PROBLEMS CONCERNING REGENERATION

PROBLEMS CONCERNING REGENERATION

 

  What is this new life or nature we get in Regeneration?

                        cf. Strong's view 824-825 Not an addition to the elements of human nature; merely a change in the disposition.

                        Answer: Rom. 8:5-9. "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

                                    It is not a new element added, this new element in some sense being parallel with the other three elements. It is more than that.

                                    Actually, it is the coming in of the Holy, Spirit of God (John 14:17). It is the entrance of a new entity. "Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

                                    It is Christ formed in us by the Holy Spirit (Col. 1:27; Gal. 2:20) "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

                                   This is the nature of God imparted in the sense of the attributes of  holiness.  (2 Pet. l:3-4) "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

                                   This permeates the entire man., It is genuine, metaphysical. Taken over the control of the man. Phil. 1:6; Phil. 2:13; 1 John 4:4-5, 5:4-5 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." "They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them." "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

 What is the difference between the Old Nature and the New Nature?

(1) The Old Nature is a tendency to rebel against God, and not an entity.

                       1. God alone creates entities and he could not be the creator of evil.

                         2. An entity goes somewhere when the believer is completely saved.

                                    Where does it go?

              (2) The New Nature is the Spirit that comes into the believer to dwell forever. He articulates himself with the human spirit to overcome sinful nature, and eventually brings that tendency to an end of its operation. 1 John 3:2; Eph. 1:13-14; Eph. 4:30 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."