Doctrine Study - Regeneration
Notes
Transcript
Agenda:
6:30 - Welcome and Discussion on Regeneration: Definition and Verses.
7:00 - Discussion on the Gospel Call
7:30 - Break
7:40 - Prayer of Thanksgiving based on 2 Cor. 4:6
7:50 - Further discussion: Does baptism save? Can a born-again person go on living in sin? Bonus: are children regenerated apart from the word? Are there further lines of discussion on election/calling/regeneration that we would like to pursue?
Regeneration: a secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us.
Regeneration: a secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us.
Regeneration: a second birth; being born of God; being brought by God from spiritual death to life.
Regeneration: a second birth; being born of God; being brought by God from spiritual death to life.
1. Regeneration is totally a work of God; we play no active part.
1. Regeneration is totally a work of God; we play no active part.
Regeneration does not happen of our will, but of God’s will:
who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:
Of God’s will, by the Word of Truth - “The Father of lights”:
Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Caused to be born again by God the Father:
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,
Born of the Spirit, which has a cleansing element (water), and is necessary to ‘see the kingdom of God.’
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 Pet
ezek 36
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.”
John 3:3-8
Heart of stone replaced with heart of flesh; indwelling of the Spirit.
Ezekiel
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 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.
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.
2. Regeneration happens simultaneous to calling.
2. Regeneration happens simultaneous to calling.
It happens through the ‘abiding word of God’ also called ‘the good news that was preached to you’:
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
“As the gospel comes to us, God speaks through it to summon us to himself (effective calling) and to give us new spiritual life (regeneration) so that we are enabled to respond in faith.”
Note: regeneration and effective calling seem to be two sides to the same coin. What is the difference? Calling has to do with the Spirit doing the work of moral persuasion and applying the word to the heart and will. Regeneration is an act of spiritual re-creation, creation of new life.
View One: regeneration in the strictest sense proceeds effectual calling since it involves the creation of new ears able to hear the the call. But regeneration in the widest sense includes effectual calling (Berkhof).
View Two: regeneration is included in the effectual call (common post-reformation view).
3. The nature of regeneration is mysterious.
3. The nature of regeneration is mysterious.
It is a transformation from spiritual death to spiritual life, but the exact way it is accomplished is not explained:
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
,
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
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,
But it effects the whole person, not just the spirit:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 cor
4. Regeneration comes before saving faith.
4. Regeneration comes before saving faith.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
“…we enter the kingdom of God when we become Christians at conversion. But Jesus says that we have to be born “of the Spirit” before we can do that.”
Eph
John6
We are unable/do not want to come to Jesus before being regenerated:
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.
And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
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.
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.
no one understands; no one seeks for God.
We are regenerated from a state of spiritual deadness:
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 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,
Important notes:
Regeneration proceeds saving faith; the fruits of regeneration come after saving faith.
Regeneration is never commanded as a response to the gospel; rather, repentance and faith are.
Break Time
Break Time
Prayer
Prayer
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Cor. 4:6
Does baptism save?
Does baptism save?
Born of the Spirit, has a cleansing element (water).
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.”
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.
Heart of stone replaced with heart of flesh; indwelling of the Spirit.
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 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.
R
R
Regeneration Produces
Regeneration Produces
Can a person be regenerated and go on living in sin?
Can a person be regenerated and go on living in sin?
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.
If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
The logic here is that being born of God necessarily leads to overcoming the world through faith. Thus, it is not possible for someone to be born of God and continue, unchanged, in sin.
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
So we overcome the world and are protected from Satan and practice righteousness if we are born of God.
If Time:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
“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.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matt. 7:15-
Do we want to spend more time on Election, Calling, and Regeneration?
Do we want to spend more time on Election, Calling, and Regeneration?
Against: coming up are the doctrines of Conversion (repentance and faith), Adoption, Sanctification, Glorification, etc.
For: these three are very important and it may be a good idea to spend more time on them. However, we will need to limit ourselves in how much time we are willing to spend and chose definite paths of discussion/passages to study.
Two possibilities:
1. Romans 8
2.
3.
4. The question, is election based on foreknowledge of faith? Specifically, the statement: “Scripture never speaks of our faith as the reason God chose us.” (from the chapter on Election).