Regeneration Lecture 1 - Grace Valley Christian Center · Regeneration Lecture 1 ... doctrine of...

RegenerationLecture 1

Presented by Dr. Richard Spencer

Outline

• We are going to examine:

1. Why the doctrine is important

2. The context for the doctrine

3. Definitions of the term

4. Human nature; total depravity, and free will

5. The place of regeneration in the Ordo Salutis

6. The Nature of regeneration

7. What leads up to regeneration?

8. Application/Evidence of Regeneration

Why the Doctrine is Important

When the Philippian jailer cried out, • “what must I do to be saved?”, the answer was, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved”, not, “you must be born again”This is the consistent pattern of the New •Testament:

Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved”

Acts 2:21, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”


• Yes, we must be born again, but

– New birth is something that happens to us, we do not cooperate in this work

– God’s method of performing the work and his reasons for choosing certain individuals are mysteries we cannot fathom (Deut 29:29)

• So, you might ask whether or not the doctrine of regeneration is important, are we prying into the secret things of God?


• We are not prying into the secret things, and the doctrine of regeneration is critically important!

• It is important because:

1. It guards against false conversions

2. It causes us to praise and thank God more

3. It encourages us to rely on the gospel, not evangelistic methodology

4. It is the ground for true assurance of salvation and a powerful, overcoming, Christian life

It Guards Against False Conversions

• Just telling people to “pray the sinner’s prayer” or to “accept Jesus”, runs the very real and serious risk of false conversions

• We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; but, we are not saved by a faith that is alone!

• The doctrine of regeneration makes clear:

1. Man is totally depraved and, therefore, requires a total reformation (Rom 3:9-18, 7:18)

2. Man cannot bring about this radical change through his own effort (Rom 3:11, John 6:44, 65)

3. A regenerate person is a “new creation” and will, therefore, live differently (2 Cor 5:17, Gal 6:15)


The difference between the unregenerate •

and the regenerate is the difference between darkness and light, being blind and seeing, being dead and alive (Acts 26:17-18, Eph 5:8, John 9:39, Eph 2:5, Col 2:13)

Acts 26:17-18, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God”

Ephesians 2:5, God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions”


• We can’t expect perfection, but we mustexpect the life of God in the soul of man to be evident (Rom 8:9, 1 Cor 3:16, 2 Cor 3:3, Gal 4:6)

Romans 8:9, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.”

Galatians 4:6, “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’”


• Just as a birth cannot be kept hidden, so a new birth cannot be kept hidden!

1 Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”

• Paul warned Timothy and us about false believers …


2Timothy 3:1-5, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”


2Timothy 3:1-5 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

Without new birth, we have no power•

It Causes us to Praise and Thank God More

• When we understand the radical nature of our need and God’s provision; namely,

– That we were hell-bound and hell-deserving sinners (John 3:36, Rom 3:5, 9-18, 5:9, Eph 2:3)

– That we could not, on our own, do anything to gain salvation (John 6:44, 65, Rom 3:20, Gal 2:16, 3:11, 21)

– That God graciously saved us by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19)

John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.”






John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”






1 Peter 1:18, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”


When we understand the radical nature of our •need and God’s provision; namely,

That we were hell– -bound and hell-deserving sinners (John 3:36, Rom 3:5, 9-18, 5:9, Eph 2:3)

That we could not, on our own, do anything to gain –salvation (John 6:44, 65, Rom 3:20, Gal 2:16, 3:11, 21)

That God graciously saved us by the precious blood of –Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Then, we will be motivated to praise and thank •him all the more for his marvelous salvation

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me

It Encourages us to Rely on the Gospel

• It encourages us to rely on the gospel, not evangelistic methodology

Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”


• It encourages us to rely on the gospel, not evangelistic methodology

Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

• Note the word power! The gospel is not just an invitation, it is not a suggestion, it is not just an offer. If it were just those things, no man would be saved. But, when the effectual call comes, it comes with power and people are saved!


• We can never bring anyone to faith by the power of our arguments!

1Corinthians 2:1-2, “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

• We must pray and expect God to work, only he can cause someone to be born again

It is the Ground for True Assurance

Understanding that our new life in Christ is •

based on an irreversible, monergistic work of God:

Frees us from the fear of failing 1.

