Is it possible you think that their people who believe they were born again through a spiritual experience that is not true conversion, does anybody know anyone like that and has it possibly happened to you. Can Gods spirit walk with you without being truly saved is another good question?
It is not only possible, it is the reality that many who think they are born again are not.
Mt 7:21-23 [color=CC3300]“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’[/color]
In Christ's Love,
Leo
Hi bible4life,
Here are two verses which show how close the Spirit of God is to every man. Remember that when God breathed into Adam, it was His Spirit that gave life to that form, so that when Adam began to breathe the air, it kept his physical body alive. This is the essence of both natural birth, and spiritual birth.
Gen 1:2, Deu 30:14 and Rom 10:8 [The Word = The Holy Spirit]
This is why it is so important to make the conscious choice to LIVE in the Spirit. From this flow Paul's many exhortations to WALK in the Spirit. One could say they begin from SITTING in the Spirit - Eph 2:5, 6.
It is not only possible, it is the reality that many who think they are born again are not. Mt 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ In Christ's Love, Leo
I definitely agree with Leo. If people can be deceived by the enemy about other things, people can also be deceived into thinking they are born again when we are not. I guess that is why I am not a huge fan of group application of the "sinners prayer" where everyone repeats a prayer like I have seen a lot of. It is possible for someone in these instances to truly be born again, but also possible for someone to repeat words without experiencing true rebirth. I have seen people wonderfully born again by simply coming to a place in their lives where they said, "OK God, I give. I want to follow You." and it happened in an instant. Others I have seen spend some deal of time wrestling in prayer before they truly knew that they were born again. I trust God to know the difference and know what is going on in the heart of man.
This is very true. I for one had no idea how to define sin when I first began to seek the Lord for new birth. I carried on making lousy decisions until God in His love challenged me out of them all, one by one.Others I have seen spend some deal of time wrestling in prayer before they truly knew that they were born again.
I think Paul Washer quotes Eze 36:25 as a strong part of his testimony. It's basically the same thing as having a very long wrestling match with the Lord, until He wins every round.
This discussion is locked.
