Aren't All Christians Considered "Born Again"?

From John Chapter 3:

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He 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."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
"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!" 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."

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[emphasis added]

Is it possible to be a Chrisian without being "born again" or do most people use the term "born again" to distinguish between those who were born into a Christian household and those who "find" Jesus later in life? I always thought all Christians, in essense, had to be "born again".

Christians are supposed to be born again. Saying that you are a "born again Christian" is pretty redundant.

He is talking about resurrection after death , this is the "new born".

Qura'an Ch.30 Romans

[19] It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living, and Who gives life to the earth after it is dead: and thus shall ye be brought out (from the dead).

no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again

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it means that every human is going to be dead, and every human is going to resurrect (born again) from death.

Just righteous will inherit the Garden of Eden, but wrong doers will abide in hell.

That's an interesting belief about it Mohammed.

I've always taken it to mean had their sins forgiven and now have a new life in God, following Jesus, though

Odion said:

That's an interesting belief about it Mohammed.

I've always taken it to mean had their sins forgiven and now have a new life in God, following Jesus, though

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Sure, you are right , you Shall follow the messengers of Allah, and I'd like to tell you about the salvation, and sin forgiving,
and about the day which supposed to be the "new born" day , and what is going to happened then.

please read the following


Qura'an Ch.5

[109] One day will Allah gather the Messengers together, and ask: "What was the response ye received (from men to your teaching)?" They will say: "We have no knowledge: it is Thou who knowest in full all that is hidden.


[110] Then will Allah say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the holy spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel. And behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it, and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the Clear Signs, and the Unbelievers among them said: `This is nothing but evident magic.'

[111] "And behold! I inspired the Disciples to have faith in Me and Mine Messenger; they said, `We have faith, and do thou bear witness that we bow to Allah as Muslims.'"


[112] Behold! the Disciples said: "O Jesus the son of Mary! can thy Lord send down to us a Table set (with viands) from heaven?" Said Jesus: "Fear Allah, if ye have faith."


[113] They said: "We only wish to eat thereof and satisfy our hearts, and to know that thou has indeed told us the truth; and that we ourselves may be witnesses to the miracle."

[114] Said Jesus the son of Mary: "O Allah our Lord! send us from heaven a Table set (with viands), that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a solemn festival and a Sign from Thee; and provide for our sustenance, for Thou art the best Sustainer (of our needs)."


[115] Allah said: "I will send it down unto you; but if any of you after that resisteth faith, I will punish him with a penalty such as I have not inflicted on any one among all the peoples."


[116] And behold! Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! didst thou say unto men, 'Worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah'?" He will say: "Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, Thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.

[117] "Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when thou didst take me up thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things.


[118] "If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servants: if Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise."


[119] Allah will say: "This is a day on which the truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, their eternal home: Allah well-pleased with them, and they with Allah: that is the great salvation, (The fulfilment of all desires).

[120] To Allah doth belong the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, and it is He Who hath power over all things.

ChristineES said:

Christians are supposed to be born again. Saying that you are a "born again Christian" is pretty redundant.

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Then why do you think that this term carries such negative baggage? Is it the fact that some people just resent Christians regardless or is it some kind of attitude that rubs people the wrong that those who proclaim to be born again Christians exude? Maybe in some people's minds, born again = evangelical?

The term "born again Christian", I have found, is used by certain Christian groups to qualify them from other Christian groups that are not really "born again" or "saved", i.e., to separate "us", the real Christians, from "them", the fake Christians who aren't really born again and thus not Christian.

An extremely interesting question, simple, but perhaps impossible to answer to anyone's satisfaction, except my own, that is.

The question has bearings on every facet of Christian beliefs and prior revelations in the OT. Do you believe in Jesus? Yes! Well, then do you believe what he taught? Because that is the clincher. Who handed the Revelation over to the apostle John? Jesus! Of course, he got it from God; still ! It is given by Jesus. Thus we have the gospels about Jesus, and the book of Revelation from Jesus.

