SS - Regeneration

John 3:3–8 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.””

Regeneration

Def: Regeneration is a secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us.

I.E Born again

When you hear born again, what do you think?

Regeneration

What is it?

Why do we need it?

What are its components?

How does it happen?

What are its effects?

Common Misunderstandings

Practical application

What is it?

Regeneration is the sovereign, instantaneous, secret act of God in which he alone gives life to spiritually dead sinners, granting them the gift of repentance and faith.

John 3

1 Peter 1:3–5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

John 1:11–14 “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Titus 3:5 “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”

Why do we need it?

Our natural state

Dead in trespasses & sins

Ephesians 2:1–10 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Hostile to God

Romans 8:7–8 “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

People I see angry at God who say they don’t believe in him

Cannot understand spiritual things

1 Corinthians 2:14 “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Unable to come to God

Romans 3:9–12 “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.””

John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Acts 16:14 “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”

What are it’s components? Nature of Regeneration

Sovereign

Instantaneous

Enables Faith

Transforms our disposition

Sovereign

This is Gods sole sovereign action

Being born is something that happens to you

Ezekiel 36:26–27 “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Ephesians 2:1–5 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

Colossians 2:13 “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,”

Instantaneous

You are born or you are not. there is a moment when you are born

There is a moment in which you are brought to life

Enables faith

John 1:12–13 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 3 - Kingdom = salvation/eternal life

synonomous with

Gods family 1:12-13

Eternal life (HAS) 3:16

Believing: 3:15

You could say, no one can enter into eternal life until they have been born again

John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Read Jn 6 35-44. Note that “everyone who looks and believes” is BEFORE “no one can come”

John 6:65 “And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.””

1 John 5:1 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.”

Faith is the first breath of new life

Transforms your disposition

1 John 2:28–29 “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

1 John 3:9 “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”

1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

Fruit of the spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Tree and fruit

Matthew 7:15–20 ““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

Love the God you once hated and hate the sin you once loved

Direction, not perfection

*may take time

Evidences of regeneration

New desires

Affections for Christ, scripture, holiness

Conviction of sin

We are grieved by our sin

Ongoing repentance & faith

Lifestyle of believers is one of continual repentence & faith

Love for God’s people

Know you by your love for one another

Progress in sanctification

*Sanctification is a process

No sin he is a liar

Snapshot vs movie

Misunderstandings

Regeneration is not moral reformation

Regeneration does not wait until we choose God

Regeneration does not make faith unnecessary

Regeneration in no the same thing as justification

Application

Assurance

God caused your spiritual birth and will sustain your spiritual life

Humility

We cannot have spiritual arrogance - we were dead until God made us alive

Vs those who say they have come to faith

Prayerfulness

Plead with God to save people, to open eyes, unstop ears, soften hearts

Hope

God raises dead people to life, nobody is too far gone