The believers have been made a new creation by being regenerated. Regeneration causes us to become a new creation, something which has the element of God within it. The old creation has nothing of the divine element in it. That is why it is old and decaying. Originally, we did not have God’s element; therefore, we were the old creation. It was not until God’s element was added into us that we became a new creation. This is what regeneration has accomplished in us. Regeneration causes us to have God’s life and His very element, thereby making us a new creation. This new creation is a marvelous mystery, for it is the mingling of God and man. As the most wonderful thing in the universe, the new creation has both the human and divine elements. By regeneration God’s element was added into us, and we became a new creation.
Since we are made a new creation by being regenerated, we need a clear and accurate understanding of regeneration. To be regenerated simply means to receive the divine life in addition to our human life. God’s eternal purpose is for man to be a vessel to contain the divine life. Our being with our human life is a vessel to contain God as life. God’s goal is that we receive the divine life as our real life. This is the meaning of regeneration.
Regeneration is not a matter of outward improvement; neither is it merely a change or conversion without life. Regeneration is a rebirth which brings in a new life, the divine life. We received the human life from our parents. In regeneration we received the divine life from God. Hence, regeneration means to have the divine life in addition to the human life.
Regeneration requires another birth in order to possess another life. Hence, regeneration also means to be born again or born anew. Originally we were born of our parents, but now we are born once more, this time of God (John 1:13). The Bible calls this experience being born again. When we were born of our parents, we obtained human life. When we were born of God, we obtained the divine life, God’s life.
We need to be regenerated because of two conditions. From the negative side, we need to be regenerated because our life has been corrupted and has become evil and cannot be improved from evil to good (Jer. 17:9; 13:23; Rom. 7:18). From the positive side, we need to be regenerated because we do not have the life of God. Of all God’s creation, man has the highest development of life. Yet man still needs to receive another life for his completion. He needs the uncreated, eternal life of God. When Adam was created, he obtained only created life. He did not at that time obtain God’s uncreated life. Likewise, when we were born of our parents, we obtained only the natural, created human life. However, God’s purpose is that we obtain His uncreated life and be transformed by this life into His image to be like Him. Even if our human life had not been corrupted by the fall, we would still need to be regenerated. In Genesis 1 and 2 Adam was without sin, yet he was void of God’s life. Thus, God placed him before the tree of life that he might receive the life of God and be regenerated. From this we see that God’s purpose in creating man was not merely to have a sinless man but to have a God-man, one who has God’s life and nature.
Our need for regeneration is of two aspects, a lower aspect and a higher aspect. The lower aspect is that our life is corrupt and cannot be changed. The higher aspect is that for the fulfillment of God’s purpose we need to receive God’s life. Apart from our original, human life, God puts His life into us. This is regeneration.
By regeneration we not only obtain God’s life, but we are also made one with God. God the Spirit enters our spirit and causes us to be joined to Him as one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). What a marvelous and deep relationship this is! Now in at least one part of our being—our spirit—we are one with God. This oneness of God is deepened and increased by the transformation of our soul, and it will reach its full development by the glorification of our body, which will cause even our body to be one with God.
The believers have been regenerated by God the Father. By regenerating us, God the Father enlivens us with His life and brings us into a relationship of life, an organic union, with Him. Through regeneration God imparts His life into us. We all have been born of the divine life. This is to be regenerated by God.
As believers, we have been regenerated by God the Father according to His purpose and His great mercy. James 1:18, speaking of God, says, “Having purposed, He brought us forth.” This refers to the divine birth, our regeneration, which is carried out according to God’s eternal purpose. The fact that God purposed means that He brought us forth of His own will, by His intention, to carry out His purpose by begetting us.
First Peter 1:3a says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us.” Here we see that regeneration is according to God’s great mercy. God’s mercy is more far reaching than His grace. Grace extends only to a situation that corresponds to it, but mercy goes much further, reaching to a situation that is poor and unworthy of grace. According to our natural condition, we were far removed from God, totally unworthy of His grace and eligible only to receive His mercy. We were so poor and pitiful that there was the need for God’s mercy to extend to our fallen condition. God’s mercy has reached us, and according to it we were regenerated by God.