There are few subjects which have given rise to more difficulty and perplexity than that of regeneration, or the new birth. Very many who are, themselves, the subjects of this new birth are at a loss to know what it is, and filled with doubt as to whether they have ever really experienced it. Many there are who, were they to clothe their desires in words, would say, "Oh! that I knew for certain, that I had passed from death unto life. If only I were sure that I was born again, I should be happy indeed.'' Thus are they harassed with doubts and fears, from day to day, and from year to year. Sometimes they are full of hope that the great change has passed upon them; but, anon, something springs up within them which leads them to think their former hopes were a delusion. Judging from feeling and experience, rather than from the plain teaching of the word of God, they are, of necessity, plunged in uncertainty and confusion as to the whole matter.
Now, I would desire to enter, in company with my reader, upon an examination, in the light of scripture, of this most interesting subject. It is to be feared that very much of the misapprehension which prevails in reference thereto, arises from the habit of preaching regeneration and its fruits instead of Christ. The effect is put before the cause, and this must always produce derangement of thought.
Let us, then, proceed to consider this question. What is regeneration? How is it produced? What are its results?
1. And, first, what is regeneration? Very many look upon it as a change of the old nature, produced, no doubt, by the influence of the Spirit of God. This change is gradual in its operation, and proceeds, from stage to stage, until the old nature is completely brought under. This view of the subject involves two errors, namely, first, an error as to the real condition of our old nature; and, secondly, as to the distinct personality of the Holy Ghost. It denies the hopeless ruin of nature; and represents the Holy Ghost more as an influence than as a Person.
As to our true state by nature, the word of God presents it as one of total and irrecoverable ruin. Let us adduce the proofs. " And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, arid that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually:' (Gen, vi. 5.) The words " every "-" only "-and " continually" set aside every idea of a redeeming feature in man's condition before God. Again, " The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that docth good, no, not one." (Psalm 14:2, 3.) Here, again, the expressions "all" -"none"-"no, not owe "-preclude the idea of a single redeeming quality, in man's condition, as judged in the presence of God. Having thus drawn a proof from Moses and one from the Psalms, let us take one or two from the prophets. " Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it." (Isa. 1:5, 6.) "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field." (Isa. 40:6.) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9.)
The above will suffice from the Old Testament. Let us, now, turn to the New. "Jesus did not commit himself, because he knew all. and needed not that any should testify of man; for he knew what was in man." (John 2:24, 25.) "That which is born of the flesh is flesh." (John 3:6.) Read, also, Rom. 3:9-19. " Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Rom. 8:7.) " Having no hope, and without God in the world." (Eph. 2:12.) These quotations might be multiplied, but there is no need. Sufficient proof has been adduced to show forth the true condition of nature. It is " lost" " guilty "-" alienated"- without strength "-" evil only "-" evil continually."
How, then, we may lawfully inquire, can that which is spoken of in such a way, ever be changed or improved? "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" "That which is crooked cannot be made straight." The fact is, the more closely we examine the word of God, the more we shall see that it is not the divine method to improve a fallen, ruined thing, but to bring in something entirely new. It is precisely thus in reference to man's natural condition. God is not seeking to improve it. The gospel does not propose as its object, to better man's nature but to give him a new one. It seeks not to put a new piece upon an old garment, but to impart a new garment altogether. The law looked for something in man, but never got it. Ordinances were given, but man used them to shut out God. The gospel, on the contrary, shows us Christ magnifying the law and making it honorable; it shows Him dying on the cross, and nailing ordinances thereto; it shows Him rising from the tomb, and taking His seat as a Conqueror, at the right hand of the majesty in the heavens; and, finally, it declares that all who believe in His name are partakers of His risen life, and are one with Him. (See, carefully, the following passages. John 20:31. Acts 13:39. Rom. 6:4-11. Eph. 2:1-6. iii. 13-18. Col. 2:10-15.)
It is of the very last importance to be clear and sound as to this. If I am led to believe that regeneration is a certain change in my old nature, and that this change is gradual in its operation, then, as a necessary consequence, I shall be filled with continual anxiety and apprehension, doubt and fear, depression and gloom, when I discover, as I surely will, that nature is nature, and will be naught else but nature to the end of the chapter. No influence or operation of the Holy Ghost can ever make the flesh spiritual. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" and can never be aught else but "flesh;" and "all flesh is as grass"-as withered grass. The flesh is presented in scripture not as a thing to be improved, but as a thing which God counts as " dead," and which we are called to " mortify "-subdue and deny, in all its thoughts and ways. In the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, we see the end of everything pertaining to our old nature. " They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." (Gal. 5:24.) He does not say, " they that are Christ's are improving, or trying to improve the flesh." No; but they have crucified it. It is utterly unimprovable. How can they do this? By the energy of the Holy Ghost, acting, not on the old nature, but in the new, and enabling them to keep the old nature where the cross has put it, namely, in the place of death. God expects nothing from the flesh; neither should we. He looks upon it as dead; so should we. He has put it out of sight, and we should keep it so. The flesh should not be allowed to show itself. God does not own it. It has no existence, before Him. True, it is in us, but God gives us the precious privilege of viewing and treating it as dead. His word to us is, " Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 6:11.)
This is an immense relief to the heart that has struggled for years, in the hopeless business of trying to improve nature. It is an immense relief, moreover, to the conscience which has been seeking a foundation for its peace, in the gradual improvement of a totally unimprovable thing. Finally, it is an immense relief to any soul that may, for years, have been earnestly breathing after holiness, but has looked upon holiness as consisting in the improvement of that which hates holiness and loves sin. To each and all of such, it is infinitely precious and important to understand the real nature of regeneration. NO one who has not experienced it can conceive the intensity of anguish, and the bitterness of the disappointment, which a soul feels, who, vainly expecting some improvement in nature, finds, after years of struggling, that nature is nature still. And just in proportion to the anguish and disappointment, will be the joy of discovering that God is not looking for any improvement in nature-that He sees it as dead, and us as alive in Christ-one with Him, and accepted in Him, forever. To be led into a clear and full apprehension of this, is divine emancipation to the conscience, and true elevation for the whole moral being.
Let us, then, see, clearly, what regeneration is. It is a new birth-the imparting of a new life-the implantation of a new nature-the formation of a new man. The old nature remains, in all its distinctness; and the new nature is introduced, in all its distinctness. This new nature has its own habits, its own desires, its own tendencies, its own affections. All these are spiritual, heavenly, divine. Its aspirations are all upward. It is ever breathing after the heavenly source from which it has emanated. As in nature, water always finds its own level, so in grace, the new, the divine nature always tends towards its own proper source. Thus regeneration is to the soul what the birth of Isaac was to the household of Abraham. (Gen. 21) Ishmael remained the same Ishmael; but Isaac was introduced. So the old nature remains the same; but the new is introduced. " That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." It partakes of the nature of its source. A child partakes of the nature of its parents; and the believer is made " a partaker of the divine nature." (2 Pet. 1:4.) " Of his own will begat he us." (Jas. 1)
In a word, then, regeneration is God's own work, from first to last. God is the Operator, man is the happy, privileged subject. His co-operation is not sought in a work which must ever bear the impress of one Almighty hand. God was alone in creation-alone in redemption- and He must be alone in the mysterious and glorious work of regeneration. We shall, if the Lord will, consider the two remaining points of our subject in a future article.