Energizes and encourages us to live by the 2.Spirit’s power for the glory of God

Encourages us to engage in healthy self3. -examination to make our calling and election sure, rather than morbid introspection wondering whether or not we are good enough

Frees us From the Fear of Failing

• Our salvation is secure because it ultimately depends on God, not us

John 6:39, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.”

John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 1:5, “who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Encourages us to Live by the Spirit’s Power

• We aren’t born again, nor do we live, by our own strength

Ephesians 3:16, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being”

Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Cf: Rom 8:4, 13, 1 Cor 15:10, 2 Cor 9:8, Col 1:29

Encourages Healthy Self-Examination

• This may be the single most important point!

• If you do not understand the radical, monergistic nature of regeneration, then you can be endlessly caught up in looking at yourself; not to see if you have been saved, but to see if you are good enough to be saved! This leads to either pride, or despair.

2 Peter 1:10, “ Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.”


The Old Testament was clear in teaching that we •cannot save ourselves, we need our sins to be atoned for and we need new hearts (Lev 16, 17:11, Dt 32:43, Job 40:14, Ps 49:7-9, 51:14, Is 2:3-4, 44:20, 45:22, Hos 1:7, Zeph 3:17)

Isaiah 44:20, “He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, ‘Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?’”


• It is also clear in teaching that God himself will save his people and that he will send a Messiah to save his people (Dt 30:6, Ps 130:8, Jer 31:11, 33-34, 33:15-16, 50:19-20, 34)

Jeremiah 31:33-34, “‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. … For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more’”.


• This is why Jesus spoke the way he did to Nicodemus; he was a teacher, but did not understand these things!

John 3:1-15 “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.’ In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” …

… The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.’ ‘How can this be?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘You are Israel's teacher,’ said Jesus, ‘and do you not understand these things? I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.’”

John 3:1-15

Take note that:•

Nicodemus knew that Jesus was a teacher who came from God. 1.He had properly understood the significance of the miracles.

But, he was too puffed up with himself to risk being seen, 2.therefore, he came at night.

Christ saw that the basic problem with Nicodemus was pride, 3.so he spoke to the heart issue; we must be regenerated!

To 4. “see the kingdom of God” is to enter the kingdom of God.

Christ notes the mysterious working of the Holy Spirit in 5.regeneration (The wind blows wherever it pleases).

He then says the Son of Man 6. – a clear reference to Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7 – has come, and that he must be “lifted up” for people to receive eternal life. Salvation is of God.

Outline

• We are going to examine:

1. Why the doctrine is important

2. The context for the doctrine

3. Definitions of the term

4. Human nature; total depravity, and free will

5. The place of regeneration in the Ordo Salutis

6. The Nature of regeneration

7. What leads up to regeneration?

8. Application/Evidence of Regeneration

God’s Plan

• To understand regeneration properly, we need to see it as a part of God’s overall plan

• His purpose is the manifestation of his own glory, which he accomplishes through;

– Creating people in his own image

– Allowing the fall

– Planning and providing for the redemption of his elect, to be made holy and blameless in his sight and to be brought into his presence for all eternity; his treasured possession

God’s Plan

• God’s plan of redemption takes place as a part of his covenant with his people

• The heart of the covenant is that “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jer 31:33)

• To be God’s people, we must be radically changed

Hebrews 12:14, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

God’s Plan

This radical change • begins, proceeds, ends and is based on our union with Christ

Our salvation must be understood in this context•

Eph 1:4 “For he chose us in him [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

2 Tim 1:9 God “has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time”

God’s Plan

• Regeneration is the first step in our personal experience of the transformation God has planned in eternity to make us holy and blameless

• We are active after regeneration, but not in regeneration (or in being made perfect when we die, or in receiving our resurrection bodies)

God’s Plan

• God’s greatest work is the building of his church, the bride of Christ

• All of the elect are regenerated to be part of the church, which is;

– The family of God; his adopted children(Eph 1:5, 1 Pet 4:17)

– A temple for the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19, 1 Pet 2:5)

– A royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Pet 2:5)

– The body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

God’s Plan

• We should see our individual regeneration in the broader context of God’s plan, which views all of us together as his treasured possession, the bride of Christ; unity and community are vitally important

• We are to reflect the glory of God, who is triune

Hebrews 11:39-40, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

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