Born Again Christians

BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS - A RESPONSE

I write this hub in response to one by the same name by Stephhicks 68 since my comments were going to go long. Though it will be hard, I will also try to avoid Christian jargon that I'm used to and still hope to make my point.

First let me mention that the invitation to be born again is not for perfect people. They don't need to be born again. They don't need God. Now go ahead and show me a perfect human being. (No, not Heidi Klum or Halle Berry you guys!) Other than Jesus, there's none. The Bible states that all have sinned

Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (RSV - Roman 3:23)

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (RSV - Isaiah 56:6)

This is not necessarily a past tense situation but rather a perpetual one. In other words, we are naturally inclined to do wrong unless we subject ourselves to an external influence that helps us in the effort to do right. To be born again, according to Jesus, is to acknowledge we cannot do the right thing by ourselves and allowing God's Spirit to work in us. It is a decision, not a physical process. Think of it a pledging allegiance to live according to God's instructions.

Sinful Behavior

Secondly, no one is born "born again." I'd say each "born again" believer was once a skeptic (like me) until something changed. Either someone told them about Jesus Christ and that he came to give us (generally speaking) eternal life or he or she had a spiritual awakening that led them to reconsider the direction their lives were taking. I'm sure you've heard the word "saved" or "being saved" used interchangeably with "born again." The believer is saved from a life of sin and the adverse consequences of such a lifestyle.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (RSV - Romans 6:23)

Sin in not just the things you do like drinking, smoking, etc. It is anything that goes against the teachings of God. For instance, I look at a woman and my eyes linger longer than they should. I start imagining myself with her. If I entertain the thoughts, I have crossed the line. That is sin. Lying is sin. Cheating on my taxes is sin. No one may catch me but it is still sin.

Conviction

About fervent conviction, it is unfortunate that some individuals become overly zealous about their experience and become obtrusive in attempt to share their faith. What in fact should happen is that because a believer is aware of having been delivered from sin and death, he or should would want to help others avoid sin and its consequences. Believers are indeed commanded to share their faith with the rest of the world.

He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age. (RSV Matthew 28:19-20.)

However they are not given license to foist their faith upon others. In fact what Jesus encourages them to do is to win others over by living exemplary lives. So I believe it is okay to be fervent in our convictions but not fanatical. 9-1-1 and other incidents have shown the havoc fanatical faith can bring about.

Doing Church Stuff

As I intimated earlier, being born again is a matter of the heart. It is as a commitment and individual makes to God. If you are truly born again, attending church has no bearing on your salvation.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast. (RSV - Ephesians 2:8-9)

He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit. (RSV - Titus 3:5)

Neither does tithing, nor singing hymns nor anything you do. Failing to observe some of these practices will affect the quality of your life as a believer and your ability to influence others to follow in the same direction.

In concluding my response without concluding the discussion, I say that being born again, saved, a Christian, whatever you want to call it is first and foremost a relationship. It is a relationship with God and with fellow man. Consider Jesus' response to the teachers of the law:

And one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' "The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (NAS, Mark 12:28-31)

Basically being sincerely born again calls for a levelheaded balanced life lived in communion with God and fellow man. It definitely does not exclude is from suffering. We live in a sinful world and suffering is part of life. Christ himself, though he lived a perfect life, suffered and was killed by hanging on a cross. Yet to the very end, He did not disown God, his heavenly father.

Bringing it Home

Do I know what I'm talking about? Well, listen. I was born and raised in a very poor home with three brothers and four sisters. Sometimes we went hungry but there was always joy and laughter in the home. Our parents always prayed and read the Bible every evening but we were still poor - financially I mean. A couple of months before we got married, our very close friend who would have been our matron of honor was killed in a car wreck. My wife and I married in 1990. Her father refused to attend the wedding and only reconciled with her after 15 years.

Our first daughter was born in 1991 and we soon learned she had sickle cell disease, a condition that led to many visits to the ER and hospitalizations. We later learned that she had suffered strokes as a child. I lost my job in 1993 and my older brother died in 1994. I lost another two friends in 1995 and my best friend in 1996. Our second daughter was born in 1997 and we learned that she too had sickle cell disease. Now we had to make twice as many ER visits and hospital stays. The same year (1997) we nearly lost our first daughter in a car wreck. She spent a month in hospital and three months at home. The accident wiped out our savings and we had to postpone our coming to the U.S. for study. In 2001 and 2002 our second daughter suffered major strokes that led to both girls being put on chronic treatment for sickle cell disease. Even with insurance and a grant from a funding organization, we still have to fork out a fair chunk of money for the treatment.

I'm still a born again believer. Why? I really don't know other than to say what we have gone through has made us stronger and trust in God all the more. I do know this - people look at us and ask, "How do you manage in the face of all this." Our response, God helps us through it. Many have said they look at us and they are encouraged to go on living - not to give up. Maybe that's why we suffer, to build character in us and encourage others. There's much more to being "born again." You have to experience it.