I was wondering what regeneration is? Before coming to believe right division I thought I was born again, regenerated, and filled with the Holy Spirit—yet I always wondered if they were the same thing.
I thought that when I first believed, my dead spirit came to life by the filling of the Holy Spirit. So what does being born again mean for Israel? Is it only national or is it individual too.
What is the difference between the filling of the spirit at Pentecost and the filling of the spirit today? Is it the same, just that we are placed into the body of Christ because of the age of grace?
What is regeneration? The standard dictionary.com definition of "regeneration" is the following...
re·gen·er·a·tion /rɪˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃən/ [ri-jen-uh-rey-shuhn]
–noun
1. act of regenerating; state of being regenerated.
2. Electronics. a feedback process in which energy from the output of an amplifier is fed back to the grid circuit to reinforce the input.
3. Biology. the restoration or new growth by an organism of organs, tissues, etc., that have been lost, removed, or injured.
4. Theology. spiritual rebirth; religious revival.
As you can see, these definitions have to do with giving energy to, restoration, rebirth and revival. And that is very similar to the Bible's definition.
In the bible, the word "generation" means to "give birth to,” or even more "bring to life.” And we know that the prefix "re" has to do with "again.” So when put together the word regeneration has to do with either "give birth again,” or "to give life to again.” It is this context that we find the word in the Holy Scriptures!
The bible only mentions the word regeneration two times, so we will have to limit our definition of it to what God's word says about it.
Matthew 19:28
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
As you can see, one time the word is used in connection to God's Prophetic program with the Nation of Israel. This program has to do with a future time when the Lord Jesus Christ comes back to set up His earthly kingdom in that nation. When you study out the verse (and its context), you see that regeneration has to do with the time when the Lord will regather the believing remnant of that nation and finally reward them with eternal life in His kingdom. It is at that time when both the nation and the individuals in that nation will be regenerated, or "born again.”
Remember, when it comes to God's program with Israel, he deals with both the Nation as a whole and also individuals within it! God does not separate the two. Just like Daniel, who was taken captive by the Babylonians, not because Daniel disobeyed God himself—he was a believer. But, because Daniel's nation Israel (the kings/religious leaders) disobeyed God, Daniel and other godly men suffered along with the nation! We see that when Daniel prayed to God.
Daniel 9:4-7
And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.
So we see that with Israel, God dealt with both the Nation and the individuals in the nation.
That is what the Lord Jesus was telling Nicodemus, the religious ruler in Israel, in John chapter 3. The Lord tells Nic, that ye (plural for the nation) must be "born again.” Then he goes on to tell him that "a man" (in Israel), must be born again of water (baptism), and the Spirit (the Holy Ghost poured out later in Acts 2 at Pentecost).
John 3:3-7
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born ?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [baptism] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye [plural—the whole nation of Israel/every man in it] must be born again.
So why does the Lord say "born again?” When were they born the first time!?
Israel was born the first time when God brought them out of Egypt through Moses. That day they became His firstborn son.
Exodus 4:22
And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
So we see that the Nation of Israel was God's firstborn son. But we also know that they rebelled against their Father because they were in the flesh. And as the Lord told Nic, the nation had to have another birth, this one a spiritual one. They needed to be born again by water baptism and the Holy Spirit! And that will all be fulfilled in the kingdom when Christ comes back and sets it up and gives the Holy Spirit to those in Israel who are water baptized and believe on the Lord as their Messiah unto the end!
But, when you rightly divide God's word of truth as he commands us to in 2 Timothy 2:15 through our Apostle Paul, we see that this is NOT how God "regenerates" us gentiles living in the present dispensation of Grace.
Titus 3:5-6
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Notice here that when God uses the word "regeneration" in His grace message, it is connected to something that God did for us and to us and on us by the Blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of our Lord regenerates our old dead human spirits and gives us new life so that we might have a relationship with God.
We gentiles were never born unto God like Israel! Consequently, we cannot be "born again!" Paul never uses that term to apply to us, today in the dispensation of the grace of God. But Paul does say that our spirits were dead in trespasses and sins; and it is through the blood of Christ that our dead spirits are made alive [quicken] and now we can have a relationship with our Creator.
Ephesians 2:1
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Colossians 2:13
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Hopefully this helps!
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