Born again to me means that moment that you, as a functioning adult, accept God as the all mighty rather than carrying on with the rote you ware handed growing up or otherwise a lack of training. It is the concept of understanding.
“The Catholic Response”
As a matter of fact, this ISN’T the Catholic response. This is only the response of a small and pitiful faction known as traditionalists who don’t read the catechism or listen to their Popes anymore, even as their Popes tongue-kiss the Koran and praise Islam, and who never fail to make excuses for the rampant liberalism that runs their church and makes their theology absolutely contradictory and damnable.
What the Papists actually teach is that non-believers, who have not been baptized, can be perfectly saved so long as they are willing to work for it, chief among whom are the Muslims:
841 The Church’s relationship with the Muslims. “The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day.”330
As for baptism, the scriptures also say that we would be baptized in “fire” as well (Matt 3:11), and yet, the Papists do not have the courtesy of roasting themselves instead of troubling innocent Christians with obnoxious assertions. That Simon Magus was also baptized, and yet, obviously, was never regenerated (Acts 8:13-24), and the Thief on the cross saved without it at all, along with Cornelius who was regenerated before baptism explicitly (Acts 10:44-48), I think we can safely conclude that baptism of water has no regenerating power within it. And, therefore, the power of regeneration resides in the Holy Spirit only, and not in any ordinance, which are signs and symbols for far deeper spiritual realities that have already occurred.
So since John 3:5 makes it an absolute imperative that one be baptized of water and the Spirit, and Rome holds that this water refers to baptism (though i am not aware if she infallibly defines this verse or 1Pt. 321 as teaching that), then you must hold that one must be baptized in order to be born again. Correct? It must be to be consistent.
But that is refuted by Scripture, (Acts 10:38-43; 15:7-9) and the Lord in Jn. 3 is interacting the natural man's understanding, that of Nicodemus, that "born again" referred to a physical birth, and thus the "water" aspect is added, as one must have two births, and water brings forth life in Gn. 1:20. And which is consistent with John, who contrasts the physical and the spiritual, with the physical never gaining eternal life, except faith in the atonement, and who goes back to the "beginning" often.
Thank you for posting articles like this .. they’re very interesting.
Unlike the follow-on “discussion” (I use the term loosely), which is worse than merely useless.
Claims by “Born Agains” about needing to be born again is nothing but judgment by them that the Lord says not to do.
**Catholic, Are You Born Again? **
Absolutely.
This is the response of those that are not Born Again Christians. Rather, it is the response of those that are caught in a system that indoctrinates it's members with the idea that you will work your way to salvation.
The fundamental divide between Born Again Christians and Roman Catholics is how God's Grace is obtained. Born Again Christians understand that Grace is a gift of God that is given to us because of our Faith Alone in Jesus Christ Alone. We understand everything was changed at the Cross.
Roman Catholics do not believe The Gospel. Rather they follow the Jewish religious model that was established prior to the Cross. They teach that there is a required sacramental system, which can only be administered by their designated priesthood. The sacrificial system they believe in, as with the Jewish religious model, only has a temporary effect and requires regular replacement.
The RCC has also mimicked the Jewish practices in how their priests are elevated and believed to be the only ones worthy of implementing the needed ongoing sacrifice. Also, they embrace the idea that the civil state is an extension of the religious order and as such should impose the penalties for sin.
Like most non Born Again people they don't fully understand the significance of the Cross. The sacrificial system is done. The perfect sacrifice has been made and because it's perfect it is sufficient. Also what they fail to see, because they are not Born Again, is after the Cross churches were established as independent bodies that were unified by faith not the imposed power of the state.
Catholicism teaches you to get to third base, rarely teaching what you need to get to heaven. Many Romans come to fully trust Christ apart from works anyway. My father, for instance.
I’ve observed that Roman Catholics make great, joyful Christians when the light dawns about how to be sure of salvation.
The epitome of cherry pinking verses. Taking six words out of context from the middle of a sentence.
Here's the rest of it.......
1 Peter 3:18-22 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Well, the author seems to have gotten it correct, but too bad he's rationalizing it away.
Every soul/spirit intellect that has taken this flesh journey has been 'born from above'. Christ never used the phrase 'born again', and what He was instructing Nicodemus is explained in John 3:13
And NO man hath ascended up to heaven, but He That came down from heaven, even the Son of man Which is in heaven.
Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the *children* are partakers of flesh and blood, He (Christ) also Himself likewise took part of the same; *THAT* through death HE might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil;
Notice what Christ asks Nicodemus John 3:10 after Nicodemus asks Christ "How can these things be?" in verse 9
Christ ask Nicodemus "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?....What Christ taught was not new, else He would not have asked Nicodemus as a 'master of Israel' why Nicodemus did not understand what Christ was saying.
The book of Jude speaks of those that refused to take this flesh journey, they are also called the 'fallen angels'.
Chris did not say all that take this flesh journey would see the kingdom of God, only that to 'see' that kingdom the first requirement was to take this flesh journey. Obviously, every soul born of woman decided to take this journey.