Evidence of spiritual regeneration - the conversion experience

[St. SteVen]

Show me a sign. >>> >>> >>> >>>

What do we look for in a new convert to give evidence of regeneration in their conversion experience? Bearing in mind that not everyone has an event, or day, to cite as their conversion time. It may have been more gradual. Either way, there should be some evidence that spiritual regeneration has taken place.

Would compliance with "church" expectations be a primary indication? Or are we looking for more? (or less) ???

What if the person isn't interested, or unable to "do church", for whatever reason? Can a person grow spiritually outside the church?

]

 

[Ritajanice]

Fruit.

Jesus fruit.

Spiritual knowledge.?

Growing in the Spirit?

How can we do that?

Proverbs 1:7 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

I can’t do any of that without the Spirit in my heart/ spirit...Born Again.

We know Jesus in our spirit, when God gifts us the faith to know him in our spirit/heart, that’s why our spirit needs to be Born Again, then we know him as His Living witness His Living Holy Spirit indwells our heart/ spirit...Born Again of imperishable seed.....that liveth and abideth forever.

“ In Our Hearts” that’s where the Living seed is planted, by God.via His Spirit.

 

[Behold]

Show me a sign. >>> >>> >>> >>>

Jews require a "sign"

1 Corinthians 1:22

God requires OUR: "Faith in Christ".., as we are the BELIEVER, or not.

"Choose".

"Free will".

What do we look for in a new convert to give evidence of regeneration in their conversion experience?

A Public confession of Faith and that they admit it, out of their mouth, is generally a good place to start.

Most of the Time, when a person is born again, they become outspoken about it, especially at first, as there is something so wonderful, so precious, and so supernatural, that is to become Born again.
True Conversion, most of the time, causes the new believer to feel "FREE"... "all the guilt is gone"... "I never knew i could have such peace of mind".

And the other situation that happens, with 100% certainty, is that everyone who is born again, especially that first year, .. they become very "sin sensitive".
I can explain it like this, and many will say.....Oh YES.

You will "SEE SIN", everywhere...... you'll have this panoramic VIEW of this world, and sin in it, that you never "saw it that way before".

Bearing in mind that not everyone has an event, or day, to cite as their conversion time.

Some people have an incredible emotional experience when they become born again.

Others, dont feel anything.

Salvation is not a Feeling, its a BIRTH in the Spirit.

A born again , newly, says....>>"Brother behold, i didnt FEEL anything".

And i would say to you.....>"Heaven did, as you just made Heaven REJOICE"...

Can a person grow spiritually outside the church?

Paul did.
He planted them, trained them, then left and started another one.

That is not the same as "going to church".

He wrote most of the NT.
So, apparently "no denomination required", to "grow spiritually".

Reader, do you want to "grow spiritually"?

Then get a NT, and study this, for a month., 2 hrs a day.

Romans 3:21-28

Hebrews 13:9

2 Corinthians 5:19

John 3:17

Romans 4:8

Colossians 2:11

Colossians 6:6,10,11

1 Corinthians 11:1

And read : The Proverbs

 

[Bob Estey]

Show me a sign. >>> >>> >>> >>>

What do we look for in a new convert to give evidence of regeneration in their conversion experience? Bearing in mind that not everyone has an event, or day, to cite as their conversion time. I may have been more gradual. Either way, there should be some evidence that spiritual regeneration has taken place.

Would compliance with "church" expectations be a primary indication? Or are we looking for more? (or less) ???

What if the person isn't interested, or unable to "do church", for whatever reason? Can a person grow spiritually outside the church?

]

I would say that a convert would be making the effort to obey the Lord's commandments, assuming he has been made aware of them.

 

[Oneoff]

I would say that a convert would be making the effort to obey the Lord's commandments, assuming he has been made aware of them.

I take as my sign the fact that, in any emergency I metaphorically sink to my knees and literally cry "Abba, Father, please help me"

 

[St. SteVen]

From the OP. (request for new testimonies/thoughts) Thanks.

Show me a sign. >>> >>> >>> >>>

What do we look for in a new convert to give evidence of regeneration in their conversion experience?

