galatians, Ch 5 :22 he tells us " when ( we allow) the Spirit (of Jesus ) to control our lives, (the Spirit of Jesus) will produce this kind of fruit in our lives, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfullness, and self control............"
Do you have these fruit (characteristics ) in your heart ( attitude)
Jesus said " by their fruit you will know them "
If you do exhibit those attitudes, you probably obey His commandments by your life style
This Obedience is the KEY to Him knowing you
Jesus said " if you love me, you will obey me"
God said " because he loves me, I will rescue him "Ps 91.:14
So, ask again..." does He know me ? , will He rescue me ? "
(c) 2001 www.focusonjesus.net
' born again ' is a factual committment resulting in a changed lifestyle
often taken out of context, and properly used by real Evangelists to raise positive emotional action,
it has also become misused by many who are well intentioned but misguided,
as a dividing line in their judgement of who is "saved" or "unsaved".
Taught properly, it can be very effective in a person's life.....
Taught improperly it can keep a person from maturing,
by giving a false sense of security (salvation)
At it's worse, this out of context teaching often gives false security to some
that allows them to continue in sinful attitudes,
by claiming other Christian denomintions are not 'born again'
and therefore not saved
STRONG Believers in this teaching are reminded that the extreme EMPHASIS about being born again by some men, is not similarly emphasised in the Bible ....
Jesus is recorded as using this only in John 3: 3,7 talking to Nicodemus.
Peter understood quite well Jesus' meaning, but only mentioned it in Peter1:23
and Paul, in all his teachings, is not recorded as teaching it at all
This is NOT intended to diminish the importance of what Jesus intended...
that man is "to be born again...of the Spirit "
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