Mans nature is depraved, so much so that God Himself makes no attempt to improve it to make it fit for His holy presence. Think you it was a fair exchange? Regeneration is part of what God does for us at the moment of salvation, along with sealing (Ephesians 1:14), adoption (Galatians 4:5), reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:1820), etc. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. There is no short-cut to spiritual maturity. But was he ever truly saved? Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Their godly pastor who conducted the funeral service was deeply moved by the tragedy. Young believers must not feel that they are not making progress because they are not surging ahead at a fast rate of speed. When we sin against the Spirit we break fellowship with him, thereby cutting ourselves off from the supply of His power. Regeneration - Encyclopedia of The Bible - Bible Gateway In a similar sense he says in his Second Epistle, after mentioning "the day of God": "We look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2Peter 3:13). Behold, even the moon hath no brightness, and the stars are not pure in his sight: how much less man, that is a worm! Heaven may be reached without education, wealth or worldly acclaim, but it will not be inhabited by those who have not been regenerated. When a man is justified by faith, he rejoices in the present because of the future glory. The Bible warns against this false view where it says, If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (I John 1:8). In most places, however, where the word occurs in philosophical writings, it is used of the "reincarnation" or "subsequent birth" of the individual, as in the Buddhistic and Pythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of souls (Plut., edition Xylander, ii.998c; Clement of Alexandria, edition Potter, 539) or else of a revival of life (Philo i.159). 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. Before an unsaved person becomes a child of God, he is elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. Election and Foreknowledge are of necessity the preparatory work of God prior to experiential Sanctification in man. We have access into His grace. Grace has dug a foundation so deep that men have been drinking from its cleansing, justifying stream for centuries. Bibliography Information Orr, James, M.A., D.D. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. 9. 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. The New Birth produces some glorious effects in the believers life. WebRegeneration is represented in the Bible as constituting a radical change of character, as the resurrection from a death in sin, as the beginning of a new and spiritual life, as constituting a new creature, as a new creation, not a physical, but a moral or spiritual creation, as conversion, or turning to God, as giving God the heart, as loving Reformation and revival occurs when the Spirit of God sovereignly moves to change the hearts of men, bringing them from spiritual death to spiritual life. It appears from Acts 8:18, 19 that Simon never did enter experientially into the truth of the Gospel. "It is no longer I that live," he exclaims, "but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20). These results of justification by faith are given to us in Romans, chapter 5. We have here a new creation as against the old creation. WebRegeneration is the impartation of divine life which is manifested in that radical change in the moral character of man, from the love and life of sin to the love of God and the life of There is no other way of one getting into Christs Church apart from the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit. When our Lord used the word, He said to His disciples, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). All born again persons have God as their Father; therefore they are one in Christ, sharing a mutual love. Our first parents were driven out from the garden; Cain was driven out from the presence of the Lord; Israel was kept afar off from the foot of Mount Sinai lest some of the people should approach it. Josephus (Ant., XI, iii, 9) speaks of the anaktesis kai paliggenesia tes patridos, "a new foundation and regeneration of the fatherland," after the return from the Babylonian captivity. This means that no one can trust in Christ apart from the initiative of Gods saving gracenamely, regeneration. Though the words just, justify, justification, right, righteous, and righteousness are all translations from the same root, their individual meanings may differ slightly. In general this is still the opinion of pronounced sacrmentarians, while evangelical Christianity has gone back to the teaching of the New Testament. If sin in a believer could cause the Holy Spirit to depart from that believer, then that same sin could cause the person who committed it to lose his salvation, and if one could lose his salvation, he never could be saved again. In the Gospels, John 3 is the clearest passage on the doctrine of regeneration. The New Birth brought with it new life, and the new life has brought an entirely new set of desires, appetites, ideals and goals. Our Lord Himself said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24). 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. . (Genesis 1:1). Spiritually, it means that God brings a person to new life (that they are "born again") from a previous state of separation from God and subjection to the decay of The spiritual resurrection of believers is grounded in the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Christs resurrection was as necessary for our justification as was His death. If any person would be saved by keeping the Law, then he must keep it wholly, not merely in part, for . 