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To: James R. Aist
Do you know what Jesus meant when He said, "You must be born again." Are you born again?

I think the best example, the most clear example, can be found in Paul's Epistle to the Romans.

Romans is really the handbook for finding God, or Salvation, or being Born Again, or the New Birth as John Wesley called it.

Romans chapter 7 and 8, where Paul, speaking in the third person, is a very clear "definition". In Chapter 7, Paul, talks about a man who has become aware, or awakened to his need. His utter sinfulness, his utter helplessness to stop sinning, his utter helplessness to help himself in anyway. This chapter also makes it clear that he is condemned, and that his condemnation is the fault of his sin. At the close of Chapter 7, that sinner starts to turn to God, to Jesus for help, not knowing anywhere else to go.

Romans chapter 8 starts with verse 1 where Paul states that "Now there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus". This man has found Salvation, he has been born again!

Where there is no condemnation, there can be no sin, because sinning is what brought the condemnation.

So the work of God wrought in this man who basically fell on Jesus and asked him for deliverance include both the forgiveness of his past sins, and deliverance from the power that that sin had over his soul.

Furthermore, farther down in chapter 8, Paul states that "His Spirit witnesses with our spirit, that we are the children of God". So not only does he forgives us, and gives us power over our sin, but he goes further and cements this new birth with Knowledge, given by God himself.

So, if we are walking in his grace, we should not only believe that we are saved, but if, in truth, we are saved, we should know it as well.

And as further proof, that in this New Birth experience, this being "Born Again" includes a change in the inner man, or regeneration, please consider the following:

II Corithinthians 5:17-19
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
19 posted on 09/19/2013 7:14:06 PM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: SoConPubbie

Nice. Good word!


29 posted on 09/19/2013 8:19:23 PM PDT by James R. Aist
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To: SoConPubbie

bump


45 posted on 09/20/2013 12:23:42 AM PDT by metmom ( ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith....)
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