How Do You Know You Are Born Again?

[Anchorite]

I agree that once saved, always saved. If we are born again, I do not think the new birth can be aborted.

But how do we know absolutely for sure that we really got born again?

The nightmare is to think you got saved, and you have some works that seem to verify your salvation, but you did not make it into heaven.

Can a person get born again, act like a Christian for a while, then spend most of their lives backsliding, and die in their sins?

When we examine our lives, do we see strong evidence that we truly experienced a new birth resulting in a changed life?

Or did we say some prayer inviting Jesus to come into our heart, then assume we had a ticket to heaven in our back pocket, but lived in sins, that we excused as simply not being legalistic, and just enjoying life?

How often did we exercise pious self-restraint vs. practice gleeful self-indulgence?

Have we exhibited a devout, sincere, dedicated, reverent, holy life of purity?

Or have we been just as worldly as any unsaved person, except we agreed with a Christian creed as head knowledge, without true behavioral transformation?

How seriously have we attempted to prevent souls from heading to eternal hell?

How consistently have we obeyed the commands of Jesus?

Our entrance into heaven will not be due to our good works, but if we have very little in our life that indicates that we loved God more than anything or anyone else, what do we think our verdict will be at the throne of judgment?

Hypocrites generally tend to be totally unaware of their hypocrisy. The Pharisees were completely certain that they were correct and Jesus was wrong.

Saying Jesus is Lord is different from actually behaving as though Jesus is your Lord.

Have we ever ruthlessly probed our soul to see if any of it conformed to the image of Christ?


2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith. Test your own selves. Know ye not yourselves how Jesus Christ is in you, unless ye be reprobates?



Romans 8:9

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.



Matthew 7

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 

[ProDeo]

Rom 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Matt 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Matt 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Matt 7:17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
Matt 7:18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
Matt 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matt 7:20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matt 7:22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
Matt 7:23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Keywords : no fruit and workers of lawlessness.

One could check oneself.

 

[Cyd]

@Anchorite
You ask questions that I am sure are on the mind of many, and ProDeo brings up a great chapter of Yeshua's words, but failed to show what we are told to do more at the beginning:
Matthew 7:7-8 (KJV) Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Who do you ask? God, not doctrins of men
Who do you seek? mouth of God words (God OT or Yeshua words) not docttrines of men
Who do you knock to? take God His words not doctrins of men
So Yeshua is pointing to all three of these being required. Doing just one don't cut it, it is a three step process. So what does God want from us? Yeshua tells us:
Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it,
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
The commandments are law so how many did Yeshua give you? What I did with this not taught by doctrins of men. I gave my heart, mind and soul to the Lord and "Asked" Him to help me love Him with them. Not taught by doctrines of men.
I seek then God on what I need to do, I learned seeking His words to seek things Yeshua mentioned I see and take them to God and ask for those things that are of God. Example
Matthew 13:9 (KJV) Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. I asked for ears to hear from God, Knocking, I keep asking as it is a desire of my heart.
Another example, seeing the Lambs book of Life mentioned, I asked to be in that book, again not taught in churches or doctrins of men, but learned from mouth of God Yeshua
What does all that do? Seeking the Lord on the things Ask seek knock I have a peace about your question for myself. I pray you get a peace too and seek the only one able to do these things.

 

[Taken]

I agree that once saved, always saved. If we are born again,

I do not think the new birth can be aborted.

But how do we know absolutely for sure that we really got born again?

When you can NOT, Deny God.

 

[CoachedByChrist]

Anchorite asks the question most of us avoid, and his list is honest. A prayer prayed once is not the same as a life turned toward Christ. The evidence he names, a changed appetite, real obedience, love for the brethren, is the fruit of a new birth, not a ticket. I wrote about owning that commitment here: Christian Commitment: Faith That Carries Its Weight | CBC

 

[pwg_jonathan]

This is the question I wrestled with too. For me the comfort is Romans 8:16, the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children. Doubting at times doesn't cancel that, it usually means you care. (removed).

 

[Anchorite]

This is the question I wrestled with too. For me the comfort is Romans 8:16, the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are God's children. Doubting at times doesn't cancel that, it usually means you care. I put some verses together on sorting through that kind of doubt: Bible Verses for Doubt, When Faith Feels Distant

I feel like the Spirit bears witness with my spirit when I read the Bible and it resonates with me, I rejoice in and believe what I’m reading. And also when I think of how much I love God and when I feel sorry that Jesus had to suffer so much insult and pain in His scourging and crucifixion.