LESSON ELEVEN – REGENERATION

John 3:6-7 — That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born anew.

1 Pet. 1:23 — Having been regenerated not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.

“THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT”

After we repented and believed in the Lord, our sins were forgiven and we were reconciled to God. Then this God who loves us and who is the life-giving Spirit comes into us to regenerate our spirit. John 3 refers to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He respectfully addressed the Lord Jesus as One who had come from God as a teacher to Israel, and he therefore came to get some advice from Him. However, the Lord Jesus said to him, “Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (v. 3). Nicodemus did not understand the meaning of regeneration. He thought that regeneration was for a man to enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born. So he said to the Lord Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” (v. 4). However, the regeneration that the Lord Jesus referred to was for one to be born of water (that is, death) and the Spirit (that is, life) (v. 5). Then the Lord went on to say, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (v. 6). The first Spirit is the divine Spirit, referring to God. God is Spirit. When we are born of Him, we are born of the Spirit, and eventually, we are spirit, the second spirit referred to in John 3:6. This is to be regenerated.

THROUGH GOD’S WORD OF LIFE

First Peter 1:23 says, “Having been regenerated not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.” This shows us that regeneration is through God’s word of life. A great majority of the regenerated ones were regenerated through the word of God. The word of God as a “gene” entered into us and operated in us. In this way we were regenerated.

FOR THE BELIEVERS TO HAVE THE SPIRITUAL LIFE OF GOD

John 1:12-13 says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name, who were begotten not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” This portion tells us that the way to be regenerated is to receive the Lord Jesus by believing into Him. He is the Word from God (v. 1), and He is also the light from God (v. 9). When we receive Him, we have the authority to become children of God. This authority is nothing other than the life of God. God gives us His life as our authority that we may become children of God. Hence, we are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. This is regeneration, which is a great matter.

THE CENTER OF GOD’S COMPLETE SALVATION

We may say that regeneration is the center of God’s complete salvation and the commencement of God’s salvation in its organic aspect. It is God Himself as the Spirit coming into our spirit to make us alive. In other words, we are regenerated, made alive, in our spirit by the Spirit of God. This is regeneration. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Organic Aspect of God’s Salvation,” pp. 392-393)

References: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Organic Aspect of God’s Salvation,” ch. 2; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 4, “The Secret of God’s Organic Salvation—‘the Spirit Himself with Our Spirit,’” ch. 1

IN THE BOSOM OF THE FATHER

Praise of the Lord— His Increase – 203

• In the bosom of the Father,
  Ere the ages had begun,
  Thou wast in the Father’s glory,
  God’s unique begotten Son.
  When to us the Father gave Thee,
  Thou in person wast the same,
  All the fulness of the Father
  In the Spirit to proclaim.

• By Thy death and resurrection,
  Thou wast made God’s firstborn Son;
  By Thy life to us imparting,
  Was Thy duplication done.
  We, in Thee regenerated,
  Many sons to God became;
  Truly as Thy many brethren,
  We are as Thyself the same.

• Once Thou wast the only grain, Lord,
  Falling to the earth to die,
  That thru death and resurrection
  Thou in life may multiply.
  We were brought forth in Thy nature
  And the many grains became;
  As one loaf we all are blended,
  All Thy fulness to proclaim.

• We’re Thy total reproduction,
  Thy dear Body and Thy Bride,
  Thine expression and Thy fulness,
  For Thee ever to abide.
  We are Thy continuation,
  Thy life-increase and Thy spread,
  Thy full growth and Thy rich surplus,
  One with Thee, our glorious Head.