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). This we see from the testimony of some of Israel's best sons and daughters, who also knew that this grace was found in the way of repentance and humiliation before God. the clearest passage on the doctrine of regeneration, spiritual resurrection in union with Christ, regeneration is inseparably tied to baptism, a sign and seal of the regeneration of believers. Paul says, Do not depend on your good works to justify you. James says, Do not neglect to perform good works if you are justified. Both are right. . God chose the Apostle Paul to expound the doctrine of Justification. Topical Bible: Regeneration It is not possible for a Christian to die to self. Propitiation The regeneration of the elect in time is the first fruits of the recreation of the cosmos on the last day. Additionally, the regeneration of individuals is a prelude to the regeneration of the cosmos on the last day. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication (I Thessalonians 4:3). It takes twenty-one years before a new born babe reaches the twenty-first anniversary of his birth. Whether the divine promises refer to the Messianic end of times, or are to be realized at an earlier date, they all refer to the nation of Israel as such, and to individuals only as far as they are partakers in the benefits bestowed upon the commonwealth. All rights reserved. The flesh is at enmity with God (Ephesians 2:15); all mankind is "darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God" (Ephesians 4:18). In Pauls day, and later in the days of the Protestant Reformation, and in our own day, it would be difficult to find a truth more cardinal to our historic Christian faith than the doctrine of Justification. 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. There He vindicated His Holy Law and at the same time showed mercy to sinners. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (John 3:6). It was no mere coincidence that I was present at 3314 I Street in the city of Philadelphia on December 25, 1927, the day I was saved. But this spake He of the Spirit . . In the remainder of chapter 2, verses 17-29, the Apostle strips the Jew of every vestige of the cloak of self-righteousness, so that when we reach chapter 3, verse 19, Gods startling verdict is Guilty! Every mouth is stopped and all the world is accused before Him. In at least two Epistles, according to the Authorized Version, Christians are addressed as those who are called to be saints (Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:2). However, we who are His children are wrong when we use His sovereignty as an excuse for our sinful unwillingness to carry out our responsibility. When great numbers of Samaritans heard Philip and believed and were baptized, Simon also accepted the facts and came forward to be baptized. Through the Washing of Regeneration | Desiring God the sin-conquering power (1:2-4), the spiritual enlightenment (1:5) and purity (1:27). The New Testament gives ample examples of regeneration. It refers to Preparatory Sanctification. In addition to individual regeneration, Scripture speaks of the regeneration of creation (Acts 3:21). The grace of God which brings Salvation also teaches Sanctification (Titus 2:11, 12). There is a mystery attached to both. Then that Christmas Day arrived when my heart eagerly responded to Gods Word and I was born again, Justified. When one is born again he instinctively is drawn to those persons of like precious faith. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. It is the process that we must ever pursue. Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? (John 3:9). The Epistle of Jude commences and concludes with a similar emphasis. Jesus had spoken of the change which faith in Him ("coming to him") would cause in the lives of His disciples; how divine energies like "rivers of water" should issue forth from them; and the evangelist continues in explanation: "But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified." The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them (Isaiah 11:6), and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9). And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules (Ezek. James finds less occasion to touch this subject than the other writers of the New Testament. The principle on which God declared him righteous is the principle on which He declares any man righteous. Tis everlasting peace, Sure as Jehovahs name;Tis stable as His steadfast throne, For evermore the same. 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. Make up your mind that unless you yield yourself to God you will not experience a life of holiness. The saving blessing of regeneration is signified and sealed in the sacrament of baptism. (3) The house in which a man lives can be sanctified. It was used once by our Lord in Matthew 19:28 and once by the Apostle Paul in Titus 3:5. to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:5). I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12, 14). The Galatians must know that he was no self-styled, self-appointed apostle, but rather divinely set apart. The subject of regeneration lies outside of the scope of the Epistle to the Hebrews, so that we look in vain for a clear dogmatical statement of it. The theology of Peter also points out the contact of regeneration with purity and holiness (1Peter 1:15,16) and true knowledge (1Peter 1:14) or obedience (1Peter 1:14; 3:16). In other words, when God called us it was with the view that we should obtain the glorified state. The evolutionary theory holds that life must come from pre-existing life, but it is at a loss to know where life begins. You must be born of the Spirit (John 3:5, 8). The act of regeneration itself is instantaneous. That He (God) might be just, and the Justifier of him who believeth in Jesus (Romans 3:26). His conversion, commission and career as an apostle were foreseen and foreordained before he was born. Faith to him is the human response to God's desire to impart His nature to mankind, and therefore the indispensable means to be employed in securing the full benefits of the new life, i.e. Is regeneration a result of salvation or does regeneration result in salvation? It is not a fellowship of the rich, the elite, or of one denomination as against another. It is based upon. Apart from the atoning Blood of Christ, man could not be set apart unto God. . (Exodus 39:44). He makes his point clear by use of illustration: Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (James 2:21). In his Epistles, John shows that this Spirit bestows the elements of a Godlike character which makes us to be "sons of God," who before were "children of the devil" (1John 3:10,24; 4:13, etc.). Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His (Romans 8:9). In Matthew 19:28 the word is equivalent to the "restitution of all things" ( Acts 3:21 ). . Christs coming into the world was a supernatural event, both the fact and the manner of His coming being a mystery to man. What a theme! A person can have an intellectual concept and give mental assent to a truth or doctrine, yet never become born again. See ESCHATOLOGY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, IX. Some who believe regeneration to be hereditary use Acts 16:31 in support of this theory. It is used of the renewal of the world in Stoical philosophy. It is the first step in the experience of the believer. By faith power is received which enables the sinner to overcome sin, to "sin no more" (John 8:11). Here Peter is saying the same as Jesus said in John 3:5. Just as there must be the human agent in a human birth, so there must be the Divine Agent in the new birth from above. Perfect Sanctification is the final step in the sanctifying process. 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. Bildad the Shuhite declared, and his friends, each in his turn, expressed very similar thoughts (Job 4:17; 14:4): "How then can man be just with God? The Apostle Paul wrote, And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh . Paul himself experienced this change, and henceforth exhibited the powers of the unseen world in his life of service. You and I are guilty and condemned. 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). I cannot know the will of God for my life if I neglect the Word of God. Our Lord said that the Holy Spirit would abide with you forever (John 14:16). 2. The water in this verse does not refer to baptism. An example of the comparative degree is seen in Hebrews 9:11 where we read, But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building. It could be said that a wife is more perfect than her husband, or that the husband is less perfect than his wife, yet neither of them would have at any time attained to sinless perfection.. holiness (Hebrews 12:14), that is, pursue it, press on after it. He gives guidance to those who sincerely want His will and who are already walking in obedience to the light which they received from the Word. It was many years after he was justified before God. The tribunal of Heaven differs from all earthly tribunals. And now, on the background of these preliminary thoughts, let us pursue our study in the doctrine of Sanctification in its relation to the believer in Jesus Christ. We can be tempted by Satan (I Corinthians 7:5; I Thessalonians 3:5), by the natural desires of the old unregenerate nature (Galatians 4:14; James 1:14), by other persons (Matthew 16:1; 19:3). Advocates of baptismal regeneration typically have a four-part formula for how salvation is received. 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. The necessity of regeneration for all men grew out of the depravity of mans nature. He chose to save us through a body, thus the necessity of the Incarnation. The Apostle James attributes the sovereign work of God in regeneration to the living Word of God. This life can be received on the condition of faith in Christ or by coming to Him (John 14:6). The Word of God presents to us the fact of our sin and condemnation, that without Christ we are without a Saviour and with no hope. Let us put it another way--the only righteous basis for our justification has been provided through the death of Christ. We emphasize the phrase to declare his righteousness, for to justify means to declare righteous, the basis of which is the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. He has thereby passed from under the law of sin and death and has come under "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2). At the time of our regeneration, we repented, condemned ourselves, and confessed our sins. This spirit (compare the Pauline "lifegiving spirit," 1Corinthians 15:45), the "mind" of Christ (1Peter 4:1), is the power of the resurrected Christ active in the life of the believer. By Positional Sanctification we mean that act of God the Holy Spirit in which He sets apart every saved person. Paul used it in referring to the regeneration of the individual man, his being born again into Gods new order. 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. Thus having been born from above, we are to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. God is here telling of a day, still future, when He will set Himself apart as the one true and living God, and that all peoples in the earth will acknowledge Him as such. These should be examined carefully because the new life needs to develop. Whereupon the pastor advised her to go to the bank and withdraw the necessary money from the boys savings account. WebDefinition. Perfect (or ultimate) Sanctification is that aspect of Sanctification related to the final perfection of the children of God. 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. Human birth is a complex miracle, but the New Birth is a far more complex miracle. 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). A solemn word of warning is in order here. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (I Corinthians 6:11). he is a debtor to do the whole law (Galatians 5:3). This is even true where the blessings prophesied are only spiritual, as in Isaiah 60:21,22. Positional Sanctification is not a second work of grace to be sought subsequent to the experience of Regeneration. Scripture often speaks of regeneration under the figure of spiritual resurrection. The Reformed creeds and confessions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries carefully articulate the doctrine of regeneration in contradistinction to both of these aberrant views. The Holy Spirit was the active Agent in the conception and birth of Jesus Christ.