Can one be "born again" and have no hunger for God's word?

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Hepzibah

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Xian

I am enjoying reading your posts and find them refreshing but I dont think I agree with everything you say - though quite a bit. For one thing, I dont think we are saved until we become born again or reach the full stature of Christ and our sin nature is eradicated and we sin no more - and I go further than Axe here, and say we cannot be in a saved state if we do sin. Saved to me means saved from that sin nature, and I call the earlier stage, just coming to Christ for forgiveness and being given the power to become sons of God. 1 Peter 20-21 explains this in my understanding - Spirit baptism is when we are saved, born again of the Spirit. This of course means thatmost of the church is not saved.
 

Xian Pugilist

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I am enjoying reading your posts and find them refreshing but I dont think I agree with everything you say -

Your counselor is undoubtedly thankful for that. :)

though quite a bit. For one thing, I dont think we are saved until we become born again or reach the full stature of Christ and our sin nature is eradicated and we sin no more - and I go further than Axe here, and say we cannot be in a saved state if we do sin. Saved to me means saved from that sin nature, and I call the earlier stage, just coming to Christ for forgiveness and being given the power to become sons of God. 1 Peter 20-21 explains this in my understanding - Spirit baptism is when we are saved, born again of the Spirit. This of course means thatmost of the church is not saved.

We don't disagree but we'll spit some semantics here. I explain it like this.....

( )

Like that? j/j.

you are saved at atonement/grace/sincere altar call. ( in the real world I don't use the word saved.... fyi, EVER.)
Now, from that point you have a march to get to maturity, what you and I agree is born again.
During the march you can fall or not.
IF you fall, you were never atoned for by your own doing for not believing. [people mistake that believing is something they can click on or not with a thought and proclamation...]
Calvin would say you weren't called.

IF you are to end up born again as we mostly agree on the meaning, your atonement gives you confidence, and is irrelevant because HE's going to change you along that path you run.

The conversation gets confusing going from HIS perception out side of time, vs ours inside of time...

Oh yeah, I avoid that topic you just brought up because those that have thought less on this, will freak out hearing born again, my definition, before heaven..... When in reality it's not something to freak out over at all.
 

Hepzibah

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Sure you are saved at Atonement, being made one with Christ, united with Him in S/spirit and then we go on to maturity, but the end of that cant be born again - its at Atonement, having His nature imparted, and that is where the real change takes place .

I see it in three steps, and that is where a lot of confusion happens, as Paul who is a third stager, is speaking to second stagers to encourage them to go on. The start of the third stage is union with Christ. Only then does man have the pure heart and love shed abroad and cannot sin if his heart is full of love for God. Second stagers often do not believe in a third stage eg Axe.

The first stage which you call salvation is - saved from what??
 

Xian Pugilist

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I only used salvation because it's what whomever I speak with would use. I hate that term. Seriously. I like your observation with the Paul a 3rd stager, etc... we really agree on a lot here.

I don't think you are made one with Christ at atonement. I would use 1 john 1 as my example. Those he wrote to had Christ as their mediator. I'd say that was "saved". Don't see Christ mediating for those that deny Him. HOWEVER those that John wrote to, were not in fellowship with himself, God, and His Son. They were saved but not in fellowship. They were saved and still sinned sometimes. They were in a process where they were going through the stages to maturity. Now, God will finish it, so where they are NOW is irrelevant and not worth worrying over. It doesn't matter WHEN GOD finishes it, but trust Him to get HIS job done.

So that person is saved, not yet mature. We'd need to start a thread on born again I guess to really progress this thought much further. I'm hoping this gives an example though......


Sure you are saved at Atonement, being made one with Christ, united with Him in S/spirit and then we go on to maturity, but the end of that cant be born again - its at Atonement, having His nature imparted, and that is where the real change takes place .

I see it in three steps, and that is where a lot of confusion happens, as Paul who is a third stager, is speaking to second stagers to encourage them to go on. The start of the third stage is union with Christ. Only then does man have the pure heart and love shed abroad and cannot sin if his heart is full of love for God. Second stagers often do not believe in a third stage eg Axe.

The first stage which you call salvation is - saved from what??

Salvation is.... saved from having to fear punishment/eternal death for your sins. It's the part that gives you the confidence to walk through the gate, to Him for Him to heal you and fix you and change you like the prodigal son arriving at home.
 

us2are1

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4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Better learn His word and rightly divide it as well.
 

Xian Pugilist

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So ominous from a person that chooses a moniker that belonged to the messiah.

Not a big surprise you posture as the one who rightly divides?

So, tell us, ominous one, who isn't rightly dividing the word....
 

