Dake Bible Discussion Board ⇒ THE NEW BIRTH

[branham1965]

AS a child in the Catholic Church we were taught that meant water baptism which meant the Priest in a sacred rite would pour water over a child and claim the one was born again.

As a baby i received this in 1961.

In my teen years i was taught the new birth meant accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.My late Pastor put a strong emphasis on water baptism.....And after we were laid hands on to receive the Holy Spirit......

Later ......i met my future wife ...and in my time in the Church of Christ denomination they taught faith in Christ ,repentance and water baptism to be born again.

In 2012 in Bishop Posey's Church i went forward for prayer and the Power of God fell on me =like it had in my home Church in Warren =and i was immersed in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My Mother came with me and had the same experience .

I was totally stunned by her conversion.I had prayed for her for all my life.

MY question is ....what are your views on this vital subject???
Is the new birth an actual supernatural experience where the dead spirit of the sinful seeker is regenerated by the Power of the Holy Ghost??

Or is it something else or both???

[macca]

It is called the new birth because it is being born anew, being begotten again by the Holy Spirit into God's family.
2 cor.5:17-18;
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION (a new creature altogether) (a new species of being), old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.
Now all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.

I knew I was changed in the few hours afterwards, because, I was a new person entirely who loved Jesus.
Now to keep this experience alive I had to feed on the Living Word (Jesus our tree of life John.6:63:)
My soul had to be saved from all the years living like the devil (James. 1:21;)
I had to stay away from the enemies of my spirit and soul, not only in the world but also in the church world. That includes what I watch, hear and read.

We must be full of the Word of God so as the Holy Spirit has something to work with in helping us.

macca

[olindquist]

It is called the new birth because it is being born anew, being begotten again by the Holy Spirit into God's family.
2 cor.5:17-18;
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION (a new creature altogether) (a new species of being), old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.
Now all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.

I knew I was changed in the few hours afterwards, because, I was a new person entirely who loved Jesus.
Now to keep this experience alive I had to feed on the Living Word (Jesus our tree of life John.6:63:)
My soul had to be saved from all the years living like the devil (James. 1:21;)
I had to stay away from the enemies of my spirit and soul, not only in the world but also in the church world. That includes what I watch, hear and read.

We must be full of the Word of God so as the Holy Spirit has something to work with in helping us.

macca

Good topic and great response! There are a few questions that rise up that I admit I do not have a clear understanding in regards to this topic.

1) Do you believe those who died before Jesus rose from the dead had the genuine born again experience that you had when you said you were a new person entirely who loved Jesus and the others who are now truly baptized into Jesus Christ.

2) The difference between those baptized with John's baptism and those baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 19:4-5

John's baptism seems to me to be repentance of sins and belief in Christ Jesus who came after John- this seems to be the majority of evangelical christians today. And...

Those baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus which produced the evidence of speaking in tongues.

[Ironman]

Great questions Billy, We are sanctified by God who started the work of making us like Christ,

Philippians 1;6, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:15, But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Sanctification is to be pursued by the believer earnestly;

Hebrews 12:14, Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

I pray every day that I become less of me and more like Jesus until the day I die or am raptured. We are created in God's image and likeness and we must work to be just that, so that when someone sees us and gets to know us they eventually come to see Jesus.

This is what we strive for, Colossians 3:4, When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

[branham1965]

Thank you guys for the responses.

[Ironman]

From Catholic answers; Catholic Answers: Infant Baptism.
https://www.catholic.com/tract/infant-baptism

Quote, ["Fundamentalists should be asked, can infants and young children be excluded from the sacrament of baptism? If Jesus said "let them come unto me," who are we to say "no," and withhold baptism from them?"]

That statement in Matthew 19:14, by Jesus had nothing to do with baptising the children about Him. Some people were wanting Jesus to lay His hands upon their children, but the disciples rebuked them. It was then Jesus said;
V.14, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
V. 15, And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

Jesus laid His hands on them, and departed. Jesus never baptized them, or told His disciples to baptise them. The laying of hands on people and children is an outward form of blessing in both Testaments The laying on of hands on the sick to heal and to bless men is a practice of both Testaments (Gen. 48:14; Num. 8:10; 27:23; Dt. 34:9; Matt. 19:15; Mark 5:23; 6:2, 5; Luke 4:40; 13:13; Acts 5:12; 13:3; 14:3; 19:11; 28:8; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6; Heb. 6:2). No mention of baptizing infants or children under the age of reason mentioned in one of these many Scriptures.

