The Day of Pentecost marked the beginning of the fulfillment of our Lords promise, so that now every born-again person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The washing of regeneration refers to being born again. In John 16:8, Jesus teaches that the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment in the process of regeneration and conversion. This we see plainly in the view of baptismal regeneration, which, based upon half-understood passages of Scripture quoted above, was taught at an early date. This means that no one can trust in Christ apart from the initiative of Gods saving gracenamely, regeneration. In Christs day miracles were a substantial aid to ones faith. Our Lord left no doubt as to the indispensable necessity of the new birth as a pre-requisite to entrance into the Kingdom of God. . Do We See Any Gospel Connections in the Book of Numbers? In the Latin version the word freely is gratis, being justified gratis. Gods method of justifying men gives us a glorious demonstration of His sovereign grace. By regeneration we become "an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession" in whom divine virtues, "the excellencies of him who called you" (1Peter 2:9), are manifested. Sanctification, then, is that sovereign act of God whereby He sets apart a person, a place, or an object for Himself in order that He might accomplish His purpose in the world by means of that person, place, or object. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him (I John 5:1). It will last! Water is also used in the Bible as an emblem of the Word of God, and in such uses it is associated with cleansing or washing, not drinking. Scripture teaches that regeneration It was Abrahams faith that was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Still the need of it is plainly stated by Paul. Only He who gave life at the beginning can give the (spiritual) life necessary to do God's will. Again the pastor told her to go to the bank and withdraw the necessary amount from the boys account. Faith is the vital point of contact between the sinner and God. When a man is justified by faith, he rejoices in the present because of the future glory. And again the point should be made that this fellowship is a spiritual one, having its roots in Jesus Christ (I John 1:3). The meaning of these words is always objective, not subjective. . When one is born again he instinctively is drawn to those persons of like precious faith. Make up your mind that unless you yield yourself to God you will not experience a life of holiness. In the second most important passage on the means of Regeneration, we find our answer. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, Who hath also given unto us His Holy Spirit (I Thessalonians 4:8). We know that this statement from His lips had nothing to do with moral behavior because in Him is no sin (I John 3:5). Men refuse to accept historic Christianity because it claims for itself a supernatural revelation and demands of every man a supernatural Regeneration. Many of the religious books coming from the presses today are long on experience but short on doctrine. The question is when regeneration occurs. There is glory for the believer which has not yet been manifested. The Apostle Paul wrote, And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh . The doctrine that regeneration redounds in true knowledge of Christ is seen from Ephesians 3:15-19 and 4:17-24, where the darkened understanding and ignorance of natural man are placed in contradistinction to the enlightenment of the new life (see also Colossians 3:10). The war is done, armistice has been declared, and God holds nothing whatever against us. Repurchase of captured goods or prisoners; the act of procuring the deliverance of persons or things from the possession and power of captors by the payment of an equivalent; ransom; release; as the redemption of prisoners taken in war; the redemption of a ship and cargo. In the Old Testament, God promised this work of grace through the prophet Ezekiel: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 9. The Galatians must know that he was no self-styled, self-appointed apostle, but rather divinely set apart. It is based upon. The theological term "regeneration" is the Latin translation of the Greek expression palingenesia, occurring twice in the New Testament (Matthew 19:28; Titus 3:5). Every temptation can result in blessing if when we are tempted we are driven to Gods Word and prayer and win the victory. In Romans Paul is merely emphasizing the truth that faith is the means of justification, while James stresses the fact that good works are the fruit of justification. There is a divine initiative WebWhen we receive God into us as our life and we are thus regenerated, that is a great washing. We were brought there by Christ Who said, I am the Door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture (John 10:9). Paul then distinctly teaches that thus is a new life in store for those who have been spiritually dead. This is not a work in which man contributes but is a work of God alone. . (Genesis 1:1). He simply believed God, and through his faith in the truth which God had spoken, God in grace freely justified him. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy Spirit from me. The will of God is the present sphere of Christian obligation. . Malachi 3:2), and there is no doubt that John the Baptist found in such passages the ground for his practice of baptizing the Jews who came to him (John 1:25-28 and parallel's). Little wonder that one theologian suggested that the holy and righteous God faced the greatest riddle ever when He set out to justify the ungodly. Tribulation cannot touch the security of the justified. Consider well and take seriously the fact of the universality of sin. 6:46, 13; Eph. Mangey, ii.144) uses the word, speaking of the post-diluvial epoch of the earth, as of a new world, and Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (xi.1), of a periodical restoration of all things, laying stress upon the constant recurrence and uniformity of all happenings, which thought the Preacher expressed by "There is no new thing under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). God could not set apart an unclean sinner for His possession and purpose, therefore, He purchased and purified the sinner by the Blood of His Son. Now after 45 years of Christian experience, that work resulting in my being set apart has remained unchanged. (John 7:37-39). Esteemed British pastor D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: Conversion is the first exercise of the new nature in ceasing from old forms of life and starting a new life. Ten years later, the boy graduated from high school and at the commencement exercises he was awarded a scholarship in a university hundreds of miles from home. The following passage teaches that water is sometimes a symbol of the Holy Spirit--In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. When Christ was on earth He performed many miracles. Here is the believers heritage in Christ. (2) It is the will of God that all men be made partakers of this new life (1Timothy 2:4) and, as it is clearly stated that some fall short of it (John 5:40), it is plain that the fault thereof lies with man. If you have not experienced the new birth, trust Christ now, and the Holy Spirit will give you new life. Elsewhere Paul speaks of the peace of God (Philippians 4:7), an experience of those believers who learn to cast their cares on Him. And be very certain that He has a plan for you. Paul says that forgiveness and justification are made possible through Jesus Christ, but he makes it clear that the two are not identical. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? It will not be realized while we are in this mortal body. We know that there is something wrong with the human race. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him (I John 3:15). Many Christians either withdraw from it completely or else they associate it with fanatical fringe groups. Covetousness and carnality had crept in among them. In Christ Jesus our Lord . If the problem in the Christian life is to bring our practice up to our position, then let us become men and women of the Word. Cyril of Jerusalem (Cat., xvii, c. 37) ascribes to baptism the power of absolution from sin and the power of endowment with heavenly virtues. And if you are wondering how the Word of God quickens faith, the answer is, By imparting knowledge. When great numbers of Samaritans heard Philip and believed and were baptized, Simon also accepted the facts and came forward to be baptized. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God . WebRegeneration is the spiritual transformation in a person, brought about by the Holy Spirit, that brings the individual from being spiritually dead to become a spiritually alive human At this point in our study we must make the necessary distinction between Practical Sanctification and that to which some Christians refer to as sinless perfection, an erroneous concept which teaches that a believer in Christ can reach a point in life where he will not commit sin again. God is the Source of the new life which is communicated to the believing sinner. This is a mighty truth that we must know and on which we need to reckon continuously. The Adoption is not experienced in this life while we remain in this mortal body. It is His own glory which He has given to us (John 17:22), and it is the result of our being declared righteous through faith in His Blood. According to Augustine baptism is essential to salvation, though the baptism of blood (martyrdom) may take the place of water baptism, as in the case of the thief at the cross (Augustine, De Anima et Eius Origine, i.11, c. 9; ii.14, c. 10; ii.16, c. 12). After he returned from the memorial service he went to the local bank and opened a savings account in the name of the orphaned boy. "He handles psychical powers; He works upon psychical energies and states; and this work of regeneration lies somewhere within the psychical field." (2) A building and its contents can be sanctified. Accordingly, theologians have commonly spoken of regeneration as spiritual resurrection. And many other signs (wonders, miracles) truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name (John 20:30, 31). You cannot buy it with money, for it is freely by His grace. You cannot work for it with your hands; it is freely by His grace. You cannot receive it through any rite or ceremony; it is freely by His grace. You cannot lay claim to it because you are not so bad as others, for it is freely by His grace. It is useless to wait until you improve, because it is freely by His grace. If you hope to be justified before God apart from grace, you have a false idea of the value of the Christian Gospel. Peter does not here explain the doctrines of Election and Foreknowledge; he merely states the fact that God the Father made a choice before ever God the Son and God the Holy Spirit acted in behalf of our Sanctification. While