Regeneration is the communication of the new heart to sinners by the operation of the Holy Spirit through the Word...a Christ-generated act of instantaneously communicating spiritual life to a man convicted of sin.
Regeneration is expressly denied to be of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man (John 1:13), and is ascribed to God himself. Not all men have faith in Christ; and those who do have it, have it not of themselves; it is the gift of God, worked out through the Redemption which is in Christ through the mighty operation of his Spirit, which is the fruit and effect of His invincible grace. This is because the natural man is wholly captive under the power and dominion of sin, and a slave unto it, and has neither a power nor will to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
"And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live...Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD." - Ezekiel 37:14
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive [quickened us] with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions � it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5
�It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.� (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, �This is why I told you that no one can come to me [i.e. believe in me] unless it is granted him by the Father.�
John 6:63-65
You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God..."�
1 Peter 1:23-25
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.
1 John 5:1
Faith in the living God and his Son Jesus Christ is always the result of the new birth, and can never exist except in the regenerate. Whoever has faith is a saved man.
Charles Spurgeon from the sermon �Faith and Regeneration�
If salvation is the implantation of a new, infinite life in the soul, it must be a work of God. Self-caused effects can never rise above the character or qualities of their cause. "Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit," Jesus told Nicodemus. This saving grace cannot be caused by the creature, it can only come from God.
John Hannah from To God be the Glory (pg. 34-5)
The inward offer is a kind of spiritual enlightenment, whereby the promises are presented to the hearts of men, as it were, by an inward word.
James, sweetheart, until there is FAITH TO BELIEVE no one can receive the Spriti of the Lord! PERIOD!... The Word of God has spoken and you still will not find anything otherwise.
Why not address the passgeses I presented to you about how the apostles went about preaching the gospel and after the people ehard, they beiveved and were saved, and THEN they received the Holy Spirit.
Liydia the Bibles says was a WORSHIPPER OF GOD... which means she already knew God just as Cornelious and were faithufl in their faith toward Him, but they had not received the Holy Spirit.
The scripture says they both were faithful servants of God, and were worshippers. Lydia would pray daily with the other women and Paul came along and told them about Jesus and the promise of the Holy Spirit, and she HAD FAITH TO BELIVE IN JESUS AND THE PROMISE, and she was filled with the Spirit of God, and she and her household were all baptized. This very verse you provided proves that when Lydia HEARD the gospel about Jesus she had faith to believe what Paul told her about him, and THEN she received the Holy Soirit and was baptized.
Sorry, James, but you can't get around what is written in God's word. You and your Reformist have God's word all wrong and twisted and you're in error..
I have to do your comments in parts because I can't remember everything you have posted...lol
James, I couldn't help but notice you accuse these Christian Ladies of not using the whole passage of Scripture in context, then do the very thing you accuse others of doing. How may times have you quoted John 3:3 "I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again" and John 3:5, " I tell you the truth, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit"
Yet you don't quote John 3:6 " Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit"
When one interprets this verse in light of your doctrine, it makes out God to be a rapist.
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." 3Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother�s womb and be born?" 5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
Jesus says to Nicodemus:
1. You can not see the kingdom of God unless you are already
born again.
2. You can not even enter the kingdom of God unless you are already born again.
3. That which comes from fallen man's nature (flesh) cannot make itself to be born again, only the Holy Spirit can do this.
Part Two in response to your psot...James, sweetheart, again, you are not addressing what Regeneration is to mean. And i say again, Unles you have faith to believe, you cannot receive the Holy Spirit of God. how could it be possible if you don't believe in the Holy Spirit? That's why we are to preach the gospel of Jeus FIRST so the person can come into the faith by hearing, and hearing the word of God to BELIEVE what the gospel says about Jeuss and His Holy Spirit.
Also, Ezekiel chapter 37:14 the Valley of Dry bones, is about the restoration and salvation of the nation of Israel.
And yes, the principles are the same the process is the same. In that, salvation for Israel will not be fulfilled until they have repented of thier sins, just as individuals ho seek to be born again. Wherein God will keep His promise to Israel nd this will be fulfilled, and His promise of His Sprit in each individual will also be fulfilled when there is REPENTANCE.
God also promised us the Holy Spirit if we believed and have the faith, and if you read theWHOLE chapters you will see what God ask of Ezekiel, Do you BELIEVE that these dry Bones can live? Which means What? Ezekiel had to have FAITH TO BELIEVE THAT ISRAEL COULD BE MADE ALIVE COME BACK TO LIFE! Just as a person MUST firts believe that God can save them and make them ALIVE in Christ through the filling (REGENRATION) of His Holy Spirit in the heart fo the believer..