Infant baptism is a catholic tradition, nothing more. It was introduced by them to bind the brethren and their children to their church.

I was baptized, (Had water dribbled on my forehead), in 1947 while piddling or pooing in my nappy.  I was truly baptized by immersion as an adult at age 43.

Can anyone tell me of one instant where an infant, a baby, would come go to a stranger when called? Every infant baptism I have witnessed, and I have witnessed many as an alter boy, mostly done after mass, and as an adult throughout my life in the catholic church, where the baby, the infant was introduced to the priest, and then during the sprinkling of water on their foreheads, they waved their arms about, kicked with their legs, and screamed their heads off. It usually took the mother ten to twenty minutes to calm them.

Infant baptism is a farce and a waste of time. Children under the age of accountability are saved (Matthew 18:1-10; 19:14). The exact age of accountability is not mentioned in Scripture

[branham1965]

Mate you are the man.You tell it like it is.I have always admired your straightforward no bulldung approach.

From Catholic answers; Catholic Answers: Infant Baptism.
https://www.catholic.com/tract/infant-baptism

Quote, ["Fundamentalists should be asked, can infants and young children be excluded from the sacrament of baptism? If Jesus said "let them come unto me," who are we to say "no," and withhold baptism from them?"]

That statement in Matthew 19:14, by Jesus had nothing to do with baptising the children about Him. Some people were wanting Jesus to lay His hands upon their children, but the disciples rebuked them. It was then Jesus said;
V.14, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
V. 15, And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.

Jesus laid His hands on them, and departed. Jesus never baptized them, or told His disciples to baptise them. The laying of hands on people and children is an outward form of blessing in both Testaments The laying on of hands on the sick to heal and to bless men is a practice of both Testaments (Gen. 48:14; Num. 8:10; 27:23; Dt. 34:9; Matt. 19:15; Mark 5:23; 6:2, 5; Luke 4:40; 13:13; Acts 5:12; 13:3; 14:3; 19:11; 28:8; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6; Heb. 6:2). No mention of baptizing infants or children under the age of reason mentioned in one of these many Scriptures.

Infant baptism is a catholic tradition, nothing more. It was introduced by them to bind the brethren and their children to their church.

I was baptized, (Had water dribbled on my forehead), in 1947 while piddling or pooing in my nappy.  I was truly baptized by immersion as an adult at age 43.

Can anyone tell me of one instant where an infant, a baby, would come go to a stranger when called? Every infant baptism I have witnessed, and I have witnessed many as an alter boy, mostly done after mass, and as an adult throughout my life in the catholic church, where the baby, the infant was introduced to the priest, and then during the sprinkling of water on their foreheads, they waved their arms about, kicked with their legs, and screamed their heads off. It usually took the mother ten to twenty minutes to calm them.

Infant baptism is a farce and a waste of time. Children under the age of accountability are saved (Matthew 18:1-10; 19:14). The exact age of accountability is not mentioned in Scripture

[branham1965]

That is a great post Macca.

It is called the new birth because it is being born anew, being begotten again by the Holy Spirit into God's family.
2 cor.5:17-18;
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION (a new creature altogether) (a new species of being), old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.
Now all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.

I knew I was changed in the few hours afterwards, because, I was a new person entirely who loved Jesus.
Now to keep this experience alive I had to feed on the Living Word (Jesus our tree of life John.6:63:)
My soul had to be saved from all the years living like the devil (James. 1:21;)
I had to stay away from the enemies of my spirit and soul, not only in the world but also in the church world. That includes what I watch, hear and read.

We must be full of the Word of God so as the Holy Spirit has something to work with in helping us.

macca

[macca]

Even Jesus, as a child, had to come to his own understanding between good and evil.......Isa.7:14-15;
Then choose which one he would follow.

All children's spirits are open to God up to that point of actual choice, if good, they will go on to faith in Jesus,,,,
if bad, they will follow after the world and live in condemnation until they find Jesus, or reject Jesus..
macca

[branham1965]

The Holman Study Bible is a very nice Bible.It is very well done.Profuse ,relevant illustrations and Evangelical notes etc.

It uses the HCSB translation.Though i think it is available in another translation.