We have seen what life is, and we have seen what the experience of life is. Now we come to see the first experience of life, which is regeneration. Regeneration is the first step of our experience of God’s life; therefore, it is our first experience of God’s life. This experience is very fundamental and extremely important. We shall use several points to look into it. First let us see:
Why do we have to be regenerated? There are two reasons which make it necessary. First, speaking from the lower aspect, regeneration is necessary because our life has been corrupted and become evil (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:18), and it cannot be changed from evil to good (Jer. 13:23). This is the reason we usually give for regeneration. Because our life (1) is corrupt and wicked, and (2) cannot be improved, we therefore need to be regenerated. All the sages of the past and present have advocated the doctrine of self-improvement in order to improve man. But God’s salvation does not correct or improve man, but regenerates man, since our human life is already corrupted and cannot be made good by improvement. This is the first reason we must be regenerated.
Second, speaking from the higher aspect, there is another reason we need to be regenerated. But first, let us ask: If our life had not been corrupted and become evil, would we still need to be regenerated? Yes; we would still need to be regenerated, because our human life is only a created life, not God’s uncreated life. When we were created, we obtained only created life; we did not obtain God’s uncreated life. God’s purpose for us human beings is that we may obtain His uncreated life and be transformed into His image to be like Him, as He is. Therefore, even if our human life had not been corrupted, we would still need to be regenerated.
In the beginning, although Adam’s life was not corrupted, it was a created life, not an uncreated life; a human life, not God’s life. Therefore, even if man had not fallen or his life had not been corrupted, even though he were good without any evil, he would still need regeneration. God’s purpose in creating man is not only to obtain a good man, but even more to have a GOD-man, one who has God’s life and nature and is just like God. If God desired man to be only a good man, and man had not fallen and been corrupted, he would not need to be regenerated. But God’s desire is not that man should be only a good man, but, much more, a GOD-man, one who is the same as He is. Therefore, even a good man must be regenerated.
Do not take this second reason lightly. This is a very significant matter. Oh, the purpose of regeneration is that we may have God’s life and be like God! It is needless to say that we are corrupted and evil and cannot be improved; but even if we were absolutely good or could be improved to become perfect, we would still need to be regenerated in order to possess God’s life.
God created man with the aim that man may be like Him and be a GOD-man, possessing His life and nature. But when He created man, He did not put His life into man. He wanted man to exercise his own will to choose to receive His life. Therefore, even if we created human beings had not fallen, we would still need to obtain God’s life in addition to our original human life. This means that we must be born again.
Therefore, the reasons for regeneration are of two aspects: The lower one is that our life is corrupt and evil and cannot be changed; therefore, we require another life by which we can live. The higher one is that it is God’s intention that man be like Him; therefore, we must obtain God’s life beside our own life. May we all see this so that henceforth, when we speak about regeneration, we will point out this higher aspect also, enabling people to see that even if we were perfect and sinless, we would still need to be regenerated.
According to the Scripture, to be regenerated is to be born of the Spirit (John 3:3-6). Originally our spirit was dead, but at the time we believed, God’s Spirit came to touch our spirit; thus, our spirit obtained God’s life and was made alive. It is in this way that God’s Spirit gave birth to us, apart from our first, natural birth. In brief, to be regenerated is to be born once again, to be born of God (John 1:13), or, apart from our original human life to obtain God’s life.
To be regenerated means to be born again. Why do we use the term “born again”? Originally we were born of our parents; but now we are born once more, this time of God; hence, this experience is called being born again. Being born of our parents caused us to obtain human life, whereas being born of God causes us to have God’s life. Therefore, we who have been regenerated have God’s life in addition to the human life.
Therefore, we must clearly see that to be regenerated is to be born of God, or, in addition to our original human life, to possess God’s life. Apart from our original life, God puts His life into us—this is regeneration.
How can a man be regenerated? In brief, God’s Spirit enters into man’s spirit and puts God’s life into it; thus, man becomes regenerated.
How can God’s Spirit enter into man’s spirit? When man hears the Gospel or reads the word of the Scripture, God’s Spirit works in him and causes him to feel that he has sinned and is corrupted; hence, he is reproved for sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). When man sees himself as a sinner, recognizes his corruption, and is willing to repent, then God’s Spirit causes him to see that the Lord Jesus is his Savior, and that He died on the cross to shed His blood for the remission of sin. At this moment, he automatically believes in the Lord and receives Him as his Savior. Once he receives the Lord as his Savior, God’s Spirit enters into his spirit and puts God’s life in it, causing him to be regenerated.
So, speaking from the standpoint of the Spirit of God, it is God’s Spirit entering into our spirit to put God’s life in it which causes us to be regenerated. From our standpoint it is because of our repenting, believing, and accepting the Lord Jesus as our Savior that we become regenerated, which means that in addition to our original life we obtain the life of God.
The results or accomplishments of regeneration may be briefly categorized into three items:
1) Regeneration causes men to become the children of God. Since regeneration means to be born of God, it automatically causes men to become the children of God (John 1:12, 13) and have the relationship of life with God. The life which is obtained from God through regeneration enables men to be God’s children; this life is also the authority for men to be God’s children. Such children of God, having God’s life and nature, and able to be just like God, can fulfill God’s purpose in creating man.
2) Regeneration causes men to become a new creation. A new creation is that which has the elements of God within it. When something has God’s elements within it, it is a new creation. In the old creation, there is no element of God. We human beings originally do not have any of God’s elements; therefore, we are the old creation. It is not until God’s element is added into us that we become the 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 (2 Cor. 5:17). This new creation is the crystallization of God being mingled with man, and it is the most wonderful thing in the universe: it has both the human and divine elements, it is both man and God, and it is like both man and God.
3) Regeneration causes men to be united with God as one. It not only causes man to obtain God’s life and His elements, but also to be united with God as one. By regeneration, God the Spirit enters into man’s spirit, causing man to be joined with Him as one spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). This is God causing man to have the deepest relationship with Himself, to become one with Himself.
In conclusion, when the Holy Spirit, by our believing in the Lord Jesus, puts God’s life into our spirit and causes us to be born of God, to become God’s children, and in the new creation to be united with God as one, this is regeneration.