The meaning of regeneration

[Waiting on him]

John 20:22 KJV
[22] And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

 

[Enoch111]

Does this mean that man has no part in his salvation, including that of choice?

There seems to be some general confusion about man's part and God's part. There is no question that the New Birth is supernatural. Those who are born again (regenerated) are "born of the Spirit". "born of God" and "born from above".

At the same time unless a sinner believes the Gospel and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, he or she does not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (or the baptism with the Spirit). And it is only after that that the Holy Spirit regenerates a person.

The sequence is given in Ephesians 1:13 and John 1:12,13: In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise... But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

1. The Gospel is preached.
2. The Gospel is believed (which means to believe on Christ).
3. The believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit
4. The Holy Spirit regenerates the believer.

So, unless an unregenerated person obeys the Gospel, he or she is not regenerated. And according to Scripture, all those who are unregenerate can still hear and obey the Gospel (Mark 16:15,16). Which is denied by those who teach Calvinistic Total Depravity.

 

[justbyfaith]

Regarding the OP:

Rom 5:1, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2, By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 

[dev553344]

paliggenesia: regeneration, renewal

Original Word: παλιγγενεσία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: paliggenesia
Phonetic Spelling: (pal-ing-ghen-es-ee'-ah)
Definition: regeneration, renewal
Usage: a new birth, regeneration, renewal. properly, the coming of new birth because "born again"; regeneration.

Thayers- παλιγγενεσία- properly, new birth, reproduction, renewal, recreation . Commonly, however, the word denotes the restoration of a thing to its pristine state, its renovation, as the renewal or restoration of life after death.

In English, the word generate means to bring into existence; cause to be; produce. Re-generate basically means again.

So, it means to bring into existence again, renewed, rebirth, recreate, restoration etc......

When God created Adam, Adam was spiritually alive. When they sinned in the garden they died spiritually.

This is what it means when Paul says we were (past tense) dead in sins. ( Ephesians 2:1,5) We were regenerated and brought back to spiritual life (that man was originally created with, hence rebirth, renewed, born anew-again, born of the spirit etc...). A work of God not by mans will or human decision. John 1:13.

Ephesians 2:4-5- But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions

Colossians 2:13
When you were dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our trespasses,

Paul says:
(1 Corinthians 2:14 ) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man is a spiritually dead person who is unsaved. He does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, and he cannot know them. Why? Because they are spiritually discerned.

Then in the next verse Paul says:
(1 Corinthians 2:15) But he who is spiritual judges all things . . .

The word "judges" there basically means to sift, to examine, to decide rightly.

The question is, how does a natural man who does not accept the things of the Spirit of God become spiritual so that he can sift, examine or decide rightly? The correct answer is that God must sovereignly do it.

hope this helps !!!

Regenerate? Well the passages you quote said we are made alive with Christ. But it's more bread and wine given us, body and spirit of Christ that makes us alive. If we don't eat earthly food we die and whither away. If we eat we take that food into us and it gives us life. The sacrament does that thru Jesus the Christ, makes us alive.

 

[Truman]

unfortunately many make a decision based solely upon emotions just like they do with ( love ) and then leave their partner because they have "fallen out" of love. Love like salvation is a commitment, a life long one.

hope this helps !!!

Love, like forgiveness, is an act of the will. A verb, I'm sure you know.
At best, emotions are faulty indicators that should never be trusted to lead one. However, without emotions, life would be rather dreary and colorless. When the Lord lights up my emotions, I love Him even stronger. but never stronger than when I obey Him. Shalom.