What does it mean to be regenerated, and what is the importance of regeneration?

In chapter three of the book of John, the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that, Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God, and also, That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

There are two reasons that make regeneration necessary. The first reason is because our life has been corrupted and become evil because of sin, and it cannot be improved. God’s salvation does not correct or improve man, it regenerates man.

The second, and higher reason is our need for another life! When we were created, we obtained only the created life; we did not obtain God’s uncreated life. The only life that is really life is God’s uncreated eternal life! All other life is perishing and temporary, and therefore it cannot truly be counted as life. Only God’s life is life!

God’s purpose and desire 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 we hadn’t become fallen and corrupted, we would still have a need for regeneration. God’s goal is not merely to have a good man, but even more to have a God-man, one who has God’s life and nature! God want’s for us to receive His life into us so that we become the same as He is in life and in His nature.

God alone is unique in His Godhead, and He alone, eternally is the unique object of worship in the universe; man will never become an object of worship. However, just as a father begets children who are the same as him in life and nature, so also God desires to beget many children by his life who are exactly the same as He is in His life and His nature.

God created man good and pure, but not having the element of God Himself. Before regeneration although we are created good and in the image of God, we didn’t have any element of God Himself within us. Regeneration is needed for us to receive God’s life. This is the meaning of regeneration, and this is the initial experience of our salvation – to receive God’s life in addition to our original created life. This is what is meant by being born again.

When we were born the first time of our parents we received the created life. When we believe into and receive the Lord Jesus, we obtain the uncreated divine life of God. To be regenerated is to be born of God. Apart from our original life, God puts His life into us–this is regeneration.

The Lord Jesus is God incarnated to be a man. He is both God and man, He is the mingling of God and man. He lived a perfect human life as the first God-man. When he went to the cross he crucified every negative thing there. He destroyed the devil on the cross, and He took away the sin of the world. He paid the ultimate price of His life for our sins.

His dealing with all of the negative things was only part of what he accomplished through the cross. In His resurrection He became the Life giving Spirit to regenerate man. John 12:24 says, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. When we believe into and receive the Lord Jesus, His Spirit enters into our spirit and we are born anew, regenerated. We become the many grains that are exactly the same as He is in His life and nature.

Regeneration is just the beginning of our experience of God’s life and His salvation, there is much more!

Romans 5:10 “For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled“

Jesus said to him, I am the way and the reality and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6

 And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved.

Acts 4:12

That every one who believes into Him may have eternal life.

John 3:15

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name,

John 1:12

Having been regenerated not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God.

1 Peter 1:23

The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.

Romans 8:16

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God…

1 John 5:1a