LESSON 23 – HOLY SPIRIT – REGENERATION
John 3:3-8
Titus 3:5
Ephesians 5:25-26
John 6:63, 3:13-36
John 6:40-48
Ephesians 4:20-24
Colossians 3:10
INTRODUCTION
This is the work of the Holy Spirit which changes us from unbelievers to believers and therefore sons of God. This creates a mockery among those who do not believe that they need a Saviour. The unbeliever has to realise that only God can provide the power and the will to come to newness of life.
Regeneration
In John 3:3 9 we see that regeneration means to be born again. The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration. We note that there are two ministries of the Holy Spirit, the convicting ministry and the enabling ministry. This is why the man who rejects the gospel is without hope at the Day of Judgment. That person has also rejected and spurned the work of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore he has three things against him, he has ignored the Word of God, he has ignored the testimony of creation, the plan of God which is clearly working out, he has also ignored the command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. He has been actively rejecting God in all three persons.
Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Romans 1:16 32 having cast aside the ministry of Christ in their life the rejection shows that there is no hope. Another passage which reflects this ministry is 2 Corinthians 3:6. "The letter kills but the Spirit gives life."
Ensure you take the evaluation in context. He does not mean that an evaluation of the Scriptures kills and the Spirit gives life. The contrast is between the written word in ink and the word written on the heart. It is the Spirit which brings the letter to life.
The Word of God justly brings death but the Spirit gives life. No amount of preaching irrespective of how orthodox it is will regenerate unless the Holy Spirit works. It is He and He alone that convicts a man so that he becomes a new creature.
Regeneration is the giving of a new nature, the nature of God. 2 Peter 1:4. It is the Holy Spirit who imparts this to us, makes us partakers of the divine nature. It is done through the Word. To put it in a word: The human heart is the soil, the preacher or teacher is the sower, the word of God is the seed; the Spirit of God quickens the seed, and the Divine nature is the result.
Not by works done in righteousness by ourselves but by his mercy we are saved. We can do no work of righteousness ourselves; ‘nothing’ an unbeliever does can satisfy God. Their righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight.
Analogy of Washing
Both Paul and John used the same analogy of washing. The picture of cleansing and water comes through. Beware of people who try to twist this into Baptismal regeneration; that you are saved by total immersion. Baptismal regeneration is not taught here. There are no sins washed away when you are baptised. It is a sign of something that has already happened to you. It is a picture or memorial. Paul continues with this concept in Titus 3:5-7, Ephesians 5:25 27, John 6:63.
These passages need to be tied together in your mind. The connection of water and regeneration is given in 1 John 5:5 6. Here the water is linked to the Word of God and the spirit is the Holy Spirit. The work of regeneration involves the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. The two come together in a unique way in the life of the believer if they accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Regeneration takes place when the Holy Spirit takes the Word and enlivens it in their life by grace into a relationship of son or daughter of God.
We are in error if we equate the filling with the baptism of the Spirit. It is clear from Scripture however that the baptism of the Holy Spirit often occurs at the point of salvation, but not always, as many BA Christians do not even realise that they are can be baptized by the Holy Spirit enabling them to do things beyond what is normal. The filling of the Holy Spirit can occur when we ask the Lord to send the Holy Spirit to give us extra power to enable us to carry out his will in us. In order to get filled with the Holy Spirit the following section will elaborate.
Confession
The Scripture commands you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Whether you are filled with the Holy Spirit is up to you. If people believe that the Holy Spirit is in them He needs to be let loose in their lives. This is accomplished by confession of sins as per 1 John 1:9.
Most of the questions you will be asked in the ministry are to do with the people not knowing the meaning of the words they use such as regeneration, expiation, propitiation and the like.
We should ask them what they mean by a term to ensure that they are aware of its true doctrinal meaning. It depends whether you believe in a body soul and spirit or just body and soul and that you get a spirit at the point of salvation.
Irrespective of the concept it is clear that at the point of salvation the believer's life is changed to such an extent that they can now understand spiritual phenomena. It is also clear that relationship with God is spiritual and can only be attained through rebirth. We receive a new nature, we have been reborn, we are re created, we are resurrected; there are many implications to the act of regeneration.