Reformed theologians defended the doctrine of regeneration against the sacramentalism of Rome, they affirmed that baptism is a sign and seal of the regeneration of believers. The Psalmist wrote, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? Dr. Chafer said, Even if Sanctification were limited to the field of human experience, there would never be an experience that could be proven to be its perfect example, nor would any human statement of that experience exactly describe the full measure of the divine reality. Paul wrote this to those who were boasting that the Law was given to them. In summing up our study of the doctrine of Regeneration, we may conclude that the regenerated person has been given the power to obey God and to grow in grace. The marvels of saving grace call for a life corresponding to our exalted position in Christ. . When the initiation into the church was thought of as accomplished by the mediation of ministers thereto appointed, the ceremonies hereby employed became means to which magic powers were of necessity ascribed. The Arminian position of regeneration is that a persons faith precedes his or her regeneration. However, a general meaning is common to all. Divine foreknowledge is not limited to mere foresight of what men will do at some future time. Pauls summary of his argument of this great truth lists the blessings which accompany it. Paul wrote, For ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (I Corinthians 3:3). In the Red Sea, God was delivering Israel while destroying His enemies in the waters. Perfect (or ultimate) Sanctification is that aspect of Sanctification related to the final perfection of the children of God. It is Gods gift to every regenerated man (Romans 5:17). Here the Apostle is drawing a contrast between children and adults, exhorting them, not to sinless perfection, but to show forth the kind of understanding that would be expected of mature adults. It was not to a social outcast, criminal or drunkard, but to a religious, law-abiding man that Christ addressed the command, Ye must be born again. Some persons who possess a certain moral goodness and are therefore self-righteous, do not realize any need of regeneration. Surely He would not set apart a man for a ministry without providing the enablement to carry out all of the responsibilities attached thereto. Leo the Great compares the spirit-filled water of baptism with the spirit-filled womb of the virgin Mary, in which the Holy Spirit engenders a sinless child of God (Serm. only found in Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5 . Regeneration is God working in us; Justification is God working for us. The turning of Israel to God was necessarily meant to be an inward change of attitude toward Him, in other words, the sprinkling with clean water, as an outward sign, was the emblem of a pure heart. To the Jew the regeneration thus prophesied was inseparably connected with the reign of the Messiah. To be born again is to be born of God (John 1:13). Dr. Kenneth S. Wuest said, God is the objective standard which determines the content and meaning, and at the same time keeps that content of meaning constant and unchanging, since He only is the unchanging One. A just person is one who has been declared righteous by God. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate (Hebrews 13:12). The Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and must therefore be led by the Spirit. By nature, we are unable to do anything pleasing to God. But let us never lose sight of the glorious fact that our Lord Jesus Christ, through His Death, is the sole ground of our justification. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Some who believe regeneration to be hereditary use Acts 16:31 in support of this theory. A healthy growth that leads to spiritual maturity necessitates time. So, too, new covenant baptism symbolizes the washing away of the sins of Gods people while delivering them. This re-birth of the earth in the coming Millennial Age will also fulfill Gods covenant with Abraham concerning his descendants, for Israel too will experience a re-birth at that time (See Ezekiel 37). . Sanctification is not merely a single act, but a continuous process. Someone may ask, How can you take such an attitude toward your troubles? Charles Hodge has said, Since our relation to God is changed, the relation of all things to us is changed. And that is the answer! These should be examined carefully because the new life needs to develop. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25). Now this process of Sanctification goes on during the present life here on earth, but it will be perfected at (Greek en), not until, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. To change this lost condition, to impart this new life, Jesus claims as His God-appointed task: "The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10); "I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly" (John 10:10). That which is born of the flesh is flesh (John 3:6), and they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8), because in the flesh dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18). (Job 25:4-6). It is, however, quite evident that this latter conception has arisen rather late, from an analysis of the former meaning. . Because they were my children and I loved them, I excused and shielded their guilt. Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Thessalonians 2:14). But it is no sin to be tempted. 