RJ
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- Jun 1, 2009
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"You should not be surprised at my saying, you must be born again"
John 3:7
Since my own Spiritual Birth, God has given me encounters with other Christians who are not secure in their belief or understanding of being "Born Again".
Before I go any further, let me say that in my following discussion, I am in no way judging anyone. I trust that mine is an observation or a discernment from the Holy Spirit. Only God knows what is in the heart of a person. What I will be talking about are individuals that are outwardly not saved through there own comments or actions.
At my church, I have had opportunities in the past several years of getting to know my brothers and sisters better. To my shock and concern, I see many who haven't a clue about their own Spiritual Birth.
These opportunities have come mainly in the form of bible study groups, where the atmosphere is more personal and people tend to open up more. The cause of my aroused attention has been born out of statements like: "I don't feel forgiven", "I am too sinful", "I ask for forgiveness every day", and unbelievably, "I don't know if I am saved".
I have engaged in conversations with these individuals and all end up about the same as with the following:
I sit down with them, if they are willing and recall the situation and what they said about their own spirituality.
As the discussion moves on, the conversation goes like this as I ask this question:
When did you have your defining monent with Christ? What do you mean Joe? When was your Spiritual Birth, when were you Born Again? Well Joe, I have been going to this church for 70 years, since I was a little girl, I have always believed in God.
Since that time, I have had other encounters with individuals seeking answers about their own spirituality. Individuals who are struggling with ups and downs in their life and they are looking to God for answers but don't know how and all profess to be Christians.
In counsling others I think that their Spiritual Birth Date is crucial.
Now, whether they are actually saved, at this point, or not, is not my responsibility, that belongs to God to determine but, their own understanding and belief in this is so very important.
My own experience is that I know when I had my defining moment with Christ. From that moment, I understood that He had been knocking on my door for a lond time but, it was my responsibilty to open that door and invite Him in. I realized after that time in my life, that I had been in my current church for 30 years and was not saved. I was a Head Christian and just a bench warmer for all those years. Now, I am a Heart Christian and working at giving Christ more control over living His life through me.
So, if someone is feeling empty in their Christian life or, someone seeking for the first time, I think it is absolute critical that they come to grips with their own spiritual birth and the sooner the better.
I simply counsel them, that we can't move forward until we have done this; that if they have never done it or don't know for sure that they have, then nows the time. I tell them lets: "Be Born Again For The First Time". From that point, we read Romans 10: 8-13 and I led them in a prayer of invitation to Christ.
After this, we read 2 Cor 5:17, that they are a new creature and that the old is gone. From this day forward, when anyone asks, When were you born again? You tell them that today was your Spiritual Birth date.
Praise be to God
John 3:7
Since my own Spiritual Birth, God has given me encounters with other Christians who are not secure in their belief or understanding of being "Born Again".
Before I go any further, let me say that in my following discussion, I am in no way judging anyone. I trust that mine is an observation or a discernment from the Holy Spirit. Only God knows what is in the heart of a person. What I will be talking about are individuals that are outwardly not saved through there own comments or actions.
At my church, I have had opportunities in the past several years of getting to know my brothers and sisters better. To my shock and concern, I see many who haven't a clue about their own Spiritual Birth.
These opportunities have come mainly in the form of bible study groups, where the atmosphere is more personal and people tend to open up more. The cause of my aroused attention has been born out of statements like: "I don't feel forgiven", "I am too sinful", "I ask for forgiveness every day", and unbelievably, "I don't know if I am saved".
I have engaged in conversations with these individuals and all end up about the same as with the following:
I sit down with them, if they are willing and recall the situation and what they said about their own spirituality.
As the discussion moves on, the conversation goes like this as I ask this question:
When did you have your defining monent with Christ? What do you mean Joe? When was your Spiritual Birth, when were you Born Again? Well Joe, I have been going to this church for 70 years, since I was a little girl, I have always believed in God.
Since that time, I have had other encounters with individuals seeking answers about their own spirituality. Individuals who are struggling with ups and downs in their life and they are looking to God for answers but don't know how and all profess to be Christians.
In counsling others I think that their Spiritual Birth Date is crucial.
Now, whether they are actually saved, at this point, or not, is not my responsibility, that belongs to God to determine but, their own understanding and belief in this is so very important.
My own experience is that I know when I had my defining moment with Christ. From that moment, I understood that He had been knocking on my door for a lond time but, it was my responsibilty to open that door and invite Him in. I realized after that time in my life, that I had been in my current church for 30 years and was not saved. I was a Head Christian and just a bench warmer for all those years. Now, I am a Heart Christian and working at giving Christ more control over living His life through me.
So, if someone is feeling empty in their Christian life or, someone seeking for the first time, I think it is absolute critical that they come to grips with their own spiritual birth and the sooner the better.
I simply counsel them, that we can't move forward until we have done this; that if they have never done it or don't know for sure that they have, then nows the time. I tell them lets: "Be Born Again For The First Time". From that point, we read Romans 10: 8-13 and I led them in a prayer of invitation to Christ.
After this, we read 2 Cor 5:17, that they are a new creature and that the old is gone. From this day forward, when anyone asks, When were you born again? You tell them that today was your Spiritual Birth date.
Praise be to God
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