THE WORK OF REGENERATION

THE WORK OF REGENERATION: 

Men are said to be -‑ Born of God -- God is author.

                        John 1:12-13   "But of God" "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

                        cf. 1 Cor. 3:6-7            "God giveth the increase." "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

              

Born of the Spirit -- Holy Spirit is agent

                        John 3:8           "So is everyone that is born of the Spirit."

           

 Born through the Word -- the Instrument

                        1 Pet. 1:23-25 "Born...of incorruptible" - Spirit;
                        "By the word of God" - Word. "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:" "But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."

                        cf. James 1:18, 21 ARV marg.   "By the word of truth." "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls."

                        2 Peter 1:4 "That by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature." This refers back to the preceding clause the promise.

           "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."

Problem: John 3:5 - "Born of water"? "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Refers to the Word of God used in cleansing the believer of penalty of sin.

                        cf. Ezek. 36:24-26 "For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land." "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."

           

 Problem:          Jer. 31:32-34 "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:" "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

with Heb. 8:7-12 "For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second." "For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:" "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord." "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" "And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more."