When I was a Jehovah’s Witness, I engaged in preaching from door-to-door. On many occasions I encountered Evangelicals who would challenge me with the question, “Are you born again?” Now to be fair, as a witness I really didn’t understand what it meant to be born again. To be equally fair, I don’t think the evangelicals I spoke with understood it either. You see, I got the distinct impression they felt that all one needed to be saved was to accept Jesus Christ as one’s saviour, be born again, and voila, you’re good to go. In a way, they were no different from Jehovah’s Witnesses who believe that all one needs to do to be saved is to remain a member of the organization, go to meetings and hand in a monthly service time report. It would be so nice if salvation were that simple, but it’s not.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not minimizing the importance of being born again. It is very important. In fact, it is so important that we need to get it right. Recently, I was criticized for inviting only baptized Christians to the Lord’s evening meal. Some people thought I was being elitist. To them I say, “Sorry but I don’t make the rules, Jesus does”. One of his rules is that you have to be born again. This all came to light when a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to ask Jesus about salvation. Jesus told him something that confounded him. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3 BSB)
Nicodemus was confused by this and asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? ... Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?” (John 3:4 BSB)
It seems poor Nicodemus suffered from that malady we see all too often today in Bible discussions: Hyperliteralism.
Jesus uses the phrase, “born again” twice, once in verse three and again in verse seven which we will read in a moment. In Greek, Jesus says, gennaó (ghen-nah'-o) anóthen (an'-o-then) which virtually every Bible version renders as “born again”, but what those words mean literally is, "born from above”, or “born from heaven”.
What does our Lord mean? He explains to Nicodemus:
“Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8 BSB)
So, being born again or born from above means being “born of the Spirit”. Of course, we are all born of flesh. We have all descended from one man. The Bible tells us, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12 BSB)
To put this succinctly, we die because we have inherited sin. Essentially, we have inherited death from our forefather Adam. If we had a different father, we would have a different inheritance. When Jesus came, he made it possible for us to be adopted by God, to change our father, so as to inherit life.
“But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to be children of God—to those believing in His name, children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.” (John 1:12, 13 BSB)
That speaks of a new birth. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that allows us to be born of God. As children of God, we inherit eternal life from our father. But we are also born of spirit, because it is Holy Spirit that Jehovah pours out upon the children of God to anoint them, to adopt them as his children.
To understand this inheritance as God’s children more clearly, let’s read Ephesians 1:13,14.
And in Him you Gentiles also, after listening to the Message of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—having believed in Him—were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit; that Spirit being a pledge and foretaste of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption—the inheritance which He has purchased to be specially His for the extolling of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13, 14 Weymouth New Testament)
But if we think that is all we have to do to be saved, we are deluding ourselves. That would be like saying that all one has to do to be saved is to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Baptism is symbolic of rebirth. You descend into the water and then when you come out of it, you are reborn symbolically. But it doesn’t stop there.
John the Baptist had this to say about it.
“I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16)
Jesus was baptized in water, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him. When his disciples got baptized, they also received the Holy Spirit. So, to be born again or born from above one has to be baptized so as to receive the Holy Spirit. But what is this about being baptized with fire? John continues, “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:17 BSB)
This will remind us of the parable of the wheat and the weeds. Both the wheat and the weeds grow together from the time that they germinate and they are hard to distinguish one from the other until the harvest. Then the weeds will get burned up in fire, while the wheat gets stored in the Lord’s warehouse. This shows that many people who think they are born again will be shocked when they learn otherwise. Jesus warns us that, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father 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; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23 BSB)
Another way of putting it is this: Being born from above is an ongoing process. Our birthright is in the heavens, but it can be revoked at any time if we take a course of action that resists the spirit of adoption.
It is the apostle John who records the encounter with Nicodemus, and who introduces the concept of being born of God or as translators tend to render it, “born again”. John gets more specific in his letters.
“Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:9, 10 BSB)
When we are born of God, or gennaó (ghen-nah'-o) anóthen (an'-o-then)—"born from above”, or “born from heaven”, “born again”, we do not suddenly become sinless. That is not what John is implying. Being born of God means we refuse to practice sin. Instead, we practice righteousness. Notice how the practice of righteousness is linked to love of our brothers. If we do not love our brothers, we cannot be righteous. If we are not righteous, we are not born of God. John makes this clear when he says, “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” (1 John 3:15 NIV).
“Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.” (1 John 3:12 NIV).
My former colleagues in the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses should consider these words carefully. How ready they are to shun someone—hate them—simply because that person decides to stand up for truth and expose the false teachings and gross hypocrisy of the Governing Body and its ecclesiastical authority structure.
If we want to be born from heaven, we must understand the fundamental importance of love as John emphasizes in this next passage:
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7, 8 BSB)
If we love, then we will know God and be born of him. If we do not love, then we do not know God, and cannot be born of him. John goes on to reason:
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, because everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.” (1 John 5:1-4 BSB)
The problem I see is that often people who talk about being born again use it as a badge of righteousness. We used to do that as Jehovah’s Witnesses though for us it wasn’t being “born again” but being “in the truth”. We would say things like, “I’m in the truth” or we’d ask someone, “How long have you been in the truth?” It is similar to what I hear from “Born Again” Christians. “I’m born again” or “When were you born again?” A related statement involves “finding Jesus’. “When did you find Jesus?” Finding Jesus and being born again are roughly synonymous concepts in the mind of many evangelicals.
The trouble with the phrase, “born again” is that it leads one to think of a one-time event. “On such and such a date I was baptized and born again.”
There is a term in the air force called “Fire and Forget”. It refers to munitions, like missiles, which are self-guided. The pilot locks on to a target, presses the button, and launches the missile. After which, he can fly away knowing the missile will guide itself to its target. Being born again isn’t a fire-and-forget action. Being born of God is an ongoing process. We have to keep God’s commandments continually. We have to continually show love for the children of God, our brothers and sisters in the faith. We have to continually overcome the world by our faith.
Being born of God, or born again, is not a one-time event but a lifelong commitment. We are only born of God and born of the spirit if God’s spirit continues to flow in us and through us producing acts of love and obedience. If that flow ebbs, it will be replaced by the spirit of the flesh, and we might lose our hard-won birthright. What a tragedy that would be, yet if we are not careful, it can slip away from us without us even being aware of it.
Remember, those who run to Jesus on the day of judgment crying “Lord, Lord,…” do so believing they have done great works in his name, yet he denies knowing them.
So how can you check to see if your status as one born of God is still intact? Look to yourself and your acts of love and mercy. In a phrase: If you do not love your brothers or sisters, then you are not born again, you are not born of God.
Thank you for watching and for your support.
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Comment by yobec on 2021-06-18 08:53:36
True Christians are born again because all true Christians are God's sons and Christ's Brothers. Consequently all true Christians are anointed. I agree.
Reply by Jude on 2021-06-19 16:34:27
If you were telling the truth about your experience in 1996 then you have a perspective that very few have, so therefore how can you say such a thing? To treat such an indescribable power as something common? As something to be sold off for a bowl of red stew, as Esau did? Be extremely careful because that is the one thing Christ said a person can never be forgiven for. Not in this Age nor in the Age to come.
"And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this Age or in the Age to come" - Matthew 12: 31, 32
There are firstborn sons and there are other sons. Firstborn sons receive the double portion of inheritance.
If your experience was genuine and is not a fabrication of your telling, then you should recognize that in this case Mr. Wilson does not know what he speaks of. He has no frame of reference and is therefore making assumptions. "Subtle"? As he says? If your experience was genuine then you should know that there is NOTHING subtle about it when God pours a token of His Spirit in your heart as stated at 2 Corinthians 1: 22
His assumptions in this case are causing him to presume to say and do things which are in serious error. But because he does so in ignorance, whatever discipline he may receive will be less than you who has experience the power of The Calling by the Spirit.
Don't forget that the locusts released by the fallen star Wormwood wear fake crowns.
The Beast will turn on the Harlot, and then 10 kings who have yet to receive a kingdom will treat their Calling as common and share with non-anointed ones ruling as an 8th king.
And then the Ancient of Days will come. "As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgement in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom" - Daniel 7: 21, 22Reply by yobec on 2021-06-19 18:54:35
I am saddenned that you would suggest I am perhaps sinning against the holy spirit simply because I am of the belief that all true Christians are anointed.
