The necessity of regeneration or the new birth is found in the utter
spiritual impotence of man, the blinding power of the devil, the eternal
redemptive purpose, and the righteous character and omnipotence of God. If
any human being is to be saved or delivered from the reigning power of sin,
his own innate animosity toward God, the blinding power of Satan, and
ultimately delivered from eternal hell, God must initiate the work of salvation
(Isa. 64:6; Matt. 13:3–4, 18–19; Acts 16:14; Rom. 1:18–25; 3:11, 27–21; 8:5–
8; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:3–6; Eph. 2:1–10; 4:17–19; Titus 3:5; 1 Jn. 5:19). To
say all this is to declare that salvation is by grace.
Because of the mystery of this Divine operation, the inability of our finite
minds to fully comprehend it, and the great possibility of misunderstanding its
nature, God has been pleased to represent regeneration in human terms, using
figures or metaphors to aid our understanding. Regeneration is described as a
“spiritual birth.” This is the most common designation. Cf. Jn. 1:12–13; 3:3,
5–8; Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 Jn. 3:9. As a “birth,” it is mysterious and
miraculous, and so couched in figurative terms. Regeneration is described as a
“quickening” to spiritual life. Regeneration is described as a “heart
transplant.” The Old Testament language of Jer. 31:31–34; Ezk. 11:19–20;
36:25–27, as fulfilled in 2 Cor. 3 and Heb. 8, although couched in Old
Testament symbolic terms, anticipates the New or Gospel Covenant.
157
Regeneration is described as a “translation” from one kingdom to another.
Believers have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness [evil] into the
kingdom of the Son of God’s love (Col. 1:12–13). Regeneration is described
as a “washing.” This “washing” (Titus 3:5) cannot refer to baptism, for this is
a ritual within the realm and scope of human activity and power. Further,
baptism cannot spiritually quicken or cleanse (1 Pet. 3:18–21). This must be
understood symbolically and according to the analogy of faith (Ezk. 36:25–
27).
Regeneration is further described as a “renewing of the Holy Ghost.” This
language is inherent in the language of regeneration (Titus 3:5). It refers to the
restoration of the image of God in man (Col. 3:9–10; Eph. 4:22–24), the
“heart of flesh” (Ezk. 36:25–27), the “new man,” or regenerate personality
(Rom. 6:6). Regeneration is described as a “change of nature” or “character”
(2 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 4:22–24; Col. 3:9–10). These passages refer to the moral
transformation of the personality or the restoration of the image of God in
principle in man. Regeneration is described as a “new creation” (Eph. 2:4–10;
2 Cor. 5:17; 4:3–6). The new life, nature or entity imparted by God is the
creation of the “new man” who corresponds in principle to the moral
character of God.
Finally, regeneration is described as a spiritual “circumcision.” Cf. Deut.
10:16; 30:6; Jer. 4:4; 9:26; Acts 7:51–53 with Rom. 2:28–29; Phil. 3:1–3; Col.
2:10–13. The antitype of circumcision is regeneration. Those in the Old
Covenant were circumcised; those in the New Covenant are regenerated.
Regeneration is thus the covenant–sign or seal of the New or Gospel
covenant. Regeneration, as the antitype of circumcision, is a heart–operation
performed by God alone [“a circumcision made without hands”] in taking
away the preeminence of the flesh, i.e., breaking the reigning power of sin.
Cf. Rom. 6:1–14. See Question 157.
Who or what is the efficient cause of regeneration? The two areas of
theological tension are: first, that one must be spiritually quickened, the mind
and heart must be freed from satanic blindness, the mind–set must be restored,
the natural enmity removed, and the reigning power of sin must be broken
before the sinner can truly understand, believe and savingly respond to the
gospel. Second, the Scriptures imply that the preached Word is instrumental
in the work of regeneration and specifically as to saving faith. We must never
confuse the logical order with a chronological order. What can be consistently
and safely stated is that regeneration occurs in the context of the hearing and
comprehending of the truth of God, and not apart from it (Matt. 28:18–20;
Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:44; Rom. 10:13–15, 17; 1 Cor. 2:1–5; Eph. 1:3–14; 1
Thess. 1:4–5; 2:13; 2 Thess. 2:13–14). As God has ordained the end—the
salvation of sinners––so he has ordained the means to that end—their
awakening [a saving conviction of sin], renewal [regeneration] and
conversion [repentance and faith] through the preaching of the gospel. Are
you a regenerate person? Do you exemplify the marks of converting grace
