Christian Message Boards: Regeneration

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Posted by Carol Swenson (Member # 6929) on :

REGENERATION IS A DIVINE WORK

We are “born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). It was of His own will he begat us (Jas. 1:18): Our regeneration is a creative act on the part of God, not a reforming process on the part of man. It is not brought about by natural descent, for all we get from that is “flesh.” It is not by natural choice, for the human will is impotent. Nor is it by self-effort, or any human generative principle. Nor is it by the blood of any ceremonial sacrifices. It is not by pedigree or natural generation. It is altogether and absolutely the work of God. Practically speaking, we have no more to do with our second birth, than we had to do with our first birth.

The Holy Spirit is the Divine Agent in our regeneration. For this reason it is called the ‘‘renewing of the Holy Ghost’’ (Tit. 3:5). We are “born of the Spirit” (John 3:5).

MAN IS REGENERATED BY MEANS OF THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL

God begat us by “the word of truth” (James 1:18). We are “born again,” says Peter (1 Peter 1:23), “of incorruptible seed, by the word of God.” We are “begotten through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:15). These scriptures teach us that regeneration takes place in the heart of man when he reads or hears the Word of God, or the Gospel message, or both, and, because of the Spirit working in the Word as well as in the heart of man, the man opens his heart and receives that message as the Word of life to his soul. The truth is illuminated, as is also the mind, by the Spirit; the man yields to the truth, and is born again. Of course, even here, we must remember that it is the Lord who must open our hearts just as He opened the heart of Lydia (Acts 16:14). But the Word must be believed and received by man. 1 Pet. 1:25.

MAN IS REGENERATED BY THE PERSONAL ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST

This is the clear teaching of John 1:12, 13 and Gal. 3:26. We become “children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” When a man, believing in the claims of Jesus Christ receives Him to be all that He claimed to be—that man is born again.

“Man therefore is not wholly passive at the time of his regeneration. He is passive only as to the change of his ruling disposition. With regard to the exercise of this disposition he is active. A dead man cannot assist in his own resurrection, it is true; but he may, and can, like Lazarus, obey Christ’s command, and ‘Come forth!’”

Psa. 90:16, 17 illustrates both the divine and human part: “Let thy work appear unto thy servants,” and then “the work of our hands establish thou it.” God’s work appears first, then man’s. so Phil. 2:12, 13.

Posted by Jethro (Member # 15162) on :

hey Carol Swenson, very inspiring post, ministered peace to my heart, thanks for taking the time to share. never really paid to much attention, to the point you made about death, reigning from adam to moses, as a point for showing that the law had no effect on the outcome of the law of sin and death.

thought about this long time ago. i think it is in Galation, the law was are schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, sent in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one but god is one. what i pretty much got out of that, is the law wasn't given to justify us with God. it was given to work peace between,each other.