There was a time when for other reasons, I did believe that I had perhaps sinned against the holy spirit.I came to see in time with Jehovah's help that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, while we are on this subject, do you know a sure way to find out if you have or not? It is actually quite simple.Kudos goes to the brothers who wrote an article way back in 1981 on this subject.
I picked up an Awake dealing with this very subject, 1 night after praying to Jehovah in which I said that if that was the case, I would nevertheless continue serving him and in the end, he could do what he wants with me and if it should be everlasting destruction, I would submit as I recognized that he had the right to do this .
The next day, as I mentionned, I picked up an awake article at a friend's house, dealing with this very matter and it said" If you are concerned that you may have sinned against the holy spirit, rest assured that you haven't. The very fact that you are concerned and reading this article goes to show that you have not".
Needless to say, Tears rolled down my cheeks
Anyways,I took the time to adress this very subject in case there are others out there who may be struggling with this matter and who are perhaps "crushed in spirit" because of it.
As for my belief that all true Christians are anointed, it comes first and foremost by What Jesus said at Matt 12 : 50
" whoever does the will of my Father.... This one is my brother "
He did not put a time restriction on this. Consequently, anyone that does the will of his father today is considered by him as beeing his brother, hence, also God's sons.
If you are female, you most certainly are God's daughter, an equally awesome adoption.
I am sorry if you think I am minimising this awesome sonship arrangement because I imply that we all are.
I don't conform to the idea that this applies to only a few elite Christians.Reply by Jude on 2021-06-19 23:23:18
I didn't say Christians are not able to be sons of God. I said there are firstborn sons and there are other sons. Firstborn sons receive the double portion of the inheritance.
If your words are true about your experience in 1996, then you have a perspective which very few have. Symbolically 144K. If The Father poured a token of His Spirit into your heart, then you have had a direct interaction with the Holy Spirit, and my comment has to do with snatching you out of the fire with what appears headed to be a deadly misstep as described at Matthew 12: 31, 32. Errors do happen. But when it comes to the Holy Spirit extreme care must be made. That is all I am saying. Adios.
Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2021-06-19 20:22:01
Jude, your judgmental attitude is inappropriate in this forum. I would admonish you to temper yourr words, season them with salt.
Reply by Jude on 2021-06-19 23:10:05
My words may have stung, but they were not said with a judgmental state of mind nor attitude. For Yobec they are a vital life saving warning. If what he said about his experience is true, then he knows what Romans 8: 16, 2 Corinthians 1: 22 and many other scriptures are speaking of when it comes to the calling. That is a direct communication when The Father sends his Spirit. There is nothing subtle about it. At all. I wish that all knew what that is like. It is a frustrating thing. But nevertheless The Father does what he does on whom it pleases Him to do so. Your lack of experiencing such a thing may be a case for you, although you presuming to teach others to go against 1 Corinthians 11: 29 may cancel that out.
"For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgement on themselves" - 1 Corinthians 11: 29
Again, I do not say this in judgement but as an attempt to snatch ones out of the fire, so to speak. Yobec is in far more danger than you, if his direct experience with the Holy Spirit is true.
Now when it comes to you, as someone noted in the comments here as quoted below:
I can only speak about my own experience but I was most definitely invited. I would have never presumed to partake without a personal invitation from Jehovah. Just studying the Bible did not motivate me to partake.
There are at least 3 or 4 things I can see where it is you who should listen. I have watched you for a good while and you do a fine job shining a light on the darkness within the organization. In fact, even though I could tell you are not a Called One, I have often wondered why based on what I can see. Yet The Father knows all things. Maybe He will yet send you a token of His Spirit into your heart, but again, He chooses whom He chooses and places people within the Body of Christ as He sees fit. Maybe He foresaw the presumptive course you are taking, I don't know. Be careful on whom you presume to admonish, because the stance taken by spiritual Gentiles, those without circumcised hearts - as are spiritual Jews, those non-called spiritual Gentiles who presume to raise themselves over Called Ones is what the Abomination Standing in the Holy Place is all about.
