Austin Bible Church
Regeneration is a theological term that refers to God the Holy Spirit’s creation of a human spirit within the soul of every believer at the point of salvation. This action occurs immediately following salvation faith belief in the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Because we now have a human spirit, God the Father is then able to impute or transfer His very own eternal life to that newly formed human spirit. The result is the second birth or to be “born again.” John 3:3; John 3:7.
"Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." " (John 3:3, NASB)
" "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' " (John 3:7, NASB)
A barrier exists between God and man at physical birth because we are all born spiritually dead. Spiritual death is total separation from God due to our state of total depravity (dead in trespasses and sin) and complete helplessness to do anything about it on our own. Through regeneration, the believer is made spiritually alive. Eph. 2:5-6; Col. 2:13.
"even when we were dead in our transgressions, 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," (Ephesians 2:5-6, NASB)
"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions," (Colossians 2:13, NASB)
Physical Life Follows Physical Birth - the First Birth
The first birth is our physical birth into this world as we emerge from our mother’s womb. God the Father imputes soul life to the baby at the moment of physical birth. The baby would not live without this action by God. This is the difference between biological life and human life. God’s imputation of life to the baby demonstrates He has a purpose for each member of the human race.
At the moment of birth, God simultaneously imputes Adam's original sin to the genetically-formed old sin nature producing a physically living, but spiritually dead human being. The old sin nature is mankind’s internal source of temptation to sin. Through our free will, we all choose to commit personal sin, human good, and evil. The genetically-formed old sin nature is the flawed character possessed by every human being which tempts us to sin. The sin nature is an integral part of every human being residing within the structure (nucleus) of every one of the some 30 trillion cells of the human body.
Human life begins with the impartation of soul life at physical birth. Our souls are immortal. However, the soul’s immortality does not mean a person is qualified to live with God forever. Without salvation, the soul will live forever in the Lake of Fire. The requirement to live with God forever is to receive His very own eternal life. This is done following God the Holy Spirit’s creation of a human spirit within the soul of every believer at the point of salvation.
The best illustration of the mechanics of a human being transformed from a biologically living form to a living human being is the creation of Adam in Genesis 2:7.
"Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7, NASB)
The phrase “formed man of the dust of the ground” refers to biological life. The word “breathed into his nostrils” refers to God the Father’s act of imputing soul life. This breath that generates human life is also presented in Isaiah 42:5, John 1:3, and Colossians 1:16. The result is soul life or נשׁמה (neshâmâh) חַיִּים (chayyim) in the Hebrew. The phrase “became a living being” refers to Adam having been converted from a biologically living form into a living human being with a living immortal soul. We call this human life (body and soul) in contrast to biological life (body only) or spiritual life (body, soul, and spirit).
"Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it," (Isaiah 42:5, NASB)
"All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." (John 1:3, NASB)
"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him." (Colossians 1:16, NASB)
There is a great contrast between the unbreathing physical body (biological life) and the breathing body with soul life (human life). Until God exhaled His breath into the first human body, which was “formed” biologically alive, man could not be a “living soul.” This is true for every human being born throughout history.
Spiritual Life Follows Spiritual Birth - the Second Birth
How is a person born again? All believers begin their spiritual lives the same way - belief in the salvation work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. This is the second birth. The Holy Spirit creates a human spirit for the new believer (regeneration) so that the new believer is “born again.” John 3:3; Titus 3:5; Rom. 8:16; 1 Cor. 2:14; John 3:16; John 3:18.
"Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." " (John 3:3, NASB)
"He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit," (Titus 3:5, NASB)
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God," (Romans 8:16, NASB)
"But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." (1 Corinthians 2:14, NASB)
" "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. " (John 3:16, NASB)
" "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. " (John 3:18, NASB)
We are made sons of God at salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. John 1:11-12; Gal. 3:26.
"He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name," (John 1:11-12, NASB)
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26, NASB)
Eternal life begins at regeneration, which is believing in the salvation work of Jesus Christ. Just as mankind does no deed or work for physical life, so mankind does no deed or work for eternal life. The first birth is the origin of human life. The second birth is the origin of eternal life where we become a new creature.
In both births, the work and grace of God is the issue. The issue for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior is what will you do about it. We are commanded to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18.
"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (2 Peter 3:18, NASB)
Believers are the workmanship of our Lord and are capable performing divine good. All divine good on earth is done by believers filled with the Holy Spirit. We are provided all of God's grace resources to do so. Eph. 2:10.
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, NASB)
With our new means of spiritual growth – the grace apparatus for perception plus the filling of the Holy Spirit, we can construct an edification complex in the right lobe of the soul to be used for application to life’s issues and decisions. 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 2:6-7.
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB)
"Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude." (Colossians 2:6-7, NASB)