JPPT1974

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You have to be born again and ask for forgiveness and repentance in order for you to have your name in the Book of Life! And accepted into heaven!
 

martinlawrencescott

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I assume there would be a hunger. According to the verses the OP posted, my answer would be yes, there would be hunger. What if there wasn't? Then I would have to question the newborniness of the "believer". If the verses state truly, then it's an intense need to be filled by God and the things of God. It doesn't make sense to me that someone could be born again without this hunger inside them. Like others said, it can be satiated by other things, but think as a baby, there's nothing as good for you as pure milk, and it's hard to survive without the breastmilk specifically, and our nutrition self-made copies try to mimic that the best we can. But ya, once you get to the point where you can eat solids, you can do the twink diet until the day you die. All of that in reference to baby Christians and what changes you see occur as they grow and mature. What food we eat after the point of maturity can make a big difference in our spiritual growth!
 

Hepzibah

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XP - I only used salvation because it's what whomever I speak with would use. I hate that term. Seriously.

Ha! I found it! Well yes, its difficult when there are so many interpretations.


XP - I like your observation with the Paul a 3rd stager, etc... we really agree on a lot here.

Yes, its unusual to find someone else. Have you heard of the Triplex Via?


XP - I don't think you are made one with Christ at atonement.

At-ONE-ment? That sounds like it to me. I think it is interesting that the Greek also means reconcilliation.(Vines). If you get reconcilled, you are getting back together, you are not getting together for the first time.

XP - I would use 1 john 1 as my example. Those he wrote to had Christ as their mediator. I'd say that was "saved". Don't see Christ mediating for those that deny Him.

I don`t see them as being necessarily inclusive. They aren`t denying Him, they have come to Him and given the power to BECOME sons of God. In a way you could say saved from the fear of death but not saved Biblically which is saved from sin.


XP - HOWEVER those that John wrote to, were not in fellowship with himself, God, and His Son.

Agreed!

XP - They were saved but not in fellowship. They were saved and still sinned sometimes. They were in a process where they were going through the stages to maturity. Now, God will finish it, so where they are NOW is irrelevant and not worth worrying over. It doesn't matter WHEN GOD finishes it, but trust Him to get HIS job done.

There are only two types of men - sinners and saints, with a couple of stages in the sin stage. Outside of Christ, there are a few stages to go through. A few different shades of sinner.

XP - So that person is saved, not yet mature. We'd need to start a thread on born again I guess to really progress this thought much further. I'm hoping this gives an example though......Salvation is.... saved from having to fear punishment/eternal death for your sins. It's the part that gives you the confidence to walk through the gate, to Him for Him to heal you and fix you and change you like the prodigal son arriving at home.

As I said, the Bible means saved as saved from sin. The confidence is what keeps people out of the kingdom - it is false. It is when men see this as it is preached pre revival, that men start to get into the kingdom through repenting.

1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto [even] baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

As the verse says, it is baptism in the Spirit which saves us - not the water baptism of the Jews. So are you saying that one is baptised in the Spirit when one first comes to Christ or does it happen (to some) at a later date?
 

Xian Pugilist

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Yes, its unusual to find someone else. Have you heard of the Triplex Via?


I could be a smart ___ and google it and say yes, but..... nope. I could guess at it but why do that.....

XP - I don't think you are made one with Christ at atonement.

At-ONE-ment? That sounds like it to me. I think it is interesting that the Greek also means reconcilliation.(Vines). If you get reconcilled, you are getting back together, you are not getting together for the first time.


Reconciled deals with your sin debt. Not the change HE wishes to produce in you. Unless you think the change is something that happens immediately at a sincere altar call. But that hasn't been a thought in the church for it's first 1800 years.....

XP - I would use 1 john 1 as my example. Those he wrote to had Christ as their mediator. I'd say that was "saved". Don't see Christ mediating for those that deny Him.

I don`t see them as being necessarily inclusive. They aren`t denying Him, they have come to Him and given the power to BECOME sons of God. In a way you could say saved from the fear of death but not saved Biblically which is saved from sin.


The inclusive thing confuses me here. Expound...pls? but yes they have the power to become, but JOHN was saying HE WAS a son of God.... Those he wrote to, he was trying to help get there. But they had Christ as their mediator. They were not yet IN HIM, but HE was presenting them to GOD and mediating for them. So as I see it, they are saved but they aren't yet mature.

XP - HOWEVER those that John wrote to, were not in fellowship with himself, God, and His Son.

Agreed!



That's never happened before. Must be something wrong with you. :)

XP - They were saved but not in fellowship. They were saved and still sinned sometimes. They were in a process where they were going through the stages to maturity. Now, God will finish it, so where they are NOW is irrelevant and not worth worrying over. It doesn't matter WHEN GOD finishes it, but trust Him to get HIS job done.