Comment by rudytokarz on 2021-06-18 12:23:19
As a PIMO in mid-fade, I am currently struggling with this specific issue. It certainly seems that there will be 'no epiphanies' in personally knowing but I don't know of any scriptures that specifically mention how the people who were 'born again' through the holy spirit knew that there were chosen/saved/foreordained/sealed except if they then had gifts of healing/tongues/etc. What about today?
Also, what about Cornelius and his household who were not yet baptized?
To what extent do we take the scriptures that say 'believe in/have faith in Jesus, and you will be saved'? (paraphrase of Acts 16:31 and Romans 10:9)
Your article makes good sense but...still searching for some more clarity.
RudyReply by Meleti Vivlon on 2021-06-18 12:35:12
Often, when things don't make complete sense, it is because we are working on a premise that is false, but we are unaware of the fact. I wonder if the premise in this instance is the belief that one has to be somehow made aware that one is born again. Certainly, that is an idea that comes from the Watchtower's interpretation of Romans 8:16. I find that awareness of the working of holy spirit is far more subtle than the Organization would have us believe.
Reply by rudytokarz on 2021-06-18 15:16:00
Yes, I am sure that after 40 years there are a lot of ideas that will take awhile to replace which is what I am attempting to do. Nevertheless, I am at a bit of a loss as how to explain to myself from the scriptures how else Romans 8:16 could be understood.
Along with that, the scriptures certainly lead me to see that in fact there is no other option to being born again (if we allow the spirit to lead and not grieve it), yet does that also lead to ALL born again Christians will rule as kings and priests with Jesus?
Maybe the thinking that there is 'something else' is also a leftover from the indoctrination....Reply by Meleti Vivlon on 2021-06-19 09:20:56
First of all, you have to divorce the idea that the taking of the emblems is something that the Spirit tells you to do. Remember, Jesus told his disciples to partake before they ever received the spirit. We partake because our Lord told us to. If you accept Jesus and get baptized, then you must partake. It's a simple matter of obedience. As you study and pray you will feel the spirit guide you into all the truth. You will come to feel that you are indeed a child of God.
Reply by rudytokarz on 2021-06-20 09:26:34
Actually I have no issue with the taking of the emblems. I partook in private for the first time this year. The issues that I struggle with are, as mentioned in my previous comment, in what sense are we to understand Romans 8 and, since all faithful Christians are born again, are all to rule as king/priests.
It certainly seems as if there is a distinction between the two groups in Revelation 7; not in terms of 'heaven vs. earth' rewards as JWs teach, but in assignments that the we may be given.
As 'James Mansoor' replied below, I also feel a bit in "limbo" because of not having a clear, scriptural-based answer.
Rudy
Reply by James Mansoor on 2021-06-19 00:56:43
Hi Rudy
I share your frustration, I too am in limbo, I don’t “feel” This spirit to be moved to take the emblem.
The organisation has played with our thinking.Reply by Fani on 2021-06-20 03:24:38
Moi aussi pendant 45 ans je ne me suis pas sentie poussée à prendre les emblèmes. Pourquoi ? Parce que c'était ce qu'on m'avait dit.
Lorsque j'ai pris conscience du commandement de Jésus qui était pourtant si clair et si simple, que j'ai bien constaté qu'il n'avait fait aucune exception dans ses paroles, et qu'il avait même dit à ses apôtres de transmettre tout ce qu'il leur avait dit, j'ai compris que la vraie question était : à qui obéirai- je? A Christ ou aux hommes qui ont ajouté des interprétations ?
"Continuez à faire cela en mémoire de moi"
C'est si compliqué à comprendre ?
Il y aurait donc une catégorie de personnes qui n'aurait pas besoin de se souvenir du sacrifice du Christ ?
Depuis ma participation aux emblèmes, (depuis 5 ans) j'ai l'impression que mes yeux se sont ouverts et je comprends que "la vérité nous libére".
Mets ta confiance en Jéhovah et Christ t'eclairera. C'est souvent nous qui avons du mal à accepter ce que pourtant nous voyons.
FraternellementReply by Meleti Vivlon on 2021-06-20 07:30:28
For the convenience of others, here's an auto-translation of Fani's comment:
For 45 years I too did not feel compelled to take the emblems. Why not? Because that was what I was told.
