The Work of Regeneration

The Work of Regeneration

C. Craig Wells

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one

is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (ESV)

The title of this article implies that regeneration does a work. This is a true statement, for regeneration is what makes a person alive. Unger’s says, “The spiritual change wrought in man by the Holy Spirit, by which he becomes the possessor of a new life. It is to be distinguished from justification, because justification is a change in our relation to God, whereas regeneration is a change in our moral and spiritual nature.” (1) From this definition, we can state that regeneration is a work done to a person in bringing that person to a new life and that the Holy Spirit does this work.

I guess we can conclude with this article since we have defined “the work of regeneration”. Not so, there is much more to say. The real question concerning the work of regeneration is when regeneration takes place. What is the role of man verses God in regeneration? Is regeneration the source from which our faith comes or is regeneration due to faith? That is the real question! What are the implications for either one?

Where can we find the word regeneration in the bible? Regeneration is in the KJV twice, in Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5. Jesus is talking of His resurrection to the throne in His glory in Matthew. Titus is the only verse that really uses the word in reference to a washing or renewing of a person. The ESV only uses the word in Titus.

As we can see, the word regeneration is very limited in the scriptures. So, where did the term “work of regeneration” come from? Like many terms used to describe God and His nature, such as Trinity or sovereignty, are not in scripture, at least the KJV. However, the church from its beginning used these terms to describe the nature of God or His work as the scripture reveals them. So, where are the scriptures that reveal that regeneration is the renewal of man done by the Spirit? Do these scriptures say when regeneration takes place?

John 3:1-14 is a well-known scripture describing the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. There are tons of Theologians, Scholars, and Commentators of the scriptures, which conclude that these passages describe the work of the Holy Spirit in the regeneration of the person to a new life. There are great commentaries out there and would recommend you read them. However, I will make a feeble attempt to explain this passage in the limited space I have.

Jesus, in verse 3, responds to a comment by Nicodemus in verse 2. Read those two verses. Have you asked something of another person and that person answers back with something you think is totally unrelated? You had to think, where did that come from? Do you think Nicodemus did the same here? Nicodemus was describing who he thought Jesus was. Nicodemus called him a rabbi, a teacher from God, and said that a person could not do the works that Jesus did unless God was with him.

We do not know for sure, but from the context of verses 1 and 2, it seems that Nicodemus was seeking to find out if Jesus was the Messiah prophesied in the scriptures. I am sure he was seeking a direct and explicit answer. Nicodemus really did not know to whom he was talking! God was not just with him; Jesus is King and God incarnate. Jesus’ response in verse 3 is nothing more than an explanation as to why Nicodemus did not know Him. Jesus said, “Unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God”. Nicodemus could not see God standing directly in front of him, because he was blind to the truth. In fact, he had to be born again.

Verse 5 says, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” This is a reference to Ezekiel 36:25. This is the direct link connecting regeneration to the Spirit. Verse 6 even makes the case stronger. It says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” This verse is very significant in relation to the nature of man. Flesh in this passage describes man in his natural state due to the fall in Eden. Man is born spiritually dead. The next part of the verse implies this. “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit”, can only mean one thing, in the flesh, man is dead spiritually and cannot do anything which enables him to see or enter the Kingdom of God. Due to the work of the Spirit, we become spiritual, where before we were not. The words born again indicate that we are a new creature with a new nature due to the creator of such a renewal, the Spirit. To see the spiritual things of God in the gospel message, we have to become spiritual and that is due to the work of the Spirit. We have to receive spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear the spiritual things of God. (2)

Titus 3:5 is another passage of scripture that directly links regeneration to the Spirit. Here it refers to washing as John 3:5 does. Here, it is washing of regeneration that makes us clean. We cannot cleanse ourselves or make ourselves righteous, even by doing righteous deeds. It also says that a renewal takes place and that by the Spirit. It says, “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy”. What about our faith, is it considered a work? No, but we are saved through faith and not according to our faith. However, the verse does say it is according to his mercy. Our salvation is through our faith from the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit to which once made alive, we can believe the gospel as truth.

How can I say that regeneration comes before faith? I want to make clear that from the scriptures, a defense of such a claim is not explicit. Otherwise, there would not be a debate over the issue. However, the implications abound all through the scriptures. We must start with the nature of man and its implications. We must clarify what ability or inability man has due to his natural state.

The best place to start is Ephesians 2. It says that we are dead in trespasses and sin. (3) To what extent is this dead in trespasses and sin? Verse 2 says that we once walked in trespasses and sin, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is at work in the sons of disobedience. (4) The sons of disobedience are the people who are not children of God.

Verse 3 says that we once walked among those very people that are not children of God. (5) Before we were a child of God, we were following the spirit of disobedience. Verse 3 also says that we were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. By nature, we followed the prince of the power of the air living in the passions of the flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind. We are incapable to change our nature. The scriptures say that an Ethiopian cannot change his skin nor can a leopard change its spots. (6) How can we change our nature, if scripture describes us as dead in sin? We know that that does not mean we are physically dead. It can only mean dead spiritually and from the context, it is clear that includes the entire human race.

Verse 5 is a very important verse to help put all this together. (7) Who made us alive together in Christ when we were dead in trespasses? It was God, being rich in mercy. We were dead spiritually and had no ability to do anything spiritual, especially receive the spiritual message of the gospel. God does the work by making us alive by the work of the Holy Spirit through regeneration. We did not believe unto salvation before the regeneration by the Spirit. Why or how could it? If our salvation were according to our faith, which indicates life, there would not be any need for regeneration if it came after faith. We then would have something to boast. God made us alive when we were dead not when we had faith.

In Ephesians 2:8, it says that we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of our own. It also says that it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so no one can boast. People will argue when the verse says, “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works”, that it does not refer to the faith but to salvation. They say salvation and not faith is the gift of God. I tend to agree after careful study of the passage using resources, such as Greet dictionaries.

However, it does not matter to me, because ultimately it is the work of God. The faith this verse relates to is not going to come about unless the Spirit of God makes that person alive. Regeneration has to take place for a person to receive the gospel and have faith unto salvation. That faith does belong to that person and it came about due to his or her own volition, however, it would not have happened if God had not changed the person’s nature first. Matthew 16:17, John 1:3, and John 6:63 are more verses that are comparable. I wish I could discuss these verses as well, but I am limited in space.

Colossians 2:13 is another verse that indicates the same thing. This verse also says that we are dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of our flesh. Verse 11 says, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands”. The Spirit does not circumcise the heart after we come to faith. Why would He if we could resurrect our own spiritual being and believe without any outside help? Verse 13 says that God made us alive together with Him. God makes us alive through the circumcision made by the Spirit. This is the only way we can believe.

To deny that regeneration is before faith, denies the need for the Holy Spirit unto salvation. It will limit the work of the Spirit to strictly sanctification. The Triune God works in our salvation. God the Father, who has chosen us before the foundation of the world, calls us. God the Son died on the cross as satisfaction for the requirements of the law, vindicating God’s righteousness and justice to those who believe on Christ. God the Spirit regenerates us, by giving us a new nature, which enables us to believe unto salvation. Who can boast? Indirectly, faith is even a gift. Without regeneration, there would be no faith.

*************************************************************************************

(1) New Unger’s Bible Dictionary

(2) Isaiah 6:20

(3) Ephesians 2:1

(4) Ephesians 2:2

(5) Ephesians 2:3

(6) Jeremiah 13:23

(7) Ephesians 2:5