1:30 ). These miracles, or signs, or wonders, were performed by our Lord as an evidence of His Deity, and they were done by Him so that sinners would believe in Him and be saved. to renew, repair. There is no short-cut to spiritual maturity. But to insist that the new birth occurs as the result of water baptism makes regeneration a matter of external ritualism. To the Ephesians he writes: "And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins" (2:1), and later on: "God, being rich in mercy, . made us alive together with Christ" (2:4,5). . And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Christ said, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:35). The parables of Jesus further illustrate this doctrine. It is Gods foresight and choice linked together with His own plan and purpose. The kingdom of Christ on earth will be a time of world-wide subjection to the authority of Christ, when sin, sorrow, sickness, suffering and strife will not touch earths inhabitants. With each passing day the burden of my sin became increasingly heavy. When a man says he has been justified by God, his fellowmen have a right to expect him to prove his faith by his good works. It is not a fellowship of the rich, the elite, or of one denomination as against another. It is the "breath from Yahweh," the Spirit of God, who alone can give life to the spiritually dead. This seems to be an allusion to the passage in Hosea (4:6): "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me.". He is not inferring that faith is righteousness, but rather that faith is the means through which righteousness is reckoned. WebRegeneration, while sometimes perceived to be a step in the Ordo salutis ('order of salvation'), is generally understood in Christian theology to be the objective work of God in a believer's life. You cannot even coerce the Spirit of God to effect your regeneration. Recent psychological investigations have thrown a flood of light on the psychic states which precede, accompany and follow the work of the Holy Spirit. They refuse to believe that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), and until we are born again, there is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:12). This truth is emphasized for us in I Peter 3:18, where we read: For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. The last phrase of this verse, that He might bring us to God, can be translated, that He might provide for us access into the presence of God. This blessed privilege is all of grace. In a comprehensive statement of the Gospel, Paul wrote, Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification (Romans 4:25). In general this is still the opinion of pronounced sacrmentarians, while evangelical Christianity has gone back to the teaching of the New Testament. . But this spake He of the Spirit . Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Still the epistle does in no place contradict the dogma, which, on the other hand, underlies many of the statements made. This righteousness is imputed to the believer by God on the faith principle apart from human works (Romans 4:5, 6). It is the first action of the regenerate soul in moving from something to something. Regeneration precedes and produces conversion. This was always recognized as impossible to mere human endeavor. Indeed this is a special kind of glory, even the perfection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The answer is to declare His righteousness. You see, God could not remain just and at the same time allow sin to go unpunished. We have seen above that the agent by which regeneration is wrought, the incorruptible seed of the word of God, finds a parallel in Paul's and James's theology. Before the ages God planned to bestow upon the redeemed a glory, unique and appropriate only to the Church in Christ. The Greek word so rendered (palingenesia) is used by classical writers with reference to the changes produced by the return of spring. However, our Lord said to Nicodemus, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5). And make certain that you are clear on one point, namely, the new creation begins with Christ. WebRegeneration was the principal work of the Holy Spirit. In that day God shall renew His creation. The very fact that we are saved people should tell us that the doctrine of Sanctification does not belong in the ring of polemical pugilism. (3) The process of regeneration is outside of our observation and beyond the scope of psychological analysis. The opening statement in the Bible says, In the beginning God created . Our Lord said to Nicodemus, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5). He accepts them. WebDictionaries / Encyclopedia. The grace of God which brings Salvation also teaches Sanctification (Titus 2:11, 12). When God, by a judicial decision, made Abraham a righteous man, He did it on the principle of faith, that he (Abraham) might be the father of all them that believe (Romans 4:11). . For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (I Corinthians 6:19). As the wind moves wherever it wills, the Spirit moves in whomever He wills. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father (Galatians 4:6). What might be considered just and right in one generation, or in one part of the world, might not be so considered in another generation, or in a different part of the world. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity (Acts 8:21-23). The Scriptures do not teach that Sanctification is the improvement of the unregenerate nature, nor that it is the eradication of that nature thereby rendering it impossible for a child of God to commit sin. This phrase sets forth the greatness of our new standing before Him. All that is born of human blood is depraved and is therefore heir to death (Romans 5:12). So you see that without the Word of God a man cannot be regenerated, or born again. It is found in Titus 3:5 which, without absolute certainty as to its meaning, is generally interpreted in agreement with the numerous nouns and verbs which have given the dogmatical setting to the doctrine of regeneration in Christian theology. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (I John 4:20). Regeneration is Gods sovereign activity by the Holy Spirit in the soul of one who is spiritually dead in sin. Justification is more than forgiveness. Are you rejoicing in His imputed Sanctification? By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10). The only way that God could be both merciful and just was through Calvary, where Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin. Certainly it is not through struggling nor self-confidence nor by trying to duplicate those experiences to which others testify. In the new birth, the Spirit implants in the souls of Gods people new wills, affections, and desires. This is every Christians position, independent of the length of time one has been saved, how much or how little one knows about the Bible, or how spiritual that person might be. First Biblical Sense (Eschatological): In Matthew 19:28 the word refers to the restoration of the world, in which sense it is synonymical to the expressions apokatastasis panton, "restoration of all things" (Acts 3:21; the verb is found in Matthew 17:11, apokatastsei panta, "shall restore all things"), and anapsuxis, "refreshing" (Acts 3:19), which signifies a gradual transition of meaning to the second sense of the word under consideration. When we sin against the Spirit we break fellowship with him, thereby cutting ourselves off from the supply of His power. Sprouls new book on the hard sayings of Scripture. . . Related Topics: Regeneration, Justification, Sanctification, Lehman Strauss taught Old Testament history for eight years at Philadelphia Bible Institute, and served as pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church, Bristol, Pennsylvania, from 1939 to 1957. Here Peter speaks of the use made of the Word of God in Regeneration. No child of God is free from temptation, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). The fact that He is in you is the plain teaching of Scripture. General Editor. Notice it does not say that some of them were baptized into the Body, but that all were. The purpose of self-sanctification is to prevent sin in the life of the Christian. We have access only through Him. he is a debtor to do the whole law (Galatians 5:3). Somewhere I heard or read of a tragedy at sea in which a young fisherman was washed overboard and lost. . Let us make certain that by faith we are justified before God. In contradistinction to the first covenant, in which the people approached God by means of outward forms and ordinances, the "new covenant" (8:13) brought an "eternal redemption" (9:12) by means of a divine cleansing (9:14). the sin-conquering power (1:2-4), the spiritual enlightenment (1:5) and purity (1:27). They feel that only drunkards, thieves, murderers, harlots, dope addicts, and the like need to be born again. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body . And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the LORD, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand (Leviticus 27:14). What Does Colossians 2:6-7 Teach Us about Our Faith Walk? Put another way, regeneration is the root and conversion is the fruit. . (Hebrews 2:11). It was all according to Gods eternal purpose and grace. The setting apart of the believing sinner as Gods possession and for Gods purpose is associated with the Holy Spirits entering the body at Regeneration. This is the problem simply stated, and it is the basis upon which God acts in Justification. However, in the redemptive plan God restores that image and likeness. Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart (II Timothy 2:21, 22). The Reformed doctrine of regeneration stands in stark contrast to doctrines of both the Arminians and Roman Catholic Church. From the above passages it is clear that the act of imparting life has been the Holy Spirits work from the beginning. This promised regeneration, so lovingly offered by Yahweh, is to be the token of a new covenant between God and His people (Jeremiah 31:31; Ezekiel 11:19-21; 18:31,32; 37:23,24). There seems, however, to be little doubt that James directly refers to regeneration in the words: "Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (1:18). When the covetous Pharisees derided our Lord, Who knew their hearts, Jesus answered them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God (Luke 16:15). There is no promise in Gods Word that those who are justified by faith shall escape tribulation. What? What He said is that the Father set Him apart and sent Him from Heaven to earth to accomplish the Divine mission of redemption. God stands at the commencement of all life. God was satisfied with the sacrifice of His Son, and never again will He take up a case against those who have been justified by faith. Many of the students stressed the idea of purification from moral evil. Regeneration is the implantation of a new life. What is the meaning of biblical regeneration?