Bearing in mind that not everyone has an event, or day, to cite as their conversion time. I may have been more gradual. Either way, there should be some evidence that spiritual regeneration has taken place.

Would compliance with "church" expectations be a primary indication? Or are we looking for more? (or less) ???

What if the person isn't interested, or unable to "do church", for whatever reason? Can a person grow spiritually outside the church?

]

 

[Lambano]

Evidence of spiritual regeneration - the conversion experience​

Since I used listen to and read Johnny Mac, I'll toss in his 2 cents:

John MacArthur, Assurance of Salvation

In summary, spiritual regeneration is marked by a love for Christ and His people, a desire to be obedient, and a hatred of sin. And of course, believing all the essential doctrines.

Let's start with that.

 

[St. SteVen]

In summary, spiritual regeneration is marked by a love for Christ and His people, a desire to be obedient, and a hatred of sin. And of course, believing all the essential doctrines.

Unfortunately, Johnny Mac defines these things in very negative ways. IMHO

- a love for Christ and His people = shunning everyone else
- a desire to be obedient = to Johnny Mac's legalistic views and doctrines
- a hatred of sin = and sinners
- believing all the essential doctrines = as specified by Johnny Mac

[

 

[Lambano]

- a desire to be obedient = to Johnny Mac's legalistic views and doctrines

A desire to be obedient to God. Which of course is understood differently by each believer. In the end, Christ will judge, and it's His opinion that really matters. It's the desire to be obedient to God (and not out of a desire to save your own ass) that's evidence of spiritual regeneration.

(And I could be wrong about obedience out of desire to save one's own ass.)

 

[Lambano]

I've heard quite a few conversion stories, and one theme that pops up repeatedly is that conversion is followed shortly by victory over some particular sin. Cussing is common. (If that was your biggest sin, you were halfway to sainthood already.) Or porn. Or drinking.

 

[St. SteVen]

A desire to be obedient to God. Which of course is understood differently by each believer. In the end, Christ will judge, and it's His opinion that really matters. It's the desire to be obedient to God...

That is such an interesting point.
Obedient to God is understood differently by each believer. Wow. That's solid gold. Thanks.

The Christian life requires obedience. But obedience to what or whom?

How often do we see forum individuals holding other individuals accountable to what they consider obedience to God?

Romans 14:4 NIV
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall.
And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

[

 

[MA2444]

I've heard quite a few conversion stories, and one theme that pops up repeatedly is that conversion is followed shortly by victory over some particular sin. Cussing is common. (If that was your biggest sin, you were halfway to sainthood already.) Or porn. Or drinking.

If cussing was the big sin for them then I would suggest that they are lying. Lol.

I saw the conversion signs in myself. Where I had been desensitized to compassion and many sins, I now reacted with compassion. Now that ws weird for me My wife used to cry during certain movies but I wouldnt. I was the one making light of the situation.

It happened while I was watching the Passion of the Christ for the first time. I wept during the movie. I never did that before. So it became apparent to me that my heart was changing. I started reacting to other things very unlike I used to also. So it worked as a sign to me even though it wasnt really of a type of sign that I could testify about. Now when I got baptised in the Holy Spirit...that was memorable and is a testimony!

Man has always required a sign and I used to think that was sinful or something. A lack of faith perhaps? But if you think about it, God's realm is the spiritual realm and we cant normally see them, spirits and such. So without seeing anything but (obeying) and looking to the unseen, it's almost impossible to believe in God. So we look for a sign in anticipation of our Lord being Real and God does do that for to give us confirmation.

But me and the Lord were talking about this before and He said, we need to learn to hear His still small voice inside of us because He would rather save the miracles for groups of people so conversions will be more. An that, He wasnts us yo be sensitive to His still small voice inside of us and obey instantly. (He said that twice!)

So we shouldnt require a sign.

 

[MA2444]

The Christian life requires obedience. But obedience to what or whom?

How often do we see forum individuals holding other individuals accountable to what they consider obedience to God?