When I became aware of Jesus' commandment, which was so clear and simple, and that he had made no exceptions in his words, and that he had even told his apostles to pass on everything he had told them, I realized that the real question was: who would I obey? To Christ or to the men who added interpretations?
"Continue to do this in memory of me."
Is that so complicated to understand?
Is there a category of people who do not need to remember Christ's sacrifice?
Since my participation in the emblems, (for the last 5 years) I feel that my eyes have been opened and I understand that "the truth sets us free".
Put your trust in Jehovah and Christ will enlighten you. It is often us who have difficulty accepting what we see.
Fraternally
Fani, I concur with you. There are some on his comment thread who have other ideas, but we have to be careful about those with strong, presumptive opinions not based in Scripture. Thank you for your well reasoned comments.
Meleti
Reply by Frankie on 2021-06-23 05:08:50
Hi James.
You are right. Organization is playing with their members the game “Don't think, we think instead of you“ (btw, this is a typical feature of religious cult).
However, obeying Jesus Christ is more important than obeying His “spokesmen”. Jesus is our leader, our Lord and our head.
With respect to Romans 8:16, the so-called FDS is trying to prevent you from taking emblems by means of intentionally incorrect explanation of 1 Cor 11:27, in connection with Romans 8:16. They know, that most members will search in their minds some specific supernatural message confirmed by specific scriptures, and at the same time they will hesitate to take symbols being aware of “dead or life” desperate misinterpretation of 1 Cor 11:27.
All of this is constructed to fix the specific number of Revelation's 144 000. But this struggle was unsuccessful. At first they came with ridiculous concept of substitutes and then they stopped (but I don't know for sure, I only read it somewhere) counting the “anointed”.
However, why to obey our Lord and take emblems of his body and blood? You certainly know it. Because His precious spilled blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). And he/she who rejects Jesus' blood remains in sin, because their sins are not cleansed by His blood (Mat 26:28). So it is sad, that millions of JWs remain in sin after the Lord's Supper. As Eric mentioned, it is not a matter of Holy Spirit, it is a matter of obedience.
So don't be (as well as Rudy) in limbo, our Lord invites you (Luke 22:19).
God bless you.
Frankie
Comment by cx_516 on 2021-06-19 03:54:52
Thank you Eric. Always appreciate your enlightening insights. I would love it if you could sneak into a JW cong and give this article as a public talk. We could watch their minds melt from seeing the scriptures in a new way.
I love in 1 John how there is a simple duality; children of God (born again) or children of the devil. he didn’t talk of a third group (a great crowd) that had a different birth. Even though John wrote Revelation possibly in the same period, isn’t it interesting that he didn’t add a third group (with a second Christian hope). It’s so easy to see how JW’s have twisted the great crowd interpretation.
Comment by marielle on 2021-06-19 04:15:42
Le GB, pour rester en accord avec l’idée que seules 144 000 personnes au sens littéral naissent de nouveau, désigne le royaume de Dieu ou royaume des cieux comme étant un gouvernement restrictif.
Jésus nous dit en Matthieu 5 : 3
« Heureux ceux qui sont conscients de leurs besoins spirituels puisque le royaume des cieux leur appartient ».
Pourquoi tous les jw qui sont conscients de leurs besoins spirituels, n’entrent-ils pas dans « ce gouvernement » puisque le royaume des cieux leur appartient ?
Le GB dit que c’est Dieu qui choisit d’engendrer ou faire naître de nouveau une personne.
Mais que nous dit Jean 1 : 10-12
Beaucoup, à propos de Christ, ne l’ont pas reconnu.
Mais c’est parce que certains l’ont reconnu et ont eu foi en Christ, qu’ils ont été appelés enfants de Dieu.
Ce sont les croyants qui ont fait ce choix.
Lorsque Pierre parle de la nouvelle naissance, il ne fait aucune distinction entre ceux qui la recevraient et d’autres pas.
Il ne parle de la nouvelle naissance que pour UNE espérance grâce à la résurrection de Jésus-Christ (v 3).
Pourquoi sommes-nous « purifiés en obéissant à la vérité » selon I Pierre 1 : 22 ?
Parce que nous recevons tous une nouvelle naissance, selon le verset 23
De même que tous les humains sont concernés par la mort, comme l’herbe qui se dessèche et la fleur tombe (v 24).
