FAQ - BIBLE ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

QUESTION 36 : A recent national survey found that about fifty percent of the American population claimed to be "born-again Christians." What is meant by the term "born-again Christian," and what is the understanding of those people who call themselves "born-again Christians?"

These claims are stemmed from the following phrase that have become apart of many preachers’ altar call,

"Just accept Christ into your heart through prayer and he'll receive you. It doesn't matter what church you belong to or if you ever do good works. You'll be born again at the moment you receive Christ. He's at the door knocking. You don't even have to change bad habits, just trust Christ as Savior. God loves you and forgives you unconditionally. Anyone out there can be saved if they ... Accept Christ, now! Let us pray for Christ to now come into your heart." [Actual statement]

The term ‘Christian’ doesn’t necessarily denotes that one is born again; also, saying one is born again doesn’t make one born again.

Christ tells us, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This simply means that unless one is born again he cannot be saved. So then, the mere title ‘Christian’ alone won’t get anyone into heaven and distant from hell’s fire.

In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Noah, their sons and their sons’ wives alone couldn’t have built the Ark. Some of Noah’s friends probably joined in, but didn’t believe to go into the ark. Noah’s friends could be considered Christians and those that went into the ark as born again Christians.

Though many cling to the title ‘Christian’ and have even been philanthropic, unless one is born of the water and of the spirit one cannot enter in the kingdom of God; or, in essence, be saved (John 3:5).

Because of this known fact, many have now cling to the phrase, “I’m a born again Christian.”

Saying you’re born again doesn’t make it so. In fact, one can only be born again by God. For the Greek rendering of the term born again is ‘born from above.’

Therefore, unless one repents -turn upward to God and consequently turning one’s back on their pass life- he cannot be born again.

After turning to God he then commands us to have faith in water baptism for the removal of our sins (Acts 2:38) or getting into the ark as with Noah (born of water). He also wants us to tarry or wait for the Holy Ghost or in Noah’s case, wait in the ark for the dove to return with some form of life -- “but tarry ye…until ye be endued with power from on high” (born of the spirit).

After receiving the Holy Ghost (or, the dove returns with the olive leaf) one will become new, “if any man be in Christ he is a new creature” (or, Noah comes out of the Ark on new soil with an uninfluenced mind, no more heathens around). In essence, one will be able to serve God and keep his commandments fully. That’s one of the essential purposes of the Holy Ghost as stated in Eze 36:27. Here is the summation of being born again or saved, with Noah’s experience:

Us	‘Type and Shadow’ or God hinting to us by Noah
Turn to God fully/Repent (Lk 13:3, Acts 2:38)	“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Gen 6:8).
Baptism in Jesus Name (John 3:5, Acts 2:38)	“And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood” (Gen 7:7).
Baptism of the Holy Ghost (John 3:5, Acts 2:38)	“And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth [was] an olive leaf pluck off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth” (Gen 8:11).

God is careful in meticulously showing the tenets of our salvation that he made sure a dove was used to bring an olive branch. Not any bird, nor any branch.

The dove and the olive branch represent the Holy Ghost. Olive oil comes from the olive branch and of course, the oil is for light that represents the Holy Ghost in us.

What I’m getting at is this; the branch was carried in the mouth, which signifies speaking in another tongue as a sign of new life or the baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is the reason it is a fact that anyone who doesn’t speak in an unknown tongue upon alleged baptism of the Holy Ghost doesn’t have life. Every prominent Holy Ghost conversion in the New Testament showed believers speaking in an unknown tongue when they were spirit baptized.

In Noah’s case, which is symbolic to us, if that dove didn’t come back with some form of life in his mouth, Noah couldn’t leave the Ark or be saved.

We can therefore biblically conclude that a mere statement of belief doesn’t make one born again. Faith saves when faith obeys. “We DO through faith. We don't DO through unbelief” (Tom R.)!

"By faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (Heb 11:7).

By faith we being instructed by God (Matt 28:19, Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16) should also move with fear, be water baptize in his name and wait in belief for the baptism of the Holy Ghost; which will save our souls. This “promise is unto you and your children” (Acts 2:38). Of course, Noah’s obedience saved his children and their offspring too.

After being born again one should also be accompanied by or produce many visible fruits, which were covered in Gal 5:22, Eph 5:9 and the entire book of 1 John; which is basically love and a knowledge of Jesus’ deity.