Regeneration is a more formal or theological way of referring to the new birth. The term itself points us to an inward re-creating of a fallen human nature through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is a twin with reconciliation in the sense that both occur at the moment of conversion. Our restored relationship with God who made us (reconciliation) includes the reception of a new nature (regeneration), which also is described as experiencing a new birth.
Regeneration expresses what Jesus told Nicodemus: “I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus thought in physical terms, but Jesus was speaking to him with spiritual meaning. Although he was a Jewish scholar, Nicodemus failed to make a connection between Jesus’ words and the prophetic words of Ezekiel 36:26–27: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules.” Jesus came and died to make possible the realization of Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of people with new hearts becoming dwelling places for God’s Spirit.
From its prophetic roots all the way to its realization in Jesus’ saving work, regeneration is a work of God. Spiritual birth is not something people do for themselves nor is it something Christians can do for other people. Regeneration is exclusively the work of God. Since new birth is a work of God and not our doing, it is entirely attributed to His grace. Nowhere does the Bible suggest that regeneration is promised to those who deserve it or who might in some way be especially religiously inclined.
God’s saving work not only changes condemnation before Him into acceptance with Him, it begets a child of God and begins a transformation process that ultimately makes a sinner resemble the Savior. God’s goal was not the reformation of ungodly individuals, but their transformation into new creations in Christ Jesus. As an analogy of salvation, new birth suggests the irreversible nature of our great salvation. On any level, what is born cannot revert to an unborn status. The egg that hatches a baby chick can never become an egg for an omelet. Once born again a person is forever different. The old life is over; a new life has begun.
‘New self’
Colossians 3:9–10 envisions this new life as putting off “the old self with its practices” and putting on a “new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator.” While we might understand regeneration as the initial or inaugural work of the Spirit of God in the inner being of each person who repents of sin and makes a faith commitment to Christ, we should also say that regeneration is the beginning of a newness of life for which sanctification is the continuation.
Just as Jesus explained to Nicodemus, the new birth requires being born of the Spirit. In that explanation Jesus informed Nicodemus that regeneration is a sovereign working of God’s Spirit. He compared that work to the blowing of the wind, which lies beyond human origination or manipulation. When we’ve said all we can about human nature being reborn, elements of gracious mystery remain.
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