Ce va et vient constant entre ceux qui sont directement concernés par l’enseignement de Christ et des apôtres, et ceux qui ne sont pas directement concernés, mais peuvent en tirer profit n’a pas de fondement biblique.
Le GB, pour rester en accord avec l’idée que seules 144 000 personnes au sens littéral naissent de nouveau, désigne le royaume de Dieu ou royaume des cieux comme étant un gouvernement restrictif.
Jésus nous dit en Matthieu 5 : 3
« Heureux ceux qui sont conscients de leurs besoins spirituels puisque le royaume des cieux leur appartient ».
Pourquoi tous les jw qui sont conscients de leurs besoins spirituels, n’entrent-ils pas dans « ce gouvernement » puisque le royaume des cieux leur appartient ?
Le GB dit que c’est Dieu qui choisit d’engendrer ou faire naître de nouveau une personne.
Mais que nous dit Jean 1 : 10-12
Beaucoup, à propos de Christ, ne l’ont pas reconnu.
Mais c’est parce que certains l’ont reconnu et ont eu foi en Christ, qu’ils ont été appelés enfants de Dieu.
Ce sont les croyants qui ont fait ce choix.
Lorsque Pierre parle de la nouvelle naissance, il ne fait aucune distinction entre ceux qui la recevraient et d’autres pas.
Il ne parle de la nouvelle naissance que pour UNE espérance grâce à la résurrection de Jésus-Christ (v 3).
Pourquoi sommes-nous « purifiés en obéissant à la vérité » selon I Pierre 1 : 22 ?
Parce que nous recevons tous une nouvelle naissance, selon le verset 23
De même que tous les humains sont concernés par la mort, comme l’herbe qui se dessèche et la fleur tombe (v 24).
Ce va et vient constant entre ceux qui sont directement concernés par l’enseignement de Christ et des apôtres, et ceux qui ne sont pas directement concernés, mais peuvent en tirer profit n’a pas de fondement biblique.
Comment by Zacheus on 2021-06-19 06:13:55
A good read, thanks.
I am also endeavouring to get a bible; the Borean bible. It is not available as yet but the sample i saw was a wonder.
Comment by a watcher on 2021-06-19 19:31:57
I can only speak about my own experience but I was most definitely invited. I would have never presumed to partake without a personal invitation from Jehovah. Just studying the Bible did not motivate me to partake.
Comment by Fani on 2021-06-20 02:57:46
Oui, je lis bien dans la bible ce que tu as développé.
Romains 5 souligne que nous sommes tous au départ enfants d'Adam, enfants du péché.
Grâce au sacrifice du Christ, une vie nouvelle s'offre à nous si nous reconnaissons ce sacrifice.
Romains 6 : 11 "De même vous aussi : estimez-vous comme bien MORTS par rapport au péché, mais VIVANTS par rapport à Dieu par Christ Jésus."
Rom 6 : 4 "Nous avons donc été enterrés avec lui par notre baptême dans sa mort, afin que, de même que Christ a été ressuscité par la gloire du Père, nous aussi nous menions une VIE NOUVELLE.
Jean dira aussi 1 Jean 3 : 14 " Nous savons que nous sommes PASSÉS DE LA MORT À LA VIE, parce que nous aimons nos frères. Celui qui n’aime pas reste dans la mort."
Une "nouvelle vie", passer "de la mort à la vie" n'est ce pas une nouvelle naissance ?
Oui, Nouvelle naissance à condition que nous aimions : " Celui qui n’aime pas reste dans la mort."
Merci beaucoupReply by PierrotSud on 2021-06-20 14:51:52
Belle Analyse Fany du passage de la Mort à la vie spirituelle en union avec Christ. En le voyant sous cet angle, c'est très parlant.
Merci beaucoup
Pierre
Comment by mariamaria on 2021-06-20 12:30:44
Thank you for sharing your ideas based on Bible studying. Excellent points, Eric.
And thank you for translating the experience of sister Fani...actually I felt pretty much like her - I did not partake the emblems because WT literature was more significant for me than Bible for 30 years. Then I started to think about Christ's words in John 6:48-59 regarding to whom he spoke - to all the crowd/to anyone who wanted to follow him. I was really distressed to partake or not for few years.
