The serious response :
"Liberals Like Christ" have two answers to that frequent query of "evangelical" Christians, a serious theological response, and a more down to earth, humorous response.
The trouble with those who claim to be "born again" is that they don't even know what Jesus meant when he introduced the world to that expression.
in John's Gospel, Ch. 3: 3-21
Jesus answered him, 'Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above (or born again).'
Nicodemus said to him, 'How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?'
Jesus answered, 'Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.'
Nicodemus said to him, 'How can these things be?'
Jesus answered him, 'Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 'Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 'Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.' "
What did Jesus mean when he said that the crucial factor in salvation was "believing in him"? Did Jesus have the fuzzy idea that most so-called "born agains" have? Was it enough for Jesus that people SAY that they believe in him? Those who think so are in for a great let-down on judgement day, because Jesus made it clear in other places how insufficient that is:
{ in Matthew 7: 18-23 }
"Thus you will know them by their fruits. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.' " ?
And in the following important passage, Jesus warned that many who expect front row seats in heaven are in a big surprise, while many others will be surprised to be found so pleasing to Jesus and to God:
{ Matthew 25: 31-46 }
When I, the Messiah, shall come in glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left. Then I, the King,
shall say to those at my right, "Come, blessed of my Father, into the Kingdom
prepared for you from the founding of the world. For I was hungry and you
fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited
me into your homes; naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you
visited me."
Then these righteous ones will reply, "Sir, when did we ever see you hungry
and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? Or a stranger,
and help you? Or naked, and clothe you? When did we ever
see you sick or in prison, and visit you?" And I, the King, will tell them,
"when you did it to these my brothers you were doing it to me!"
Then I will turn to those on my left and say,
"Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry and you wouldn't feed me; thirsty, and you wouldn't give me anything to drink; a stranger, and you refused me hospitality; naked, and you wouldn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me." Then they will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?" And I will answer, "When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me." and they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life."
Far from stressing knowledge or faith, if we are to believe Jesus, the important thing for God will be how we have acted, what we have done, even when done without knowing how it relates to God.
As it turns out, what Jesus is looking for is people who believe like him, rather than people who believe in him, i.e. people who believe what he believes.
In order therefore to be "born again" in the way Jesus intended, what people say (about believing in Jesus) is not what is important, but what they do about his teaching and his example.
It's not whether they believe "in" Jesus that matters, but whether they think and act the way Jesus did, and as he taught us to think and do, when for he example he taught the beatitudes:
{ Matthew 5: 2--12}
"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain;
and his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak,
and he taught them, saying:
|
|
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." |
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for
in the same way they persecuted the prophets who went before you."
So much for our serious response to the question, " Are you 'born again'?"
|