There are only two types of men - sinners and saints, with a couple of stages in the sin stage. Outside of Christ, there are a few stages to go through. A few different shades of sinner.


Ok, but there are two types of saints. Perfect and imperfect, milk and meat, mature and immature.... same concepts different words for different folks to recognize them.

XP - So that person is saved, not yet mature. We'd need to start a thread on born again I guess to really progress this thought much further. I'm hoping this gives an example though......Salvation is.... saved from having to fear punishment/eternal death for your sins. It's the part that gives you the confidence to walk through the gate, to Him for Him to heal you and fix you and change you like the prodigal son arriving at home.

As I said, the Bible means saved as saved from sin. The confidence is what keeps people out of the kingdom - it is false. It is when men see this as it is preached pre revival, that men start to get into the kingdom through repenting.


Depending on how you mean; some of those words, which have become cliches to most I may or may not know what you are saying here. :)

As the verse says, it is baptism in the Spirit which saves us - not the water baptism of the Jews.

I don't think there is a verse that says that baptism saves you. We agree on the different baptisms, which is another scary thing.... but I think baptism in the Spirit is going to be a conversation about maturity, not salvation. BUT you may agree and just not know it. You seem to not admit that there is a saved and a mature person. Once we get you on board with the levels of "saved" person, we may be getting somewhere....

So are you saying that one is baptised in the Spirit when one first comes to Christ or does it happen (to some) at a later date?

Romans 6, a person is atoned for/saved.
Then you have a battle with obedience, through that battle you are being changed, being matured, God's working on reconstructing that mind and heart....
Then you receive a benefit, that benefit is / his seed/ his spirit/ him in you/ and other terms it's referred to as.
THE BENEFIT leads to sanctification, and this sanctification is the finished changed.

There is a period that you have Christ mediating for you, you need to confess, you still drop the ball, but you ARE saved. If you are sincerely running the race, it's as good as done because GOD promises he'll get you there. So you should have confidence and feel welcome to come home. Then you get that benefit, HIM in you, and HIM in you finishes the deal. You are fully changed then. That's where I see born again.

The danger I see is people are taught they are born again, before they are. They are taught they are indwelled by the Spirit but that the flesh will be with them til they die. That is directly against scripture. But when you face those verses you just push them aside or find a way to explain them away. Because you were taught you had a prize and you were walking around like the emperor with his new clothes on and you had nothing..... That is why I hold my position so much in these chats. If I loved my neighbor at all, I'll take the abuse and continue to try to help them reconcile.

Now I use the pronoun "you" in a general sense often. The you above is a more generic thing, not you personally.

bd
 

us2are1

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So ominous from a person that chooses a moniker that belonged to the messiah.

Not a big surprise you posture as the one who rightly divides?

So, tell us, ominous one, who isn't rightly dividing the word....


I was showing scripture that tells the truth about the topic. My comment was to every one who is not learning every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and Not rightly dividing that word of truth.
Ezekiel the Prophet was the first one called "The Son Of Man" . But to the Lord it simply means "son of man"
 

Xian Pugilist

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I was showing scripture that tells the truth about the topic. My comment was to every one who is not learning every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God and Not rightly dividing that word of truth.
Ezekiel the Prophet was the first one called "The Son Of Man" . But to the Lord it simply means "son of man"

So, why would you say that if you didn't think someone needed to hear it? I was digging for who was off. BUT the problem with that verse is it's abused by just about every narcissist in the Church. Now, I was ribbing you, mostly, 80%/20% ribbing serious. BUT... why was that verse important there in the context of the chat? Or was it a non sequitur?
 

us2are1

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So, why would you say that if you didn't think someone needed to hear it? I was digging for who was off. BUT the problem with that verse is it's abused by just about every narcissist in the Church. Now, I was ribbing you, mostly, 80%/20% ribbing serious. BUT... why was that verse important there in the context of the chat? Or was it a non sequitur?

It was in response to the title of the thread. That is why I quoted my own answer. Every one reading the thread needs to know that every word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God is important and to be followed. Even if they don't desire to study to show themselves approved to God. They need to do it anyway.
 

Xian Pugilist

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Oooooooooookay. Some days my synapses vacate the premises.

But, you do realize that 1 and 2 timothy were written to a bishop and unless you are in that capacity it doesn't apply to you? Right?

Eph says the church leaders, those timothy was to teach and impress, lead the people to knowledge through works. Not that the people study.