This year my husband and myself decided to partake after listening your speech for Memorial, and now for the first time I feel relief about it, I hope it's a kind of Spirit leadership.
I was also thinking a lot about the baptism - it seems that WT has been teaching for almost 100 years that "the great crowd" or "the other sheep" (definitions according to WT) must be baptized only by John the Baptist baptism ( Matthew 3:11) - only by water, what is in contradiction to the explanations of Peter and Paul in Acts - if someone wants to be a Christian and "to be born again" must be baptized by Holy Spirit also, or his/hers baptism is not valid at all.
WT explanations about "the call of the Spirit" from misinterpretation of Romans chapter 8 that the anointed ones "have to feel" to say "Abba" to Jehovah (w20, January pp 20-25) are nonsence :
"But how does a person know that he or she has the heavenly calling? The answer is clearly seen in Paul’s words to those in Rome who were “called to be holy ones.” He told them: “You did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but you received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: ‘Abba, Father!’ The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Rom. 1:7; 8:15, 16) So by means of his holy spirit, God makes it clear to anointed ones that they have this heavenly calling"
Why?
Didn't our Lord Jesus Christ learned us how to pray and said "Our Father on the heavens..."? Well, he did - it is pretty much clear that the very word "Abba" (father) was uttered by our Lord here. So Jehovah is Abba to anyone who wants to pray to Him, not only to one privileged group, isn't He?
https://biblehub.com/matthew/6-9.htm
Comment by Beroeans Creed on 2021-06-20 13:26:10
Great reasoning from the Scriptures Eric as usual,
Why all this constant debate and confusion over this, do we think that Jehovah or Jesus require all to be Bible Scholars to understand what it means to be Born Again? Nicodemus was highly educated and he even found Jesus’ explanation a challenge. Have we been commanded to have complete understanding of what it means to be Born Again to gain salvation?
Although an interesting topic with many viewpoints none should be dogmatic here, that is the GB way.
Could it be when reading some of the comments we are displaying a degree of indoctrination suffered from the WTBS tactics, used for decades, to keep their elite status and control over the flock?
Most of the confusion was instituted during Rutherford’s reign over the organization, types/anti-types, two casts of Christians, fear of partaking unworthily, belief that we must experience some special “on the road to Damascus” anointing event, the scriptures written exclusively to the 144,00 , partaking at memorial only by 144K despite Jesus command, GB the only channel of communication from God, GB “only” the FDS, and only they are mediators of the “New Covenant” etc. etc. I could go on, and each of these unsupported scripturally topics have been discussed on this forum.
In my opinion if we just follow the life of Christ to the best of our abilities, pray for Holy Spirit to guide us through the scriptures that is all that is required, Jehovah is fully aware of the mess of things men have made of his word.
A brief explanation borrowed from a brother on a very lengthy discussion of being "Born Again" works for me.
“All who belong to Jehovah have been "born of water" (by baptism) and are also born of the spirit, for without the spirit they cannot worship God "with spirit and truth". (John 4:23-24) It is God's spirit that teaches us to know the things pertaining to God, "for the spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God... But a physical man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot get to know them, because they are examined spiritually." (1 Cor. 2:10-14) All of God's faithful people have God's spirit, as a recent Watchtower article acknowledged:
"Genuine anointed Christians... do not believe that they necessarily have more holy spirit than their companions of the other sheep have." ―The Watchtower, May 1, 2007, page 31.
To bad the GB does not actually believe this.
Comment by PierrotSud on 2021-06-20 14:48:50
Thank you Eric for this clarification.
Indeed this expression "Born again" has always questioned me.
I remember in Preaching, when I came across Evangelists, they often said to me: "Do you have the Holy Spirit", or "Are you born again", in an aggressive and insistent way?
I felt uncomfortable because I was divided because the Holy Spirit was urging me to preach, but at the same time, the Watch Tower taught that only 144,000 received the Holy Spirit.
I was also uncomfortable because the person in front of me was quite arrogant wanting to prove that he had the right religion.
He told me that he also had the gifts of healing, and that in their meetings they spoke in tongues, thus showing that they had the Spirit in them.