We can have relationship with God; we are born again and will live eternally with the Lord. Our body however will fall apart but we have a resurrection body. We are regenerated for eternity. We should always give praise for the work of the Holy Spirit for it lasts forever.
Our New Birth
Although we are still the same nature (sinful humanity) we now have the New Spirit Birth which gives us the ability to obey Gods commands. We now have the ability to produce righteousness and true holiness. We have taken off the old and put on the new. We are new creatures in Christ. We are challenged every day to live worthy of the gift that we have been given, the gift of eternal life.
If we recognize that everything we have as a believer is something we have received from God, we can pray that the Lord will help us to live worthy of the great salvation. If a person gave us everything we ever needed but we were never in a position to repay him, we would be eternally grateful to that person. This is exactly what Christ has done for all those who willingly and truly accept him as their Lord. We have been given everything in Christ Jesus. Do we see our position in Christ in the way the Scriptures say it will be? This is the gospel played out in a daily form in the believer’s life.
DOCTRINES
REGENERATION: BORN AGAIN
1. General Scripture - (John 3:5-8) 'Ye must be born again [born from above] (v7). You are born of the Spirit. (v8) We then become new creatures in Christ.
2. Natural man cannot understand spiritual phenomenon (1 Corinthians 2:14). He lacks the ability to enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5). They are unable to please God. (Romans 8:7, 8)
3. New birth is a creation of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10, 4:24). Through the Holy Spirit we become aware that we are joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:16, 17)
4. The requirement for the new birth is belief on Christ, that He is crucified and risen. (John 1:12, 3:16-18, 36). New birth occurs at the instant of belief in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and confession of our sins.
5. Through new birth (Regeneration) the believer lives in Christ and Christ in the believer. (Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:10, 4:24, 1 Peter 1:23-25, 1 John 5:10-12).
6. Once you are born you cannot be unborn. However we can throw it back in Gods face and that would entail sinning against the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 6: 4-6
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame”.
John 3:3-8
Titus 3:5
Ephesians 5:25-26
John 6:63, 3:13-36
John 6:40-48
Ephesians 4:20-24
Colossians 3:10
INTRODUCTION
This is the work of the Holy Spirit which changes us from unbelievers to believers and therefore sons of God. This creates a mockery among those who do not believe that they need a Saviour. The unbeliever has to realise that only God can provide the power and the will to come to newness of life.
Regeneration
In John 3:3 9 we see that regeneration means to be born again. The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration. We note that there are two ministries of the Holy Spirit, the convicting ministry and the enabling ministry. This is why the man who rejects the gospel is without hope at the Day of Judgment. That person has also rejected and spurned the work of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore he has three things against him, he has ignored the Word of God, he has ignored the testimony of creation, the plan of God which is clearly working out, he has also ignored the command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. He has been actively rejecting God in all three persons.
Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Romans 1:16 32 having cast aside the ministry of Christ in their life the rejection shows that there is no hope. Another passage which reflects this ministry is 2 Corinthians 3:6. "The letter kills but the Spirit gives life."
Ensure you take the evaluation in context. He does not mean that an evaluation of the Scriptures kills and the Spirit gives life. The contrast is between the written word in ink and the word written on the heart. It is the Spirit which brings the letter to life.
The Word of God justly brings death but the Spirit gives life. No amount of preaching irrespective of how orthodox it is will regenerate unless the Holy Spirit works. It is He and He alone that convicts a man so that he becomes a new creature.
Regeneration is the giving of a new nature, the nature of God. 2 Peter 1:4. It is the Holy Spirit who imparts this to us, makes us partakers of the divine nature. It is done through the Word. To put it in a word: The human heart is the soil, the preacher or teacher is the sower, the word of God is the seed; the Spirit of God quickens the seed, and the Divine nature is the result.
Not by works done in righteousness by ourselves but by his mercy we are saved. We can do no work of righteousness ourselves; ‘nothing’ an unbeliever does can satisfy God. Their righteousness is as filthy rags in His sight.