James, If you really want to grasp the truth, take a look at marriage and having babies. Two seperate people unite and become one. Out of this union is birthed a new flesh, a baby. These two people not knowing each other prior to meeting could be considered dead to each other as neither knew of the others existence. At their first meeting did they become one? Have a baby? ....No and no, typically there is a courtship period as each are "drawn" to each other. Are they considered one at this point?....still no. How about when there is a proposal? ...and still no. There still remains a specific point in time where each make a decision to give themselves to the other for life and to accept the other for life. It is only then do you have a committed union out of which comes new life.
You see James you have confused regeneration with desire, with courtship, with proposal. Surely you know the Holy Spirit draws us, woos us. Regeneration only comes out of union (not desire, courtship, proposal. Spirit gives birth to spirit.
(Granted, the Holy Spirit can be considered a engagement ring as we are engaged to marry Jesus, however, one only possesses a engagement ring 'after' the proposal has been accepted)
James, Ezekiel's experience in the Valley of Dry Bones is the perfect example of Ephesians chapter 2, and salvation, and how we are made alive in Christ and born again with the Holy Spirit. This chpaer tell us how God would keep His promise and do wht He had promise.
Ezekiel had to FIRST believe that the dry bones Israel could live again and be resotred, after repentance, and BEFORE, God put His Holy Spirit. Same principlces for everyone who receives the Holy Spirit unto salvation and is filled sealed with the Holy Siprit.
Just to let you know, in your passage about Nicodemus, Jesus is basically saying to Nicodemus : 'You come asking questions at night. If you really want to know about the Kingdom of God you are going to have to accept my "proposal", then you will see.
As I have already explained, Nic already believed in Jesus , he was friends with Jesus, he made a comment to Jesus, because he wanted Jesus to make things clear to him as to how a person could be born agian and enter the kingdom of God.
Nic, had followed Jesus' teaching throughout Jerusalem, listening to Him speak about the kingdom, so when the opportunity came, Nic came to Him at night and asked of Him.
Jesus does not tell Nic that he had to be already born again to enter the kingdom. Jesus explained that the ONLY way anyone could enter the kingdom is that they MUST be born again. Meaning a person MUST receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
This is why Jesus first explained to hiim that a person had to be born of water first, meaning be baptized, no one can be baptized without repenting of their sins, what is the prupsoe of baptism? Once baptized THEN of the Spirit (meaning receiving the Holy Spirit, otherwise the person COULD NOT enter the kingdom of God.
Then Jesus answers Nic's question about how can a man be born again. And Jesus explains that a person born of the flesh is flesh (natural birth) cannot re-enter the womb... BUT the perosn born of the Spirit is born from above (of God through the Holy Spirit). Spirit to man's spirit. Then Jesus explains to him how this being born again in the Spirit works, "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from, and where it goes, so this is the same thing that happens when the person is born of the Spirit."
In other words Jesus is saying the Holy Spirit is like the wind blowing, in fact, this is the description of the Holy Spirit, it is knownn as the mighty rushing wind as in Acts chapter 2.
Jesus explains to Nic the supernatural restoration and birth of a person who receives the Holy Spirit. He is not explaining the conditional process of receiveing the Holy Spirit.
James, are you READING what I am posting ? Or are you just skimming through and taking what you think you can find a scritpure to match? Jeus is explaining the new birth of a person in the water, and supernatural rebirth thorugh the incoming of the Spriti of God.
As I always say, there is nothing that can come up against the TRUTH excpet for the TRUTH its self... and that's BIble, of what God has said!
That's why fallen man MUST HEAR AND HEAR AND HEAR THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT HAVE FAITH TO BELIEVE, WHOSOEVER CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED. Faith is in every one born on earth thats a gift from God who has given FALLEN MAN everything he/she needs to live on earth.
FOR IT IS WRITTEN THAT FAITH say The word of FAITH is right in your mouth abd in your heart, all you have to do is speak it by calling upon the name of the Lord. Everybody knows the name of the Lord...
Faith COMES or is established BY HEARING AND HEARING AND HEARING THE WORD OF GOD, and how can they call upon Him in whom FALLEN MAN have not believed?
And how shall FALLEN MAN believe in Him in whom they have not heard about? And how shall FALLEN MAN HEAR WITHOUT A PREACHER? AND HOW SHALL THE PREACHER PREACH TO FALLEN AMN UNLESS HE HAD BEEN SENT? (The Great Commission say what? You GO therefore, into all the world and preach the gospel, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe ALL things that you have learn of and from Me.")
As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who PREACH the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of goo things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. Becaue Isaiah says, Lord, who will believe our report?... So the FAITH TO BELIEVES COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING AND HEARING AND HEARING AND HEARING cmes by the WORD of GOD>