Romans 14:4 NIV
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall.
And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

What do you mean, what or who? The only one. Jesus the Christ.

If there is something that the Lord wants a certain believer to be obediant at, then He will not want any believers to do it so all are called to obedience to it. The same thing.

We dont judge each other. Circumstances will change but the sin remains the same,. sin. If a man believes that a certain activity is not sinful while another says that it is sin then one of them is wrong. Make sense?

 

[St. SteVen]

What do you mean, what or who? The only one. Jesus the Christ.

I agree with Lambano on this point.

A desire to be obedient to God. Which of course is understood differently by each believer.

I think you, MA2444 are viewing obedience as to a book. (the Bible)
What Lambano and I are referring to is a personal relationship with God and being obedient to what that relationship requires.

For example, if a person comes to Christ and is beginning to walk with Him in a personal relationship, they may not yet have been convicted about their addiction to smoking tobacco. You may want to "throw the book" at them, but that wasn't what God wanted.

In that case, the who would be God, and the what would be your book-led legalistic attitude.

]

 

[Lambano]

Be VERY careful when hauling out the Acts 5:29 excuse. How do you know if you're obeying God? Especially when what you think God is calling you to do is in conflict with your brothers and sisters in Christ's understanding of what God wants from us? How do we know which is right?

 

[Lambano]

Sounds real pretty when Amy Grant sings it.

 

[Lambano]

How much of this fussin' and feudin' is about understanding how to be obedient to God?

There's a reason our Jewish cousins consider Torah to be God's greatest gift to humankind. And then they have a couple thousand years of commentary and interpretation to explain what they think it says and what God requires of us. There's a reason why our Catholic brothers and sisters consider obeying the Church's teachings to be the standard and highly discourages "private interpretation". There's a reason why the Reformation made the written Bible normative on all Protestant believers, and why most Protestant denominations are officially or unofficially Cessationist. It's because we do consider obedience to God's will to be important.

Like my ISO 9001 instructor said, "First you need to have a spec. Then you at least know what you're deviating from."

 

[MA2444]

I agree with Lambano on this point.

I think you, MA2444 are viewing obedience as to a book. (the Bible)
What Lambano and I are referring to is a personal relationship with God and being obedient to what that relationship requires.

For example, if a person comes to Christ and is beginning to walk with Him in a personal relationship, they may not yet have been convicted about their addiction to smoking tobacco. You may want to "throw the book" at them, but that wasn't what God wanted.

In that case, the who would be God, and the what would be your book-led legalistic attitude.

]

I have a legalistic attitude? That's odd because my entire post was talking about relationship with the Lord. It's true though that our commandments that are given to man are the same for all people regardless of circumstance or walk.

Murder is not right for me to do and it's not right for you to do either. I used to cuss like a sailor but I realized that it's lacking in class and is the mark of someone who has an weak mind and an an inadequete vocabulary. So I dont cuss at all anymore. It says not to in scripture so theres no way that it isnt true for everyone. Mans not God and you know it. And it isnt being obedient to the Book...it's being obedient to the Lord and that was His word to us, so how could you discount that? It is iterally what your Lord said to you. He wrote it down for us for the people who can not hear His still small voice, as well as to learn the will of God.

So you cant put down the book, because that's an absurd notion.

 

[Lambano]

- a love for Christ and His people = shunning everyone else
- a desire to be obedient = to Johnny Mac's legalistic views and doctrines
- a hatred of sin = and sinners
- believing all the essential doctrines = as specified by Johnny Mac

 

[St. SteVen]

Be VERY careful when hauling out the Acts 5:29 excuse. How do you know if you're obeying God? Especially when what you think God is calling you to do is in conflict with your brothers and sisters in Christ's understanding of what God wants from us? How do we know which is right?

That's a valid concern, AND a saw that cuts both ways.

How do we know whether our brothers and sisters in Christ understand what God wants from us?
Is right and wrong determined by consensus? Shouldn't we be skeptical of the status quo?

I prefer you earlier observation: "A desire to be obedient to God. Which of course is understood differently by each believer." - Lambano

[