Sanctification, Justification, Regeneration
Regeneration:
- Regeneration is the term used for this spiritual change wrought upon the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit sent forth from Christ’s throne
- It is absolutely necessary that regeneration takes place in order for a man to be released from his fallen and depraved state to the Kingdom of God
- Christ, in John 3, rests upon the reality that man is so depraved and fallen that his spiritual birth must take place first before he ever perceives or understands of the spiritual realities of the kingdom of heaven (John 3:3, 5)
- In this way, the Spirit’s work is crucially important in delivering and changing the heart of these men so that they may believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved
- This event, that spiritual change, is impossible with men, but possible with God
- Without a manifestly true change on the mind of the person by God, they cannot believe, nor experience any deep significant trust on Christ
- No unregenerate man, then, can see the kingdom of God unless God wills he should see it and converts him to be able to see it
- From all this, it is manifest that redemption itself proceeds on the principle that God must allow admission to His kingdom first, and to apply a spiritual principle that quickens the soul to life
- Several churches like the Roman Catholic,have associated the regenerative act with baptism, however, the Bible clearly teaches that baptism is a testimony that regeneration has taken place and not a means to attain it
- The Bible is clear that regeneration is brought about by the Holy Spirit alone
- Titus 3:5:”5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,”
- 1 Cor2:6-16:6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of i the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
- Regeneration is the catalyst that allows the Crhistian to interact with his creator
- It is the beginning step of an eternal walk with God
- Regeneration allows the individual to have a relationship with God and thus stands at the beginning of the Christian life
- John Chapter 3:
- Now there was a man of the Pharisees named h Nicodemus, i a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus [1] j by night and said to him, k “Rabbi, l we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do m unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is n born o again [2] he cannot p see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born q of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 r That which is born of the flesh is s flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [3] 7 t Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You [4] must be born u again.’ 8 v The wind [5] blows w where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
- Justification:
- act of God, based on Christ’s work on the cross, whereby a sinner is pronounced righteous by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ
- because Ephesians 4:14 says the goal of my preaching ministry should be that you “are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” I want you to be strong and stable and mature. In particular, I want you to know the doctrine of the imputation of God’s righteousness in Christ. I know “imputation” is a big and unusual word. But this is the word that has been used for hundreds of years to describe the truth that God “imputes” his righteousness to us through faith because of Christ’s obedience. Why should you be denied what tens of thousands of strong Christians have been strengthened by for centuries – the “imputation” of God’s righteousness in Christ? It’s a glorious truth that will change your life if you see it and savor it for what it is.
- “Imputation” is different from “impartation.” God does “impart” to us gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, so that we have them and they are in us growing and they are ours. But all of that gracious impartation through the Spirit is built on an even more firm foundation, namely, imputation – the work of God outside of us: God’s own righteousness, not imparted to us, but imputed to us. Credited to us, as Romans 4:6 and 11 say. Put to our account. Reckoned to be ours. I ask myself as a pastor, Why should the people of Bethlehem be denied the knowledge of this great doctrine that has sustained saints for centuries? Why should we cave in to the modern pragmatism that says doctrine is impractical? And I answer: we shouldn’t.
- Sanctification:
- Process of being made holy resulting in a changed lifestyle for the believer
- From an unknown website:
- Understanding the difference between justification and sanctification can be as important as understanding the difference between salvation and damnation. Rightly dividing between the two is of crucial importance. When you understand what they are, you can then draw a line in the sand and say, “This is what saves. This is not what saves.”
- Justification is the work of God where the righteousness of Jesus is reckoned to the sinner so the sinner is declared by God as being righteous under the Law (Rom. 4:3; 5:1,9; Gal. 2:16; 3:11). This righteousness is not earned or retained by any effort of the saved. Justification is an instantaneous occurrence with the result being eternal life. It is based completely and solely upon Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and is received by faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9). No works are necessary whatsoever to obtain justification. Otherwise, it is not a gift (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1).
- Sanctification, on the other hand, involves the work of the person. But it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly character and life in the person who has already been justified (Phil. 2:13). Sanctification is not instantaneous because it is not the work of God alone. The justified person is actively involved in submitting to God’s will, resisting sin, seeking holiness, and working to be more godly (Gal. 5:22-23). Significantly, sanctification has no bearing on justification. That is, even if we don’t live a perfect life, we are still justified.
- Where justification is a legal declaration that is instantaneous, sanctification is a process. Where justification comes from outside of us, from God, sanctification comes from God within us by the work of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Bible. In other words, we contribute to sanctification through our efforts. In contrast, we do not contribute to our justification through our efforts.
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