Questions about Regeneration: And am i regenerate?

I am reading a quite sobering treatise by Edwards called 'The experience that counts' where he describes characteristics of true and false conversions and converts.

It has raised the absolute neccesity of being born again or regenerated or created a new by God according to His will. I understand that this can only be given by God and of course without it no matter what one may profess he is not saved, not a Christian.

Edwards says that a man may have many counterfeit spiritual emotions, i.e. a type of conviction of sin, a love for and joy in Christ and the gospel and yet not possess these in the true sincere way. For example he says that a conviction of sin and a love of the gospel and Christ can arise from only self love- i.e. we love Christ simply because He has saved our bacon, and not also for who He is in Himself. He says that this is not the true spiritual love for Christ that God gives.

Quite honestly my friends because of a particular besetting sin i have been struggling with during this year and at times just giving into i am scared that i am not regenerate at all and have not the Spirit, that i am one of those who have a form of godliness but without its power.

Throughout several years as i look back on my life i have read and studied the Bible until its nearly all yellow and blue with notes in all the margins, i have poured over it, wept over it, cried and prayed over it, i have longed for and prayed to be more holy and grieved that i am not, i have at times been overcome with what seemed like love and gratitude toward Christ and longed to be taken up with Him, i have been more zealous in witnessing than almost anyone i personally know, and longed to see His kingdome come and sinners brought to Him (or so i thought), i have preached the gospel many times and pleaded for sinners to repent and trust Christ, i have known something of a sensetivity towards sin and a measure of hatred towards it, but am wondering if despite all this because of where i am now i have somehow been terribly deceieved.

This is because if i look at my life now and its fruit, i have to concede it seems far from Christ-like, and is on the contrary filled with the works of the flesh, though for some years they seemed to had been largely overcome, they have risen back up to even greater proportions, although it is not all manner of sins of the flesh but a close grouping of sins that nearly always come together.

What does one do in this situation, does one seek the Lord for forgiveness and plead the blood and believe in the mercy of God again, and trust that through Christ and His atoning work he is forgiven, then proceeding to add to that faith virtue and discipline and self control etc, or should he instead cry out to God for salvation, for a new heart, for power, for the SPirit, and not give up until he knows God has come into him in power? I dont know?

AT what point does a Christian struggling with sin and on many occasions giving into it, his heart becomeing more and more hardened to it, realise that perhaps he is not just a weak, backslidden Christian but not a Christian at all?

If you have some thoughts on this i would greatly appreciate them, thanks

As we approach to each we will not bow because we both are only men and the bowing to another man in a spiritual sense is forbidden. I don’t judge myself nor you so don’t ask me to .

Romans 7

1. Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2. For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
5. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
8. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
9. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
12. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
13. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

A question I often ask too. Sorry to hear you have this issue, but glad to know it isn't just me.

I struggle with the same exact thing Brother.

I have reached out and prayed often about if I am really saved.I have been concerned due to my feeling that I have no power over my sin.

Sin and its deceitfulness is the issue.

You have been robbed of the Joy you once shared in your honeymoon with Jesus and you miss HIM.When you read the Word it seams to condemn you and you cannot seam to grasp onto the promises that it seams every other christian has except for you.I know this well.

Who does the Saving Brother?

Let me ask you a Question.Would someone who is unregenerate be concerned about the things that overtake you.Your conviction of Sin,Desire to Know Jesus more,striving to enter in through the Narrow Gate!

Could of all the things that you describe be the evidence that you are saved and just caught in a tresspass like we all get into some time or another?
The LORD is not teasing you with Eternal Life.Jesus siad "he is willing" when the Leper asked to be Healed!

My devotions this morning was Romans 10.It is pretty simple in explaining what it takes to be saved.

I will pray for you as you will pray for me right.

Brother if you STRUGGLE with sin, that is a good sign you are regenerate, as an unregenerate person has no struggle with sin, they love sin, and drink it down like water.

Faith in Christ is what justifies us, not our victory over sin. Sanctification is a process, and if our justification was based upon our "getting it together", Christ would not have needed to die as we could do it ourselves.

Continue looking to the cross and Him who died for you to make you righteous in Him before God.

Thank you all for your comments so far, i am going to try to seek the Lord tonight even though i have so little desire to do so right now but i know I need Him, i need what seems like a miracle.

Yes sin is deceitful, and hardening and dangerous. How how we need to know that we are new creations.

I am still confused over whether i just need to put those deeds to death through the Spirit and sow to the Spirit that i may not fulfill the desires of the flesh or if i need to be born again.

Please pray to God for me, i know only God Almighty can do what i cannot and have tried so hard to do for myself

I am still confused over whether i just need to put those deeds to death through the Spirit and sow to the Spirit that i may not fulfill the desires of the flesh or if i need to be born again.

What would be the difference? I mean that if you believed one over the other, how would that affect your response?

All you can do is trust Christ and do as he has asked.

How is someone Born Again?

What does the Bible say about how to be Born Again?

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved"

I am pretty sure being saved and Born Again are the same.
If something causes you to Sin Cut it off or get rid of anything that will feed your flesh.

This is a funny ilustration but remember 2 Sumo wrestlers .if you feed the flesh sumo he will beat the Spirit sumo right.If you starve the spirit Sumo he will grow weak and lose to the flesh.If you want the sprit who wars with the flesh to win you must starve the fat flesh sumo and feed the Spirit Sumo the word and prayer!

Also beware of the Dogs!Some people on this sight think that Jesus Cleans Fish before he catches them.They will try to put a yoke on your shoulders they nor thier forefathers were able to bare themself.Maybe you should stick to getting counsel only where you know someones walk personally.....Go see your Pastor!

To me personally conscience is interchangeable with countenance and The Lord God said it best. (Genesis 4: 7; If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. I have the same struggle with sin as you do and I feel unworthy, but grace truly is amazing.

Forgiveness of sin is one of the elements of justification. In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of sin, or the sinner's actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. All sins are forgiven freely (Acts 5:31; 13:38; 1 John 1:6-9). The sinner is by this act of grace for ever freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins. This is the peculiar privilege of God (Ps. 130:4; Mark 2:5). It is offered to all in the gospel.

A "conscience void of offence" is to be sought and cultivated (Acts 24:16; Rom. 9:1; 2 Cor. 1:12; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply and give counsel.

I wonder if i had begun to overemphasize regeneration and believe that regeneration is something which it is not (i.e. the removal of serious crippling of our fleshly desires). I guess i was wanting God to have removed the old nature entirely from me, and was getting discouraged by its rising up. And its funny how when you start to serisouly doubt your salvation you can start to live like an unsaved person.

I was encouraged today by a Piper message on the flesh and the SPirit. We have to keep making war against those fleshly desires through the Spirit, trusting in the promises of God. I will endeavour to get back into the mindset of a Christian fighting against sinful desires in the Spirits power and with His weapons, and believing that having been justified by faith, i have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you brethren. We must all press on and fight the fight of faith, looking unto Jesus. May God bless you all as you go about it