Analogy of Washing
Both Paul and John used the same analogy of washing. The picture of cleansing and water comes through. Beware of people who try to twist this into Baptismal regeneration; that you are saved by total immersion. Baptismal regeneration is not taught here. There are no sins washed away when you are baptised. It is a sign of something that has already happened to you. It is a picture or memorial. Paul continues with this concept in Titus 3:5-7, Ephesians 5:25 27, John 6:63.
These passages need to be tied together in your mind. The connection of water and regeneration is given in 1 John 5:5 6. Here the water is linked to the Word of God and the spirit is the Holy Spirit. The work of regeneration involves the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. The two come together in a unique way in the life of the believer if they accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Regeneration takes place when the Holy Spirit takes the Word and enlivens it in their life by grace into a relationship of son or daughter of God.
We are in error if we equate the filling with the baptism of the Spirit. It is clear from Scripture however that the baptism of the Holy Spirit often occurs at the point of salvation, but not always, as many BA Christians do not even realise that they are can be baptized by the Holy Spirit enabling them to do things beyond what is normal. The filling of the Holy Spirit can occur when we ask the Lord to send the Holy Spirit to give us extra power to enable us to carry out his will in us. In order to get filled with the Holy Spirit the following section will elaborate.
Confession
The Scripture commands you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Whether you are filled with the Holy Spirit is up to you. If people believe that the Holy Spirit is in them He needs to be let loose in their lives. This is accomplished by confession of sins as per 1 John 1:9.
Most of the questions you will be asked in the ministry are to do with the people not knowing the meaning of the words they use such as regeneration, expiation, propitiation and the like.
We should ask them what they mean by a term to ensure that they are aware of its true doctrinal meaning. It depends whether you believe in a body soul and spirit or just body and soul and that you get a spirit at the point of salvation.
Irrespective of the concept it is clear that at the point of salvation the believer's life is changed to such an extent that they can now understand spiritual phenomena. It is also clear that relationship with God is spiritual and can only be attained through rebirth. We receive a new nature, we have been reborn, we are re created, we are resurrected; there are many implications to the act of regeneration.
We can have relationship with God; we are born again and will live eternally with the Lord. Our body however will fall apart but we have a resurrection body. We are regenerated for eternity. We should always give praise for the work of the Holy Spirit for it lasts forever.
Our New Birth
Although we are still the same nature (sinful humanity) we now have the New Spirit Birth which gives us the ability to obey Gods commands. We now have the ability to produce righteousness and true holiness. We have taken off the old and put on the new. We are new creatures in Christ. We are challenged every day to live worthy of the gift that we have been given, the gift of eternal life.
If we recognize that everything we have as a believer is something we have received from God, we can pray that the Lord will help us to live worthy of the great salvation. If a person gave us everything we ever needed but we were never in a position to repay him, we would be eternally grateful to that person. This is exactly what Christ has done for all those who willingly and truly accept him as their Lord. We have been given everything in Christ Jesus. Do we see our position in Christ in the way the Scriptures say it will be? This is the gospel played out in a daily form in the believer’s life.
DOCTRINES
REGENERATION: BORN AGAIN
1. General Scripture - (John 3:5-8) 'Ye must be born again [born from above] (v7). You are born of the Spirit. (v8) We then become new creatures in Christ.
2. Natural man cannot understand spiritual phenomenon (1 Corinthians 2:14). He lacks the ability to enter the Kingdom of God. (John 3:5). They are unable to please God. (Romans 8:7, 8)
3. New birth is a creation of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10, 4:24). Through the Holy Spirit we become aware that we are joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:16, 17)
4. The requirement for the new birth is belief on Christ, that He is crucified and risen. (John 1:12, 3:16-18, 36). New birth occurs at the instant of belief in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and confession of our sins.
5. Through new birth (Regeneration) the believer lives in Christ and Christ in the believer. (Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 2:10, 4:24, 1 Peter 1:23-25, 1 John 5:10-12).
6. Once you are born you cannot be unborn. However we can throw it back in Gods face and that would entail sinning against the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 6: 4-6
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame”.
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