jackpickel

May 27, 2021

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?  Regeneration…I am absolutely complete in Christ.

You need not look far to realize human nature is in dire need of transformation.  War between nations, political shenanigans, crime, etc. prove that something is out-of-kilter.  Most of us have to look only as far as our own mirror to know something’s just not right.  The description of unregenerate humanity given in Romans 1 is horrifying.  The Bible says the unregenerate people are blind, deaf, and dead.

It’s not enough to post 10 commandments every where, march in the streets, or encourage people to “be good”.  Unregenerate people will never live up to the perfect law of God and it’s unfair to ask them to do so.  None of us can do it.  It takes more than recycling, reformation, refurbishing, or remodeling a person’s life.  It takes something drastic – a new birth.   The only answer to our predicament is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A lively discussion about regeneration (new birth) took place one night between Nicodemus (an educated Pharisee trained in all things pertaining to Jewish theology) and Jesus in John 3…

John 3:3 (Jesus) …unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God

4 (Nicodemus ) How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?

              5 (Jesus)…unless once is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.  Why? Because flesh is flesh and spirit is spirit.

7 (Jesus)…you must be born again

10 (Jesus) Are you the teacher of Israel & yet you do not under these things?  This question by Jesus seems rather terse but in essence what Jesus is saying is, “Nicodemus, you’re a follower and a teacher of the Law and after all these years have you not yet learned that you can’t keep the Law?

The Doctrine of Regeneration

A.  It is an act by which new life is imparted to person.  It is not recycling, reformation, refurbishing, remodeling.  It is a brand new life in which God imparts to us and instills his image in us.

2 Peter 1:4 …so that through (God’s promises) them you may participate in the divine nature…

B.  It is a spirit – ual birth.  When God regenerates us, something that really occurs inside of us – in our spirits.

C.  It is not dependent on how we feel.  The regeneration of our spirit by God is based on the faithfulness and promise of God – not how I might feel about it on a certain day.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God

D. It is a once-for-all event.  When Scripture describes regeneration it is always in the present tense, meaning it is done, finished, complete – never to take place again.

E. It is based entirely on Jesus’ work at the cross.  To think that I could perform perfect enough to be accepted by God is prideful and pretentiousness.

Titus 3:5  He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

F. It renders us absolutely complete in Christ.  There is absolute nothing more that I can do since Jesus has done it all.

G. It is the catalyst for a new way of living.  Just as a baby is born physically and begins the growing and maturation process, when one is born again spiritually and process of growth and maturation has begun.  We call it discipleship.

Hebrews 12:23  …and to God, the judge of all, & to the spirits of the righteous made perfect.  As difficult as it is to imagine, the Scripture is clear that, in Christ, my spirit has been made perfect and I am absolutely complete in him.