KenH
Well-Known Member
DOES REGENERATION PRECEDE BELIEVING IN CHRIST?
The short answer is “YES.” This is because, having fallen by Adam into sin and death, we are all born spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. This means we cannot and will not believe and rest in the true Christ for salvation until God the Holy Spirit gives us (imparts) spiritual life to us (John 6:44; Rom. 3:10-12; 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 2:1). This is why Christ said, as recorded in John 3:3-7, that unless we are “born again” (by God from above), we cannot “see” or “enter into the kingdom of God.” The Lord made it clear – “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN” (John 3:7). It is made clear in God’s Word that this new birth is a miracle of God’s power and grace and NOT by natural birth, NOT by the works of the flesh, and NOT by the wills of men (John 1:11-13). It is totally by God’s sovereign will and work (Ezek. 36:26-27). The new birth is a blessing of the covenant of grace which is all conditioned on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the fruit and result of His obedience unto death, burial, and resurrection as the Surety, Substitute, Redeemer, and Life-Giver for His people (John 12:2-33; 16:7-11; Rom. 8:10). As Christ’s righteousness is imputed to His people for their justification (legal standing in Christ) before God, spiritual life is powerfully and irresistibly applied to them in their new birth at God’s appointed time (Gal. 1:15-16). All for whom Christ died on the cross shall be born again by the Holy Spirit. They all shall be regenerated and converted (John 6:37).
What exactly is this new birth? The new birth consists of two essential works of God’s power and grace – REGENERATION and CONVERSION. REGENERATION is the impartation of spiritual life and knowledge as given and revealed by God to His chosen people. This is totally a work of God within His people. CONVERSION is God drawing them by the gift of faith to believe in Christ as their whole salvation and bring them to repentance of dead works and idolatry to turn away from self. This, too, is totally a work of God. Neither regeneration nor conversion comes by man’s power or man’s will. It is all of God’s power and God’s will. Neither regeneration nor conversion comes BY man’s cooperation. As described in Jeremiah 31:33 – “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I WILL put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and THEY SHALL be My people.” It is God Who powerfully and invincibly DRAWS His people to Himself in Christ and makes us willing in the day of His power.
How is the new birth applied to God’s people in time? The sovereign Agent in the new birth is God the Holy Spirit, and the means by which He brings this about is by communication of the Gospel in power. Sinners are born again by the Holy Spirit only under the preaching of the true Gospel (John 8:31-32; Rom. 1:16-17; 6:17-18; 10:13-17; 1 Cor. 1:18-21; 1 Thess. 1:4-5; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:22-25; James 1:18). This does not mean that the new birth comes about by any power of man, and it does not mean that the Gospel message has some kind of magical power to convert men. It is God the Holy Spirit Who has all power to give life and faith to spiritually dead sinners. Men can preach the true Gospel, but it will not be used in the regeneration or conversion of any sinner unless the Holy Spirit empowers it to accomplish this work – “IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). When Stephen preached the Gospel, it fell on deaf ears (Acts 7:51). This is the general call of the Gospel that goes out even to those who will perish (Matt. 22:14; cf. 2 Cor. 2:12-17). When Peter preached it, the Holy Spirit issued forth the invincible, irresistible call of God’s power and grace to bring His people to faith in Christ and repentance of dead works (Acts 2:37). This is why the Pharisees rejected Christ and the disciples received Christ (Matt. 13:10-17). They heard the same message, but God the Holy Spirit gave Christ’s sheep spiritual eyes and spiritual ears to believe and receive Christ as He is revealed and identified in the TRUE Gospel of God's grace, wherein the "righteousness of God" (the merits of Christ's obedience unto death imputed to HIs people) as the “power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16-17).
The bottom line is this – God the Holy Spirit works in the new birth, first by bringing Christ’s sheep under the preaching of the true Gospel (John 10:15-16, 27; Rom. 6:17-18), and then He spiritually raises them from the dead and gives them faith to believe in Christ and to repent of their dead works. He does not regenerate or convert sinners under a false gospel or without the true Gospel (Matt. 7:15-20). The main evidence of having been regenerated and converted is in hearing and believing the true Gospel by the power of God (John 3:18-21; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:13-17; 1 Thess. 1:4-5; 1 John 5:13).
