Being born again

A.W. Tozer: Keys to the deeper life"One last thing: Neither in the Old Testemant nor in the New, nor in Christian testimony as found in the writings of the saints as far as my knowledge goes, was any believer ever filled with the Holy Spirit who did not know he had been filled. Neither was anyone filled who did not know when he was filled. And no one was ever filled gradually.Behind these three trees many half-hearted souls have tried to hide like Adam from the presence of the Lord, but they are not good enough hiding places. The man who does not know when he was filled was never filled (though of course it is possible to forget the date). And the man who hopes to be filled gradually will never be filled at all.In my sober judgement the relation of the Spirit to the believer is the most vital question the Church faces today. The problems raised by Christian existentialism or neo-orthodoxy are nothing by comparison with this most critical one. Ecumenicity, eschatalogical theories-none of these things deserve consideration until every believer can give an affirmative answer to the question, "have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" And it might easily be that after we have been filled with the Spirit we will find to our delight that the very infilling itself has solved the other problems for us."---------John 3:3-7 3Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb again and be born? 5Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. 6What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above).1 Corinthians 12:33Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking under the power and influence of the [Holy] Spirit of God can [ever] say, Jesus be cursed! And no one can [really] say, Jesus is [my] Lord, except by and under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit.---If Tozer's right, and we cannot say we have been born of the spirit; does that mean for all the intellectual assent paid to biblical doctrine you are still not a "true" Christian? :/

I Thank you for your post. When I recived the holy spirit it was such an indescribable experience. suffice it to say nothing compares; I could never forget the day. Since then I have met many belivers and come to belive that not everyone has this in common. I have asked the question "Have you recived..and I feel that it is relavant to the new as well as the old belivers.With prayer,Robert.H

there are little bitty babes barely able to walk full of the Holy Ghost. i am not sure if they were ever separated from Him.peace out, jend

there are little bitty babes barely able to walk full of the Holy Ghost. i am not sure if they were ever separated from Him.peace out, jendHmmm...Other the John the babtist, I know of no one who was born with the holy spirit. Can someone place this statement in scripture?Are we not all born into sin?Robert.H

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.Who's Seed is this incorruptible Seed? It is not the Holy Spirit. It is the Seed of the Word and Who is the Living Word? The Word is Christ and the Seed is Christ. It takes a Father to produce seed that will conceive. That is why Jesus said, "Pray in this way, Our Father." We are the Bride of Christ and the Seed of the Father is Christ, and the Seed of Christ has been birthed in each believer. This is not the Holy Spirit It is the Seed and the Holy Spirit made the delivery of the Father. Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.This is the Incorruptable Seed of Christ that is born again in the believer. To put this Seed in the believer the Holy Spirit has to do it, and when we conceive, Christ is born in each of us, this is the full blown, birthed, lived, died on the Cross, resurrected, ascended and returned in the children of God, Born Again of; John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. This is the birth of Christ in the believer by the Holy Spirit and sealed by the Holy Spirit.When seed is conceived the recipient does not know she became pregnant. Only when changes begin to surface is the pregnancy brought to a knowing. The same thing goes for a believer, The Spirit of Christ begins to come forth and we know that we have been born again and are pregnant with Christ and the Holy Spirit which is also given by the Father is now our Teacher of this Pregnancy of Christ begins to show. Christ said, "we don't know from whence it comes," it is like the wind, and no one knows until the visible effect of the wind moves the branches and begins to produce fruit. True, we have the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit both in us because we believed, but the filling comes only when we know, again KNOW and believe it is so. Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard [it], do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; Rom 8:1 [There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Rom 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.2Cr 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord. We are being changed from glory to glory, so also the Holy Spirit revelation of Christ in us the Hope of Glory.Be ye filled is what begins at birth.Birthed in Christ: Phillip