Paul said that theology wasn't important, but faith working through love was......
 

calvaryoakville

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Born again is a relationship with God. If you want your relationship, like mother to son, husband to wife, work.. you have to do your part. If you want to know God deeper, you have to read the Bible. Meditate and obey it.
 

Xian Pugilist

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Born again is a relationship with God. If you want your relationship, like mother to son, husband to wife, work.. you have to do your part. If you want to know God deeper, you have to read the Bible. Meditate and obey it.

Ephesians 4:11`-12 says you do the works to grow in knowledge of him and unity with Him.

It says any teaching comes from the Church leaders, not personal study.

I'm just sayin'.... we get so involved with what we think we know, we miss the point. Hubris sucks.
 

Hepzibah

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XP wrote
The inclusive thing confuses me here. Expound...pls? but yes they have the power to become, but JOHN was saying HE WAS a son of God.... Those he wrote to, he was trying to help get there. But they had Christ as their mediator. They were not yet IN HIM, but HE was presenting them to GOD and mediating for them. So as I see it, they are saved but they aren't yet mature.

You said it - they were not yet in Him and therefore saved from sin. Thats why they needed a mediator but John did not because he was in Christ. It is only when we sin that we need Him to mediate. So maybe we can agree that John was at the saved from sin stage and the others were not. So what they had at their coming to Christ for forgiveness and recognising themselves as sinners, was not saved in the sense that John was saved. I was so used with using the term saved for those who had entered into stage one, that it took some relearning for a while and I sometimes still slip up.

Anyway, the terms we use are not the important thing - understanding the spiritual truth however is. So I will describe the process as best I can in my own words.

Stage one - an encounter with the living God, finding out one is a sinner and that Christ died personally for us. There follows a struggle with the flesh, unless one settles down and fails to allow the work of the Holy Spirit.

Stage two - a crisis where one has come to the end of oneself trying to be obedient and failing. One feels that one cannot go on with the heavy burden of guilt and failure. One is in the dust. The Light shines (illumination as in the Via Triplex) and one rises from the prison and is set free from the guilt and power of sin, knowing this, that the old man was crucified with Him and what we do of ourselves is unacceptable because it comes from the flesh.. This is where a lot of the ones spoken to in the letters are coming from. They still need to be taught as they have not reached maturity. They can choose to not sin but they are in danger of taking their sanctification for granted and suffering from spiritual pride. Their old man is under their control but is not destroyed. They generally think that they have reached the zenith and will even persecute those who preach sinless perfection.


Stage three - not many enter into this stage. It is the stage of union where one is led by the Spirit in everything. At the crisis they at last see themselves as Christ sees them and they know that there is nothing good in them. The old man is destroyed so that they walk without sin. However they can only remain in this state if they trust Christ to keep them from sin and if they doubt they will fall into the previous state and require deliverance. It is not easy however. The apostles were there though Peter fell for a time. George Fox was here too. It is love perfected. We cannot sin if we love Christ with the whole heart and there is no idol before Him.
 

us2are1

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Oooooooooookay. Some days my synapses vacate the premises.

But, you do realize that 1 and 2 timothy were written to a bishop and unless you are in that capacity it doesn't apply to you? Right?

Eph says the church leaders, those timothy was to teach and impress, lead the people to knowledge through works. Not that the people study.

Paul said that theology wasn't important, but faith working through love was......

This is who the letters to timothy are addressed to. Where do you get a bishop at? On the other hand i hope I am a true son in the faith and a beloved Son.

1 Tim 1
"Timothy, a true son in the faith:

2 Tim 1
To Timothy, a beloved son:
 

Hepzibah

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OK willfollow with some verses that say salvation is the end of the journey not the begining. If we hold on to the end we will be saved.

I ask you to look at the Psalms of David. He worshipped God but in many places Ps 31:16 for eg he asks his Lord to deliver/save him.

OK here is something else to consider from the OT again (I will get into the NT later) Read Isaiah 35, a prophesy of the state of entire sanctification - holiness. The way of holiness as it says in verse 8. Verse 4 says it will occur when He comes to save us. It is not separating them like you. Others put it at the start but we know they are wrong. Holiness cannot be in name only - it must be a reality - to walk as He walked. And this happens later somewhere along the way if we do not turn from the Light.

Rom 13:11
1Cor 1:6
2Cor 6:1-2
1Thes 5:8
Titus 2:13 - the blessed hope - salvation when He purifies us.
Heb 2:3 - the subject of Hebrews - entering His rest - the end of striving in the flesh
Heb 9:28 - when He appears the second time without sin unto salvation.

If you start looking for this meaning you will find many many more. Of course most men will find this too frightening and close their ears but you are a truth seeker.