John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"
If I was born of the flesh when I came into this world as a baby, and then born of the water and spirit when I come to salvation, how is that not being born "again"? I'd be interested in hearing you explain this scripture.
I have explained those verses in detail in this thread, usiing something many arnt used to here.. 'scriptures'.
You say 'born of flesh' when you come as a baby..(yes this is correct, flesh is flesh as scripture says)
then you say....
'then born of water and spirit when you come to salvation'.. (this is not refering to the life you're living now)
as it says in that passage.. flesh is flesh (born human with a MORTAL DYING body) and spirit is spirit (being made an IMMORTAL UNABLE TO DIE being)
So when you are born flesh as a baby, that is the first birth. the second birth (born again) happens after being judged worthy when a new undying body is given.
John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"
look at the verse for what it is saying..not what church slant puts on it incorrectly
except a man be born of (water (breaking of water is human birth)) ANNNNNNNDD (and meaning as well as) spirit (otherwords...you have to be born human (water) and again in (spirit) after judgement..
and one cannot enter the kingdom of god without being changed to immortality first.
the bible is full on about this..the whole gospel message is about it.. jesus preached not much else in his 40 days after resurrection but this salvational issue.
born first time is water, flesh is flesh..mortal ..dying.
born again is born in a spirit body(immortal) undying
to believe the false teaching that a human is born twice in the one lifetime is very dangerous and unbiblical. Even nicodemus asked how can a man be born twice in the one lifetime. and he wasnt a dummy. The answer of course was that one cannot be born twice in the one lifetime, as nicodemus suspected..but yet the way the term 'born again' was said..he thought he must have been hearing things.
Its not like nicodemus thought you could be born twice in the one lieftime. and he was correct of course you can't
the way to understand this is understanding what mortal and immortal mean.. and people do not relate this into this debate.. they for one usually don't understand what the words mean..
but a spirit life CANNOT die spirit means immortal.. anything spirit CANNOT die no matter what
a mortal body HAS TO DIE. it cannot live forever, its impossible thats the whole meaning of the word.
the passage says clearly.. FLESH IS FLESH, (not flesh is spirit) it is meaning.. a dying nature is a dying nature, it has to die
It says SPIRIT IS SPIRIT (not spirit is flesh), it is meaning that an undying immortal nature is an undying immortal nature, it CANNOT die.
so to say anyone in this lifetime being born flesh can in the same lifetime be born again in spirit, is to say they are changing from flesh (dying) to spirit (undying)..which of course would have to mean once a person claims they are born again, they are immortal from that point and cannot die..which of course is ridiculous because they indeed to die later.
the only way a person can be born again..is to make it to judgement, be judged worthy by christ, and be given a spirit(immortal) body to never be able to die ever again.
the verse is talking about future 'born again'.
the problem is people cannot graps the natures of immortality and mortality. yet they are so simple..
immortal cant die ever.. mortal does die.
you cant say someone is born again without saying they are now spirit/immortal/unable to die.. yet we know those who claim they are born again in this life do die. so it is clearly not meaning in this life..it is simply saying that if you believe the gospel in this life, that at judgement you will be given another life and be born again with a new undying body for the new kingdom..
which all fits with every other of the many passages talking about the kingdom and the natures of humans and spiritual beings. nothing contradicts..
yet if you try making flesh immortal before judgmeent there are many scriptures that contradict. and it also makes jesus not the judge..and those who claim being born again in this life..to be their own judge and consider themselves worthy before the judgement of christ.. therefore they have no need for christs judgement ..and make mockery of his death and ressurection by pretending to be a judgement unto themselves.
and this is exactly what was being pointed out to nicodemus..who was very learned, and no fool, he certainly wasn't asking the question about how can one come out the womb a second time, thinking for one minute they really could. as most people try and make out. that is just ridiculous.