- Pastor Bill Parker, Eager Avenue Grace Church, Albany Georgia
The short answer is “YES.” This is because, having fallen by Adam into sin and death, we are all born spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. This means we cannot and will not believe and rest in the true Christ for salvation until God the Holy Spirit gives us (imparts) spiritual life to us (John 6:44; Rom. 3:10-12; 1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 2:1). This is why Christ said, as recorded in John 3:3-7, that unless we are “born again” (by God from above), we cannot “see” or “enter into the kingdom of God.” The Lord made it clear – “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN” (John 3:7). It is made clear in God’s Word that this new birth is a miracle of God’s power and grace and NOT by natural birth, NOT by the works of the flesh, and NOT by the wills of men (John 1:11-13). It is totally by God’s sovereign will and work (Ezek. 36:26-27). The new birth is a blessing of the covenant of grace which is all conditioned on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the fruit and result of His obedience unto death, burial, and resurrection as the Surety, Substitute, Redeemer, and Life-Giver for His people (John 12:2-33; 16:7-11; Rom. 8:10). As Christ’s righteousness is imputed to His people for their justification (legal standing in Christ) before God, spiritual life is powerfully and irresistibly applied to them in their new birth at God’s appointed time (Gal. 1:15-16). All for whom Christ died on the cross shall be born again by the Holy Spirit. They all shall be regenerated and converted (John 6:37).
What exactly is this new birth? The new birth consists of two essential works of God’s power and grace – REGENERATION and CONVERSION. REGENERATION is the impartation of spiritual life and knowledge as given and revealed by God to His chosen people. This is totally a work of God within His people. CONVERSION is God drawing them by the gift of faith to believe in Christ as their whole salvation and bring them to repentance of dead works and idolatry to turn away from self. This, too, is totally a work of God. Neither regeneration nor conversion comes by man’s power or man’s will. It is all of God’s power and God’s will. Neither regeneration nor conversion comes BY man’s cooperation. As described in Jeremiah 31:33 – “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I WILL put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and THEY SHALL be My people.” It is God Who powerfully and invincibly DRAWS His people to Himself in Christ and makes us willing in the day of His power.
How is the new birth applied to God’s people in time? The sovereign Agent in the new birth is God the Holy Spirit, and the means by which He brings this about is by communication of the Gospel in power. Sinners are born again by the Holy Spirit only under the preaching of the true Gospel (John 8:31-32; Rom. 1:16-17; 6:17-18; 10:13-17; 1 Cor. 1:18-21; 1 Thess. 1:4-5; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:22-25; James 1:18). This does not mean that the new birth comes about by any power of man, and it does not mean that the Gospel message has some kind of magical power to convert men. It is God the Holy Spirit Who has all power to give life and faith to spiritually dead sinners. Men can preach the true Gospel, but it will not be used in the regeneration or conversion of any sinner unless the Holy Spirit empowers it to accomplish this work – “IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). When Stephen preached the Gospel, it fell on deaf ears (Acts 7:51). This is the general call of the Gospel that goes out even to those who will perish (Matt. 22:14; cf. 2 Cor. 2:12-17). When Peter preached it, the Holy Spirit issued forth the invincible, irresistible call of God’s power and grace to bring His people to faith in Christ and repentance of dead works (Acts 2:37). This is why the Pharisees rejected Christ and the disciples received Christ (Matt. 13:10-17). They heard the same message, but God the Holy Spirit gave Christ’s sheep spiritual eyes and spiritual ears to believe and receive Christ as He is revealed and identified in the TRUE Gospel of God's grace, wherein the "righteousness of God" (the merits of Christ's obedience unto death imputed to HIs people) as the “power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16-17).
The bottom line is this – God the Holy Spirit works in the new birth, first by bringing Christ’s sheep under the preaching of the true Gospel (John 10:15-16, 27; Rom. 6:17-18), and then He spiritually raises them from the dead and gives them faith to believe in Christ and to repent of their dead works. He does not regenerate or convert sinners under a false gospel or without the true Gospel (Matt. 7:15-20). The main evidence of having been regenerated and converted is in hearing and believing the true Gospel by the power of God (John 3:18-21; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:13-17; 1 Thess. 1:4-5; 1 John 5:13).
- Pastor Bill Parker, Eager Avenue Grace Church, Albany Georgia
