REGENERATION
There is a modern-day sense in which the word regeneration is used. If you cut off a lizard's tail it may regenerate. In this sense we would say that the tail grew back to fulness. Once a man tried to use this definition to explain to me that regeneration was the process by which God makes us more like Chirst. In other words, he was saying that regeneration is the same thing as growing in godliness. I begged to differ and told him that regeneration was something different than what he described to me. What he was describing was sanctification.
The root word of regeneration is generation. In a family there are often two, three or four generations alive at one time. Generation has to do with birth, life. One generation generates or gives life to another. Regeneration, in scripture, is the term we use to say that we have been "born again." Both mean the same things. REGENERATION = BORN AGAIN. John 1:12-13 tells us that we are born into God's family at the will of God, not our will: But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
This is hard for some to grasp because mankind can feel as if this is imposing on the will of man or that man has no will in his coming to faith in Christ. The problem from grasping this stems from a lack of understanding the order of salvation and defintion of terms. Being born again or regeneration comes before faith. Faith in Christ then is the fruit of regeneration. We do not cry out to God and say, "Make me born again, regenerate me!" We are regenerated, given life, made to live spiritually....then we cry out to God and say, "Lord, save me by Christ." Regeneration and salvation, while heavily connected, are not exactly the same thing.
It is much like the baby that is born into this world. It was not their decision to have life. Their parents willed it, so to speak. The same is true of our God. He willed our spiritual life (John 1:12-13, John 3:1-15). When a baby is born into this world, the first thing is dies is cry for help. That is what happens to us when we are given spiritual life from God--immediately we cry out to God for help, for salvation.
When you read 1 John 5:4-5 you will see that everyone that has been born of God (regenerated) overcomes the world. It is not saying that when you overcome the world, you will be born again. That is like saying that your deeds, your good works, your law-keeping is what grants you life. That is not true. If that is true, then our deeds give us life, not God. We are given life, we are born again by God and then we, by God's strength, overcome the world. Overcoming the world is the fruit or result of being born of God. Life comes first, then victory over the world.
Now back up to 1 John 5:1. Scripture says "everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him." John expresses a different truth in the exact same way. Whoever has faith in Christ HAS BEEN born of God--that's past tense. It is not saying that whoever believes in Christ will be born again. It says that they HAVE BEEN born again. The being born of God or regeneration comes first. Faith then is the fruit or result of being born again. The order of salvation then looks like this. God causes us to be born again or gives us spiritual life (regeneration). Once we are alive we put faith in Christ and then are saved. That is no way violates the will of man. Man freely puts faith in Christ but cannot until God gives him life and cannot until God gives Him faith and repentance. The natural man cannot understand the things of God. He cannot. No ifs, ands or buts about it. The things of God are spiritually discerned or understood. He must be given spiritual life first in order to grasp scripture in a way that leads to salvation.
Titus 3:4-7 clearly shows us the wonderful truth of how God regenerates and then saves us.
Notice that we are not saved by works. We are saved by the "washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." We are saved because we were first born again or regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us life. And He does not give life apart from the Word of God that He inspired. Therefore, it is most necessary for us, as God's mouthpieces, to share the Word of God abundantly with those who are dead in sin. God will not regenerate them apart from His Word. The same Word which called dead Lazarus from the tomb will call dead sinners to life so that they can believe in Christ and be saved.
The practical applications of this truth are anything by heady. They are not meant to fill our brains with information only. They are meant to fill our minds with knowledge that leads us taking joy and delight in our God. These truths humble us and show our dependence upon God for eternal life. They help us to live a life of gratitude and worship of God. They help us to realize that God who has begun a good work in us will be faithful to complete it...our salvation is secure because it is God who gave us life and faith in Christ. These truths show us that if God had not acted first towards us and regenerated us, then we would still be dead in our trespasses and on our way to hell for our disobedience towards God. These truths show us that if we do not rightly learn the Word of God and do not rightly share the Word of God, then mankind has no hope of being born again to faith in Christ. How serious it is then that you sit under the Scripture and those who teach it faithfully and correctly.
I love the truth and WORDS of God's Word because they cause me to be awestruck by our good and gracious God.
