SALVATION - WHAT IS REGENERATION?

This study in salvation I'm taking from one of Richard Belcher's novels called A Journey in Salvation as well as from Scripture of course.

Salvation begins with God. It is not, nor can it be initiated by man. The human heart must be born again or regenerated and this can only happen through super natural intervention.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 3, Jesus is speaking with a Pharisee named Nicodemus who came to him to seek answers about his miracles. Jesus tells Nicodemus in v.3, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Needless to say Nicodemus is stunned by these words and isn't sure what to make of this. He questions Jesus asking, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mothers womb a second time?"

But in verse 7 Jesus tells Nicodemus, "Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again."

First lets look at what Jesus is not saying here:
He's not saying - It would be nice if you were born again.
He's not saying - It would be helpful if you were born again.
He's not saying - It would be beneficial if you would be born again.
He's not saying - It is my hope that you would be born again.

Instead, Jesus is making an emphatic statement here that one MUST be born again. Basically He's saying, you MUST be regenerated. This is not optional or open to discussion. Then this raises the question, What exactly is Regeneration?

I) Regeneration is a Birth or a Creation

When you create something new or there is a new birth, it is the giving of life where before nothing existed.

So the new birth is not:
Making something from something else.
The remaking of something old.
The renewal of something already alive.
The reformation of something deteriorating or slipping away.
The revival of something dying.

Here's an example.

There was once a scientist who confronted God and said, "God, I'm now as powerful as you are. With my scientific knowledge I can create anything you can create." So God looking down on the scientist said, Ok, go ahead, lets see you create another earth." The scientist said, "No problem." He reached down and started gathering dirt for his creation, but God said, "Ah, ah, get your own dirt.

So regeneration, the new birth, is not making something out of something that already exists, its something that must be created from nothing.

Louis Berkhof in his book, Systematic Theology says the following about the new birth:

"The subconscious implanting of the principle of the new spiritual life in the soul which effects an instantaneous change; intellectually, morally, emotionally in the whole man which enables the sinner to respond in repentance and faith to the outward or public proclamation of the Gospel."

II) Regeneration is a Second or Spiritual Birth

This means that to be a Christian, one must be born twice. Continuing in John 3:5-6 Jesus notes for Nicodemus the significance of the two different births. He states, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (physical) and the Spirit, (spiritual) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, (physical) and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (spritual)

What Jesus is saying here is that in order for anyone to enter the kingdom of Heaven he must be born, not only physically but spiritually as well; He must be born from above. This also goes hand in hand with other passages of Scripture:

1John 5:4-5 "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

1John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."

1John 2:29 "If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him."

1Peter 1:22b-23 "...Love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God."

And there are many more passages that talk similarly about the second birth.

III) Regeneration is a Mystery to Men

How regeneration actually occurs we will never really know this side of Heaven. All we know for sure is that we are to proclaim the good news to the whole world and as people hear it, God will regenerate the hearts of some and they will be born again.

Back to our passage of Scripture in John 3, Jesus says in verse 8, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

So what's Jesus saying here? That salvation, the new birth, regeneration is the sole work of God and that the secret things are of the Lord.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Richard Belcher sums it up this way:

"A Christian is one who has been moved upon by the Holy Spirit in a manner which man cannot explain whereby a deep internal change has taken place so that he is a new creation through the imparting of a new principle of life by the Holy Spirit of God whereby also one's outward life is changed in a very noticeable and drastic manner."

I'll just add one more passage of Scripture to that:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2Corinthians 5:17-21

Amen and God bless

Rob