To be regenerated is to be born of the Spirit of God in our spirit (John 3:5, 6b). We are reborn, not of earthly parents but of the Spirit of God, not in our body or in our soul but in our spirit. John 3:6b says, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." In other words, that which is born of the Spirit of God is our spirit. This indicates that regeneration is the rebirth of the Spirit which transpires in our spirit. Regeneration is accomplished in the human spirit by the Holy Spirit with God's life, the uncreated, eternal life. It is altogether a matter of the divine Spirit in our human spirit.
We need to make these things clear to all the saints. I do not have much confidence that even those who have been with us for years are clear about these things. We need a basic training so that we can be saturated with this basic knowledge. We need to realize that we have been born again of the Spirit of God in our spirit. This is the very basic and foundational truth concerning regeneration.
We are born of the Spirit of God in our spirit by believing into the Son of God. John 3:36a says, "He who believes into the Son has eternal life."
Our being born of the Spirit of God in our spirit is through the word of God in the gospel. We have to receive the word of the gospel. When we believe in the Lord Jesus, it is through the word of God in the gospel that we are regenerated. First Peter 1:23 says that we were regenerated through the living and abiding word of God. James 1:18 says that He brought us forth by the word of the truth. Finally, in 1 Corinthians 4:15 Paul said, "I have begotten you through the gospel." Thus, the word of God in the gospel is the seed of our rebirth.