What does Jesus say in Matt 5:3,5? Does he say that some will inherit the kingdom! and, that some shall inherit the earth! Do you believe this?

What does Revelation 5:8-10 tell us? It tells us that some people who were bought (Rev 14:4) as firstfruits to become kings over the earth!

Was Robinson Crusoe king over his island of solitude? When he was all alone on that island, did that make him king over it? Or, does a king need subjects to be king in deed!

If then the born again are promised a resurrection in a celestial body, and to become joint heirs with Christ, side by side with him as kings - then who are they kings over? Daniel chapter seven and Rev 5:10 shows this to be the earth, an earth filled with Christian subjects in Paradise.

Not only that, but in several places in the NT we see that there is more than one hope revealed to the Christian. Martha clearly hoped for Lazarus to be resurrected in body to an earthly Paradise on the last day, didn't she? (Debatable of course)

If I asked you to help gather supplies for disaster aid, one would automatically believe the recipients to be having experienced a disaster. Likewise, if one asks a congregation to gather supplies for the holy ones, doesn't that mean that we are profane and the recipients are the holy ones?

Why do we then see this division between two groups in the NT? Because it exists! (2 Cor 9:12, Philippians 3:14,15, Ephesians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 1:2)
[An example: Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to all the saints who are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. (DCR)]

The long is then for some other place; the short of it is then this, that there are those who receive the spirit of Christ, the Comforter / Paraclete / Helper - this causes them to be born again by spirit and water; namely, by baptism and by the outpouring from Christ of his spirit upon the Christian.

There are other Christians that simply are baptized and they will receive the promised eternal life in the earthly Paradise as subjects of Christ and his brothers (gender independent).

What determines the election? Christ and God are the ones doing the choosing. The selection process is partly determined by this process: "For there must also be sects among you, that the approved may become manifest among you." (I Corinthians 11:19, Darby)

If the Christian is a follower of men, rather than Christ and his gospel, he doesn't qualify as a Saint and cannot be called. The truth sanctifies, as does a life in holiness abstaining from sin.

This can by reason of its complexity not be discussed fully. Also, it probably doesn't matter; very few believe it anyway.

G.

I think what some have said here is true, that certain people call themselves "born again" to separate themselves. I have learned not to trust any group who says "we are the only true Christians, other Christians have it wrong".
The word Christian was never even used by Jesus at all. I don't even recall finding it in the NT anywhere (if it is there, I would appreciate you let me know which verses). Jesus followers are supposed to be known by their love of one another- and that was Jesus final command to His followers. How can he or she say that they are the only ones when they can't even follow that last command?
We all need to take a good look at what we believe.

ChristineES said:

The word Christian was never even used by Jesus at all. I don't even recall finding it in the NT anywhere (if it is there, I would appreciate you let me know which verses)

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To answer this question, I don't think it's ever used by Jesus but by others. The three instances I found in the NT are: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16.

Ringer said:

To answer this question, I don't think it's ever used by Jesus but by others. The three instances I found in the NT are: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16.

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Thanks.

Being born agian, means you are born by the will and design and purpose of god, and not by human desire.

You are born of a mother, but sent from above.

When Jesus died, your spirit was baptised into death, with him, and your spirit was raised up with him. When your spirit rose up with him, he translated you out of the kingdom of darkness (took the keys that kept you locked up there) and translated you into the kingdom of light. Your spirit after the resurrection went to paradise. It is from here that you are incarnated onto this earth to testify to the truth of jesus being your saviour. You are then, born again. You are born again, when your spirit is incarnated from paradise onto this earth, not when you say the sinners prayer.

Heneni

Having grown up in several protestant denominations, being "born again" simply meant you had publicly accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior. At one time (actually more than once) I considered myself to be "saved" or "born again". Of course, I think differently now.

Ringer said:

To answer this question, I don't think it's ever used by Jesus but by others. The three instances I found in the NT are: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16.

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Ringer if you will check John 3:1-21 Jesus himself tells Nicodemus the answer to the question about being born again...born of the Spirit.....