Regeneration is not only the entering into us of God’s life, it is also the birth of Christ within us. As God’s life enters into us in Christ and regenerates us, it is on one hand God’s life entering into us, and on the other hand it can be said that Christ is born in us. The birth of Christ in us means that Christ is born once more. Every time a man is regenerated, Christ is born once more in humanity. Hence, regeneration is the birth of Christ within us.
Regeneration is also the beginning of the new man within us. All our experiences of spiritual life are matters of the new man within us, and this new man begins at the time of our regeneration. Before we are regenerated, we are in Adam, a fallen sinner, the old man. Once we are regenerated, God’s life in Christ enters into us. This life is a new element, and when it mingles with our spirit, it becomes the new man within us. Therefore, every one of us who has been regenerated is a double man: we are on one hand the old man in Adam, fallen; and we are on the other hand the new man in Christ, saved. This new man begins at the time of our regeneration. Hence, regeneration is the beginning of the new man.
The experience of regeneration is especially related to four things: our nature, our heart, our spirit, and God’s life. From the aspects of these four things, therefore, we will look at our condition before regeneration, during regeneration, and after regeneration.
Firstly, our nature is corrupted. Jeremiah 17:9 says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it?” Although this verse speaks of man’s heart, it actually refers to man’s nature. Thus we see that before regeneration our original nature is deceitful and crooked, extremely corrupted, and unable to match God’s nature.
Secondly, the heart is hardened toward God. Ezekiel 36:26 speaks of our original heart as a “stony heart.” This means that before regeneration our heart toward God is always rebellious, stubborn, and as hard as stone.
Thirdly, our spirit is dead toward God. Before regeneration, because of sins (Eph. 2:1), our spirit is dead toward God and has lost its function to contact God. We cannot, therefore, have fellowship with God nor can we understand the spiritual things of God.
Fourthly, man is separated from God’s life. Since the nature of a man who is not regenerated is corrupted, his heart toward God is hardened, and his spirit toward God dead, his entire person, therefore, is separated from God’s life (Eph. 4:18).
This is our condition before regeneration.
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