{"id":130,"date":"2013-11-05T12:00:09","date_gmt":"2013-11-05T12:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/test\/blog\/?p=130"},"modified":"2013-11-09T05:27:34","modified_gmt":"2013-11-09T05:27:34","slug":"what-does-it-really-mean-to-be-born-again-in-the-spirit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/what-does-it-really-mean-to-be-born-again-in-the-spirit\/","title":{"rendered":"What does it really mean to be “Born Again in the Spirit”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this first part of the ‘Born Again in the Spirit’ series, Brother Ajit Leons speaks on the different kinds of Baptism and what it means to us<\/strong><\/p>\n

John 3.1-7: Jesus and Nicodemus: To be born again in Spirit<\/i><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Jesus answered, \u201cI am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/sup>How can a grown man be born again?\u201d Nicodemus asked. \u201cHe certainly cannot enter his mother\u2019s womb and be born a second time!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am telling you the truth,\u201d replied Jesus. No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but he is born spiritually of the Spirit. Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again.<\/p>\n

Some churches equate \u2018Baptism in the Holy Spirit\u2019 to being \u2018born again in Spirit.\u2019 They assume that the mere ritual of dipping in water amounts to baptism with the Holy Spirit; in other words it makes them \u2018Born again Christians\u2019. \u00a0Regarding \u201cBaptism,\u201d however, the Bible speaks of two kinds, namely \u2018Baptism with Water\u2019 and Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Another kind of baptism which the Catholic Church practices is \u2018Child Baptism.\u2019<\/p>\n

Baptism with Water<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0This baptism was executed by none other than St. John the Baptist, named thus for the practice of baptizing with water. (Mathew 3.6; Mk 1.5; Luke 3.16; John 1.26, 31). John the Baptist also tells the people the meaning and the purpose of his baptism:<\/p>\n

Mathew 3.11: I baptize you with water to show that you have repented\u2026<\/p>\n

John 1.31: \u2026I came baptizing with water in order to make him known to the people of Israel.<\/p>\n

Luke 3.3: \u2026Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins.<\/p>\n

This is confirmed beyond doubt by the words of St. Paul given below;<\/p>\n

Acts 19.4: Paul said, \u201cThe baptism of John was for those who turned from their sins; and he told the people of Israel to believe in the one who was coming after him \u2013 that is, in Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

John 4.2: Jesus himself did not baptize anyone; (with water) only his disciples did.<\/i><\/p>\n

This is specifically noted so as to rectify the error<\/span> made in John 3.22 and the mistake in<\/span> the report quoted in John 3.26, that Jesus baptized people with water.<\/p>\n

Baptism with the Holy Spirit and Fire<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who can baptize with the Holy Spirit?<\/p>\n

It is John the Baptist himself, who announces to the people about the \u2018Baptism with the Holy Spirit and Fire,\u2019 which would be given by the one who came after him, meaning our Lord Jesus Christ. He also witnesses Jesus Christ. (Mathew 3.11-13, 16-17; Mk 1.7-8, 9-11; Luke 3.16-17,21-22; John 1.30-34,27 – Baptism of Jesus)<\/p>\n

Jesus confirms the words of St. John the Baptist regarding the Baptism with the Holy Spirit and goes further to say that the Holy Spirit is God\u2019s gift to his children.<\/p>\n

Luke 24.49: And I myself will send upon you what my Father has promised. But you must wait in the city until the power from above comes down upon u.<\/p>\n

John 14.16, 26: The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.\u00a0 \u2026I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me.<\/p>\n

Acts 1.4-5\u2026Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift I told you about, the gift my Father promised. John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

How do we do the baptism with the Holy Spirit?<\/b><\/p>\n

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is effected through the ritual of baptizing in the name of Jesus Christ and\/ or by those who have received the Holy Spirit placing their hands on the people, as given in the readings below. As one can give only what one has; those who had the Holy Spirit could give the Holy Spirit to others. Anyway, even when such baptism is done in this manner, Jesus Christ is the one who causes it through the persons placing their hands.<\/p>\n

On receiving and being filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles (Acts 2.1-13) become empowered and boldly begin their mission of spreading the Good News and preaching Jesus Christ, and praising God, speaking in strange tongues, healing, and so on; like a powerful spiritual awakening.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Acts 2.38:Peter said to them, \u201cEach one of you must turn from his sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God\u2019s gift, the Holy Spirit\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Acts 8.14-17: The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for the believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Acts 9.1-19 (The Conversion of Saul to St. Paul): A Christian in Damascus named Ananias had a vision in which Jesus tells him that Saul had a vision in which a man named Ananias placed his hands on him so that he could see again, therefore, Jesus asks him to go to Saul. Although Ananias expressed his apprehensions in going, Jesus told him of his purpose of making Saul his witness. So Ananias went and placed his hands on Saul saying, \u201c\u2026the Lord\u2026sent me\u2026so that you might see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.\u201d\u2026he was able to see again\u2026he \u2026was baptized\u2026<\/p>\n

\u00a0Acts 10.28-29,34-35 (Acts 11.1-10) & 44-48(Acts 11.15-17) (Peter\u2019s education and Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit):\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Peter was unwilling to go to Gentiles, God corrects him. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who were listening to his message. The Jewish believers\u2026were amazed that God had poured out \u00a0his gift of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speaking in strange tongues and praising God\u2019s greatness…Peter spoke up: \u201cThese people have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also did. Can anyone, then, stop them from being baptized with water?\u201d So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ\u2026<\/p>\n

Acts 19.1-4, 5-6:\u00a0 Paul \u2026 arrived in Ephesus\u2026found some disciples and 2<\/sup>asked them, \u201cDid you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit,\u201d they answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, then, what kind of baptism did you receive?\u201d Paul asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe baptism of John,\u201d they answered.<\/p>\n

Paul said, \u201cThe baptism of John was for those who turned from their sins; and he told the people of Israel to believe in the one who was coming after him \u2013 that is, in Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul placed his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came upon them; they spoke in strange tongues and also proclaimed God\u2019s message.<\/p>\n

Another way of receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is directly through faith in Lord Jesus Christ or the words of Jesus Christ, i.e. the Word of God as noted under.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Acts 11.17: It is clear that God gave those Gentiles the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ\u2026<\/p>\n

John 6.63; What gives life is God\u2019s Spirit; man\u2019s power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God\u2019s life-giving Spirit.<\/p>\n

Acts 5.29, 32: Peter and the other apostles replied, \u201cWe must obey God not men\u2026We are witnesses\u2026we and the Holy Spirit, who is God\u2019s gift to those who obey him.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this first part of the ‘Born Again in the Spirit’ series, Brother Ajit Leons speaks on the different kinds of Baptism and what it means to us John 3.1-7: Jesus and Nicodemus: To be born again in Spirit Jesus answered, \u201cI am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[33],"class_list":["post-130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mysteries-revealed-within-the-word-of-god","tag-mysteries-revealed-within-the-word-of-god"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":140,"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130\/revisions\/140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jesusmylordandmygod.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}