There are two reasons that man must be regenerated: one reason relates to a higher purpose, and the other to a lower. The lower purpose is that our human life is wicked and corrupt. It cannot be changed or improved; consequently, we need another life. The higher purpose is that even if our human life were good, it still would be related merely to the created life rather than to the uncreated life of God. In order to have the uncreated life of God, we must be born again. Although this may not be considered a profound truth, it is a basic and simple truth.
We must be regenerated because we do not have the life of God; only by regeneration can we have the uncreated, eternal life of God. We must have the eternal life of God because it is God’s intention to make us the same as He is with His image and likeness. In order to make us the same as He is, God must put His life in us. If He did not put His life in us, how could we be like Him? In order to be like Him, we must have His life. In order to have His life, we must be regenerated. This is the higher purpose of regeneration.
Regeneration means to be born again, to be born of God, that is, to obtain the life of God in addition to our human life. When God puts His life in us in addition to our human life, this is called regeneration. Therefore, the meaning of regeneration is to be born again of God; to be regenerated is to obtain the life of God in addition to our original human life. Our apprehension of this spiritual truth must be clear, and when we speak of regeneration, we must make this point.
There are three results of regeneration. First, regeneration causes us to become the children of God; second, it makes us the new creation; and third, it causes us to be in union with God, to be joined to God.
Regeneration also causes us to gain seven things: the life of God, the law of life, a new heart, a new spirit, the Spirit, Christ, and the Triune God. Through regeneration, we receive the life of God, and the law of life comes with this life. Then God gives us a new heart and a new spirit. Then the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Spirit—is also in us. When we receive the Spirit, we receive Christ and God because God is in Christ, and Christ has become the Spirit.
When we are regenerated, the life of God enters into us. In this life there is a law—the law of life. Moreover, when the life of God enters into us, it adjusts our heart so that it becomes a new heart and adjusts our spirit so that it becomes a new spirit. His Spirit indwells us and causes us to obtain the Spirit. Since the Spirit is the realization of Christ, and God is in Christ, we also obtain Christ and God. This clearly shows what we gain through regeneration.
Regeneration causes us to have the life of God. In regeneration the main thing that the Spirit of God does is to put the life of God into us. The life of God is the content of God, that is, God Himself. All that is in God and all that God is are in the life of God. All the fullness of the Godhead, every facet of God, is included in this life.
The essence of every living thing is contained in its life. All its inward capabilities and functions issue from its life, and all its outward activities and expressions also originate from its life. This shows that there is a capability, a function, with life, and out from this life there is an activity, an expression. A living is a reflection of life. One’s being is determined by its life. This is an evident principle with every living thing.
God has the highest life; everything that He is, is in His life. God is truth, holiness, light, and love; these are not things that He does. Truth, holiness, light, and love are not God’s work, but instead are God’s nature. God is truth, holiness, light, and love; these are derived from His life. Furthermore, whatever He does and expresses, whether it is goodness, righteousness, kindness, or forgiveness, is also derived from His life. Truth, holiness, light, and love are what God is in His inward nature; goodness, righteousness, kindness, and forgiveness are what God does in His outward expression.