© F. O’Donoghue 2007
Regeneration is the supernatural act of God whereby the spiritual and eternal life of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is imparted to the believer through faith in Jesus Christ. It is that part of the reconciling work of Christ which deals with man’s spiritual death through sin, and man’s need of spiritual life (new birth);
John 3:3-6 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Eph 2:1-5 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
The actual word ‘regeneration’ is found twice in the New Testament;
Matt 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
The concept of regeneration is found in many New Testament passages, specifically revealed as the direct work of the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is only possible through the reconciling work of Christ on the cross, whereby man who is spiritually dead can have life and fellowship with God;
John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 3:3-6 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Regeneration is primarily the work of the Holy Spirit, yet all three persons of the trinity are involved in this blessed work of imparting new life;
James 1:17-18 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat [apokyeō] he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
(Note the word ‘begat’ which in Greek is apokyeō meaning ‘to bring forth from the womb’ or to ‘give birth to’/produce)
John 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
The Greek Word for ‘regeneration’ is palingenesia from the word palin meaning ‘again/once more’ and genesis meaning ‘birth’ and therefore means a new birth/a renewal/rebirth, or regeneration.
The Greek word for ‘quickening’ is zōopoieō meaning;
1) to produce alive, begat or bear living young
2) to cause to live, make alive, give life
a) by spiritual power to arouse and invigorate
b) to restore to life
c) to give increase of life: thus of physical life
d) of the spirit, quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new and greater powers of life
3) metaph., of seeds quickened into life, i.e. germinating, springing up, growing
1 Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening [zōopoieō] spirit.
Regeneration is not conversion. Conversion is what man does in turning to God, wheras regeneration is what God does for man to give him life. Regeneration is not sanctification or justification, nor is it the basis for personal experience with God, it is simply the dynamic which bestows new life, and new spiritual capacity.
The Bible teaches us that as a man is born physically to human parents, so he must also be born by spiritual birth to a spiritual parent whereby he or she becomes a child of God;
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
By regeneration the believer is made alive spiritually. Though he is born spiritually dead in sin, he is spiritually resurrected in Christ. This means he has spiritual life and can now have fellowship with God and can function for God in newness of life, without the power of sin holding him back;
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Eph 2:5-10 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
John 5:21-23 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Regeneration also enables a spiritual renewal of the mind from a ‘dead’ (carnal) way of thought, into new spiritual understanding;
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Once a believer is regenerated, he is a new creation entirely. We were created for Good works (functioning in the way we ought to, for God’s purposes). This wonderful gift means that we operate through a new life in Christ through the power and faith of God, though we need to exercise free will;
Rom 6:4-14 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
The doctrine of regeneration stresses man’s spiritual and eternal death apart from faith in Christ and new life in Him. It also stresses man’s total helplessness to be a part of God’s kingdom or change his life without God’s supernatural intervention through Christ and the work of the Spirit of God.
(Note; Regeneration is instantaneous and occurs at the moment of faith in Christ. It is a sovereign act of God which bestows new and eternal life. However, the practical appropriation of it’s results are achieved through faith, which is an on-going process in the believer as we grow toward fulness )
