Results 1 - 5 of 5
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Theological Terms: Regeneration | Titus 3:5 | DocTrinsograce | 151466 | ||
The next blessing in the ordo salutis is regeneration. This is a subjective action of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. It occurs in an instant of time. It restores the fallen nature, enabling the believer to desire the things of God. Only a regenerate soul is able to receive the Gospel message and respond in obedience. "Regeneration is the spiritual change wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Spirit in which his/her inherently sinful nature is changed so that he/she can respond to God in Faith, and live in accordance with His Will (Matthew 19:28; John 3:3,5,7; Titus 3:5). It is an inner re-creating of fallen human nature by the gracious sovereign action of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8). This change is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. It originates not with man but with God (John 1:12, 13; 1 John 2:29; 5:1, 4). It extends to the whole nature of man, altering his governing disposition, illuminating his mind, freeing his will, and renewing his nature." --J. I. Packer "Regeneration is a secret act of God in which He imparts new spiritual life to us. This is sometimes called 'being born again' (using language from John 3:3-8)." --Wayne Grudem 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. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27) "When God works in us, the will, being changed and sweetly breathed upon by the Spirit of God, desire and acts, not from compulsion, but responsively." --Martin Luther "No more soul-destroying doctrine could well be devised than the doctrine that sinners can regenerate themselves, and repent and believe just when they please ... As it is a truth both of Scripture and of experience that the un-renewed man can do nothing of himself to secure his salvation, it is essential that he should be brought to practical conviction of that truth. When thus convinced, and not before, he seeks help from the only source whence it can be obtained." --Charles Hodge "Infants do not induce, or cooperate in, their own procreation and birth; no more can those who are 'dead in trespasses and sins' prompt the quickening operation of God's Spirit within them ." -- J I Packer "But the moment of regeneration is never visible to us. Lack of regeneration, however, is visible over time because the works of the flesh, Paul tells us, are manifest. And the fruit of the Spirit manifest themselves publicly as well, and Jesus tells us to make our judgments on the basis of fruit. But it must be noted that biblical judgments of this sort are mature, and are based on the mature outcome of a person's way of life. All this to say that genuine discernment is based on the video, not on the snapshot." --Douglas Wilson Please note that regeneration must and will always bring results in the believers life. Every one having been begotten from God is not practicing sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to be sinning, because he has been begotten from God. (1 John 3:9 ALT) In Him, Doc |
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2 | Theological Terms: Regeneration | Titus 3:5 | terrib | 151472 | ||
Hi Doc, So far, in reading through these exposes on Theological Terms, it seems to come down to this: It doesn't matter what a man does, it is God's will that he does them. Is this what you are saying? terrib |
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3 | Theological Terms: Regeneration | Titus 3:5 | DocTrinsograce | 151473 | ||
Dear Terrib, No, the Scriptures do not teach that at all. Man's will is perfectly free (although corrupt). No one ever chooses to do what they do not deem will be best for themselves. No one's will is ever really forced. For example, a robber might demand all of your money. You refuse. Now, the robber can alter the circumstances that contribute to your choice, by holding a gun to your head. Given the new circumstances, you choose to hand over your money. Are you being forced? No, you still have a free will. You choose what you deem will best lead to the objectives of your immediate happiness: you give him your money that your life might be spared. Christ taught that the will is influenced to make choices by the heart (Matthew 12:33-37). In the fall of man, the ability of man to desire the things of God was lost (Romans 5:6; 8:7; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Titus 3:3-5; John 6:44). Sin has damaged his affections, and even confounded his ability to understand what is good and what is evil. (See Romans 1.) Consequently, what the Scripture is saying is that a lost man has a free will. However, because of the fall, he has a "moral inability" to choose to obey God. Therefore, God miraculous intervenes to restore this ability in those He has chosen to save (Colossians 1:13; John 8:36; Philippians 2:13; Romans 7:15, 18, 19, 21, 23). God would have been perfectly just to let all men die in their sins. Nothing obligates Him to redeem anyone. Furthermore, the believer now has the ability to choose that which is Godly (Ephesians 4:13). He is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galaltians 6:15). His effections have been renewed (2 Thes 3:5, 1 John 4:7). He desires the things of God, and will give all that he has in order to please Him (Matthew 10:37, 13:44, 46, Luke 14:26, etc.). In glorification, the final taint of sin of will be completely removed in every respect for the believer. He will then be perfrectly and immutably free to do only God's will. At that time, his full restoration will be complete. Salvation is entirely a work of God, start to finish (Ephesians 2:9). God is sovereign, not man. In Him, Doc "The will is not destroyed but rather repaired by grace." --John Calvin "God's predetermination of second causes is that effectual working of his, according to his eternal purpose, whereby though some agents, as the wills of men, are causes most free and indefinite, or unlimited lords of their own actions, in respect of their internal principle of operation (that is, their own nature), they are yet all, in respect of his decree, and by his powerful working, determined to this or that effect in particular; not that they are compelled to do this, or hindered from doing that, but are inclined and disposed to do this or that, according to their proper manner of working, that is, most freely." --John Owen |
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4 | Theological Terms: Regeneration | Titus 3:5 | Morant61 | 151474 | ||
Greetings Doc! The only problem with this approach is that it does not deal with man's first choice to sin, prior to the fall. Was Adam free not to sin? Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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5 | Theological Terms: Regeneration | Titus 3:5 | DocTrinsograce | 151480 | ||
Dear Brother Tim, Yes, you're right. I should have dealt with that. Hopefully I remedied that in my response to Momma. In Him, Doc |
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