But I couldn't help but read to her from the Bible the text of 1 COR 13:8
Today I realize that as a Jehovah's Witness I was also arrogant.
Thank you Eric for your message filled with humility and peace.
Pierre
Comment by Frankie on 2021-06-22 16:19:16
Hi Eric, I'm glad you're in shape again (thanks our heavenly Father). I hope that your heart will beat until the coming of our Lord.
Thank you for this theme, which is important, especially with respect to confusing WT interpretation of Romans 8:16. How can I know that Jehovah is my heavenly Father? Very simply - because He acts and He told me. And how?
Many seek the answer in the exact biblical definition (a + b = c). But, for example, how I know that my human father is really my father without that? Certainly not by someone telling me or writing: "This is your father." I know this:
a) Through His relationship with me, by everyday experience, what he does for me with love, and
b) Because he told me.
The same is with our heavenly Father Jehovah. I know that my Father mostly acts as to me, on the basis of scheme: prayer – answer. Eric, you're right that often (but not always!) these are subtle guidelines which I sometimes don't realize. And only after some time, after an event, do I realize - this was the answer. Sometimes such an answer may come in a year and sometimes almost immediately. And it is always done in the optimal moment, because God knows me best and knows when I can understand something and bear it. It's awesome. And after all these experiences I know that I really have my loving Heavenly Father and that whatever I receive from Him is a precious gift.
But in what way He told me – “I am your Father in heaven”? Because this message is written into every cell of my body. I will try to explain this on how the WT explains position of Jehovah, our Father, for so-called "non-anointed" brothers/sisters. They told them that Jehovah is their “friend” and He is Father for anointed only. We all certainly know the difference between friend and father. I have several friends, but I wouldn't exchange my father for all of them.
Recently, I repeatedly asked one JW brother, "Are you God's child?" He didn't answer me. This question is fundamental for every Christian. Because there are only two answers:
- Yes, I'm God's child (and therefore the heir)
- I am only a friend of God, I am not a child of God.
This is an important test with respect to Romans 8:16. Can someone publicly say to some people (or to himself): "I am not a child of God"?
As to me, I would never say that! I would never deny my heavenly loving Father, because every cell of my body would protest, because this message was written in me by God's Spirit, because my heavenly Father told me.
And that's it.
Frankie
Comment by Meleti Vivlon on 2021-06-24 09:20:29
I found his reasoning to be full of personal interpretation and out of harmony with Scripture.
Comment by Dominique on 2021-06-27 00:19:28
Juan 3:8 "Nacer de nuevo" La clave para entender este texto esta en el contexto, cito: sabemos que eres un maestro enviado por Dios. Nicodemo no había reconocido aún al Mesias. Por esta razón Jesús le dice a Nicodemo: No sabes ni de donde viene ni adonde va Juan 3:8. Esta idea es aclarada en Juan 8:14. Para nacer de nuevo es necesario creer en Jesus. Jesús es el viento que por sus actos debía ser reconocido es decir oído como el viento. Pero muchos prefieren la oscuridad.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2021-07-05 11:09:39
Hi Eric. Thank you so much for this article.
This experience may not solve anything, but it made me wonder.
A good friend, who spent sometime in Bethel told me about conversations with a member of the current GB and another "anointed" brother. How do you know you are one of the anointed ? The reply was that it is something you experience. Often you cannot believe it. But when you speak to another anointed then you find your experiences are in common.
On the other hand an "anointed" sister I spoke to just two or three years ago, and my wife confirms s similar conversation with another "anointed" sister some time ago, says something similar that they "Just read the Bible and she knows the Bible is just talking to me".
Make of it what you will.
Comment by Dominique on 2021-06-27 01:22:28
Juan 3:13 “Nadie ha subido al cielo…” por esta razón es necesario la fe en el señor Jesucristo. Quien le ha visto en el cielo para reconocerlo? Y además, era necesario que muriese para vencer a la muerte, Oseas 13:14. Que la paz este con todos los hombres de buena voluntad.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2021-07-05 12:24:37
Further to my comment just now, taking the emblems should have nothing to do with whether someone believes they have been "anointed". Taking the emblems and being "anointed" are two different subjects anyway.