There is a modern-day sense in which the word regeneration is used. If you cut off a lizard's tail it may regenerate. In this sense we would say that the tail grew back to fulness. Once a man tried to use this definition to explain to me that regeneration was the process by which God makes us more like Chirst. In other words, he was saying that regeneration is the same thing as growing in godliness. I begged to differ and told him that regeneration was something different than what he described to me. What he was describing was sanctification.
The root word of regeneration is generation. In a family there are often two, three or four generations alive at one time. Generation has to do with birth, life. One generation generates or gives life to another. Regeneration, in scripture, is the term we use to say that we have been "born again." Both mean the same things. REGENERATION = BORN AGAIN. John 1:12-13 tells us that we are born into God's family at the will of God, not our will: But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
This is hard for some to grasp because mankind can feel as if this is imposing on the will of man or that man has no will in his coming to faith in Christ. The problem from grasping this stems from a lack of understanding the order of salvation and defintion of terms. Being born again or regeneration comes before faith. Faith in Christ then is the fruit of regeneration. We do not cry out to God and say, "Make me born again, regenerate me!" We are regenerated, given life, made to live spiritually....then we cry out to God and say, "Lord, save me by Christ." Regeneration and salvation, while heavily connected, are not exactly the same thing.
It is much like the baby that is born into this world. It was not their decision to have life. Their parents willed it, so to speak. The same is true of our God. He willed our spiritual life (John 1:12-13, John 3:1-15). When a baby is born into this world, the first thing is dies is cry for help. That is what happens to us when we are given spiritual life from God--immediately we cry out to God for help, for salvation.
When you read 1 John 5:4-5 you will see that everyone that has been born of God (regenerated) overcomes the world. It is not saying that when you overcome the world, you will be born again. That is like saying that your deeds, your good works, your law-keeping is what grants you life. That is not true. If that is true, then our deeds give us life, not God. We are given life, we are born again by God and then we, by God's strength, overcome the world. Overcoming the world is the fruit or result of being born of God. Life comes first, then victory over the world.
Now back up to 1 John 5:1. Scripture says "everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him." John expresses a different truth in the exact same way. Whoever has faith in Christ HAS BEEN born of God--that's past tense. It is not saying that whoever believes in Christ will be born again. It says that they HAVE BEEN born again. The being born of God or regeneration comes first. Faith then is the fruit or result of being born again. The order of salvation then looks like this. God causes us to be born again or gives us spiritual life (regeneration). Once we are alive we put faith in Christ and then are saved. That is no way violates the will of man. Man freely puts faith in Christ but cannot until God gives him life and cannot until God gives Him faith and repentance. The natural man cannot understand the things of God. He cannot. No ifs, ands or buts about it. The things of God are spiritually discerned or understood. He must be given spiritual life first in order to grasp scripture in a way that leads to salvation.
Titus 3:4-7 clearly shows us the wonderful truth of how God regenerates and then saves us.
Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Notice that we are not saved by works. We are saved by the "washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." We are saved because we were first born again or regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us life. And He does not give life apart from the Word of God that He inspired. Therefore, it is most necessary for us, as God's mouthpieces, to share the Word of God abundantly with those who are dead in sin. God will not regenerate them apart from His Word. The same Word which called dead Lazarus from the tomb will call dead sinners to life so that they can believe in Christ and be saved.
The practical applications of this truth are anything by heady. They are not meant to fill our brains with information only. They are meant to fill our minds with knowledge that leads us taking joy and delight in our God. These truths humble us and show our dependence upon God for eternal life. They help us to live a life of gratitude and worship of God. They help us to realize that God who has begun a good work in us will be faithful to complete it...our salvation is secure because it is God who gave us life and faith in Christ. These truths show us that if God had not acted first towards us and regenerated us, then we would still be dead in our trespasses and on our way to hell for our disobedience towards God. These truths show us that if we do not rightly learn the Word of God and do not rightly share the Word of God, then mankind has no hope of being born again to faith in Christ. How serious it is then that you sit under the Scripture and those who teach it faithfully and correctly.
I love the truth and WORDS of God's Word because they cause me to be awestruck by our good and gracious God.
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