Originally posted by sirrahbed
Just want to clarify and hope I did not border on debate about the *born again* - have been in heated debates with others about this and some who have been born into a church, baptised as infants and have never really had such a *moment* can be made to feel they missed something when in truth - they have not...I am an adult convert and while I do not really believe a *born again* experience is necessary - I do believe such experiences DO happen and sometimes repeatedly. Even Martin Luther - staunch Reformist had such an experience in his "tower" but it was the result of reading God's Word and was a renewal of growth on his journey. I can recall a time when I had been going to church for several years, I did already believe because the holy Spirit allowed me to believe, but was doing an intensive Bible study on my own in the book of John and suddenly, something just *clicked* and head knowledge became more real in my heart. Was I saved before this? Yes. Had I grown in faith? Yes. Have I *arrived*? No. It is an ongoing process. Hence being born again and again and again....etc.

But again - many Christians that have always been part of a church are no less Christian just because they have no moment of salvation or decision in their memory to claim. They were "saved" 2000 years ago when Christ died on the cross.

These are my beliefs
To me, it doesn't matter how you became saved...the fact that you are, is what matters. If you were rasied Christian, strayed from God and came back to Him in your older years, that is a blessing to know that the Lord never left you, and was waiting for you to come back to Him...and if you became saved as a 5 year old child and grew to love Him more and moe everyday, staying close with Him your whole life...that is a wonderful thing as well..,it would be a shame to think that someone would make a Christian feel that their experience becoming a Christian was "better" or more "moving" than another...just the fact that you are one is all that would seem to matter to me.

When i think of calling myself "born again", i think of the fact that i was born a sinner, and upon recieveing Christ as my Savior, i then become "born again" (made new) (although still a sinner). And i agree, that as you grow in your Christianity, you do continue to renew your faith (or become born again), and again with Christ.