Can a born believer become unborn?
Can a Christian become unborn once he/she has been born again?
Does the Holy Ghost jump in/out of Christians as they drift in/out of sin?
Recently, a colleague requested my opinion on these questions. My curiosity led me to this ambiguous answer after much contemplation. Yet, the premise of my response is that salvation involves an individual act rather than a group one. Everyone must receive forgiveness for sin. Because the mother is a faithful believer has no bearing on her child, or the children cannot inherit their father’s salvation. Salvation is a personal matter that must be worked out individually.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:12-13
When the Apostle Paul penned this letter to the church of Philippi from a prison cell, he did not say to work for our salvation but to work out our salvation. Since salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, each person must develop the salvation that Christ deposited within him through the Holy Spirit after conversion. Think about the birth of a child. When a child is born, everything comes with birth, but the child must develop through growth to become an adult. Spiritual birth happens the same way since all the components are deposited in the spirit for perfection to grow. So, each person must grow with fear and trembling. To fear God is to take God seriously. Individually, we should do what's right, regardless of the cost, so that God can be glorified. God brings circumstances into our lives that will make us work for our salvation.
So, can a Christian become unborn once he/she has been born again? Remember, it is God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure, so obedience to God lacks any individual’s willpower, but individuals must allow God’s power to work within. Thus, an individual’s free will can overrule the necessary work for salvation, leading to the path of working for self while reflecting the attributes of non-believers. In the Old Testament, the patriarch Moses experienced a similar behavior among the Israelites, which led God to make this statement:
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Exodus 32:32-33
Although Moses was willing to bear the sin of the Israelites, God would not allow such because His plan of a perfect sacrifice would come from His Son, Jesus the Godman. Nevertheless, accountability remains for individuals who continue to sin; God affirms such by stating that He will blot their names from the book of life, which addresses the second question - Does the Holy Ghost jump in and out of Christians as they drift in and out of sin? While the Holy Ghost does not abruptly appear and disappear, its presence can be felt more or less according to one's obedience to God's will. The Apostle Paul wrote, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God... (Ephesians 4:30). When we willfully disobey God's will, the Holy Spirit's presence within us diminishes. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit becomes more active when we remain close to the Lord and obey His commands. In contrast, the Holy Spirit becomes inactive when the individual forces his agenda. Such an agenda can involve anything from worldly ambitions to fleshy desires. So, the Holy Spirit is weakened when these desires precede God's will leading to an unfilled life for Jesus Christ.
Finally, since salvation is personal, only the individual knows the surety of this occurrence. I remember my aunt explaining that she got tired of tarrying for the Holy Ghost every Sunday when she was young because the saints constantly made her go to the altar for prayer. In order to avoid going to the altar Sunday after Sunday, she pretended she had received Holy Ghost. I wondered how many Christians pretend today, but in reality, Jesus has blotted out their names from the book of life.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Revelation 3:5