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Being Born Again is a Supernatural, Instantaneous Work of God in the Region of the Soul Below Consciousness.

Alan Dale Gross

Active Member
"Regeneration or being born again is a supernatural, instantaneous work of God in the region of the soul below consciousness, whereby the sinful bent imparted to the faculties of the soul in the fall of the race is rectified and, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, the initial exercise of the holy disposition thus imparted is procured.

From this definition of regeneration and from the Scriptures let us note that-

(1) It is a work of God.
Man cannot give birth to himself. John plainly attributes regeneration to God when, in speaking of our being born again, he says: "Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:13).

Man does not by any act of his own dispose God to regenerate him. The agency of the Spirit in regeneration is declared in John 3:5.

(2) It is a supernatural work.
"In a sense the falling of rain, the blowing of the wind, and the flashing of the lightning are the works of God. But they occur according to natural laws.

"The fleshly birth represents a work of God, but it is according to the natural laws of reproduction. The new birth is different. It is not accomplished basically by natural law or natural processes.

"The natural thing is for the sinner to go in sin. Neither the sinner himself, nor any other natural force or agency of itself, has any more power to reverse a sinful course of life than an Ethiopian has to change his skin or a leopard has to change his spots. Jer. 13:23.

(3) It is an instantaneous work.
Says A. H. Strong: "Regeneration is not a gradual work.

"There are three Greek words used with reference to the new birth. They are: "apokueo," used only once (James 1:18); "anagennao," used only twice (I Pet. 1:3,23) ; and "gennao," used many times and translated by both "beget" and "born".

"The Greek words have the same substantial meaning. They refer to the entire work of regeneration, and so do the passages in which they are used.

(4) It takes place in the region of the soul below consciousness.
"That there is a subconscious region of human personality is a proposition demanded as a basis for sound analysis of psychological phenomena, such as certain mental trends, amnesia, sleep, and dreams.

"Moreover this proposition is also demanded as a basis for understanding the workings of the Spirit in inspiring Biblical writers, and divine revelations through dreams, trances, and supernatural visions. See Gen. 20:3; 31:11-13; 1 Kings 3.5; Job 33:14-18; Isa. 1.1; Dan. 2:19; 7:1; 8-1; Obad. 1; Nah. 1: 1; Hab. 2:2; Matt. 1:20; 2:12; Acts 10:10-16; 16:9; 18:9,10; 27: 23-25; 2 Cor. 12:1-4; Rev. 1:10; 4:1, et seq.


That it was in this subconscious region that depravity took place is evidenced by the fact that we are said to be dead in sin by nature (Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13) and to have a heart whose deceitful wickedness we cannot fully know (Jer. 17:9).

"That this is the region where regeneration takes place and where the Spirit dwells in union with the regenerated soul and carries on His work is proved by

(1) the fact that quickening must occur in the same region where we are dead- that the natural state of spiritual death is back of the will (and, therefore, below consciousness) is further proved by the fact that whereas in the natural state we can will we cannot will that which is pleasing to God (Jer. 13:23; John 6:65; 12:33-40; Rom 8:7,8; 11 Cor. 4:3,4; 11 Tim. 2:24-26);

(2) the fact that the life-giving power of the Spirit is said to operate as the wind- beyond our control and understanding, and apprehended by us only in its effect (John 3:8);

(3) the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and seals us (John 7:37-39; 14:17; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 1:12-14, moving us to pray Gal. 4:6), interpreting our unutterable groanings (Rom. 8:26,27), and yet are not conscious of a second person within us;

(4) the fact that God works in us to will (Phil 2:13), and thus must work back of the will. In this way alone can God guarantee that the child of God "cannot sin" (I John 3:9) in the sense of renouncing the ultimate end upon which the will is fixed in regeneration."

Much more at: http://sovereigngrace.ddns.net:81/FTP_Root/TPSimmons/TP_Simmons/SIMMONSNEWBIRTH.htm


THE NEW BIRTH.
 
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