The Regenerate Man Defined

Regeneration occurs at the time appointed by the Father. It will occur some time between conception and physical death. When it occurs, the person will be completely unaware that any change has taken place.

This is referred to, by Jesus in John 6:44, as the drawing of God the Father and by Paul, in Colossians 1:13, as being translated.

With this change, the person aquires a new second nature. The first nature, the carnal nature, is loosed from total domination and control over the person. In Romans 6:6, Paul describes this as the old man being crucified. I like to describe it as when Paul and Silas were in prison and the earthquake shook the foundations of the prison and "immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed". Despite the doors being opened and their bands loosed, Paul and Sila remained in thier prison cells. At regeneration, the cell doors are opened and the bands are loosed, and the person is free to turn away from, or convert from, the power of the carnal man. But, he is not yet aware that this has happened. He has not yet discovered how to even do this. Because of this, the person will continue to be over powered and controlled by the former carnal nature, unknowingly and freely yielding himself to it (Romans 6:16).

Only after regeneration, is it possible for the person to hear the gospel. As Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit". When the gospel is heard, the way out of the prison is made manifest. Now, it is up to the person to choose how to exercise his free will. He will either choose to continue being lead by the carnal man, or he will trust in the gospel message and use the gift of the Holy Spirit to subdue the carnal man.

With regeneration, the person has been adopted and recieved as a child of God (Hebrews 12:6). As with any family, you have two basic types, although there are many varying degrees between the two. A child will be either obedient or disobedient. He will either do all that is possible to please the Father, or he will hate the Father and be rebellious toward Him, or be at some varying degree between these two extremes.

Having now been adopted as a child, the person is subject to the laws of God and His chastening. As revealed in Hebrews 12, God chastens His children in hopes that they might be exercised by it and yield the fruits of righteousness.

Having now obtained the inheritance of Eternal Life (Ephesians 1:11), the person, regardless of works (the required works of God), will live forever (John 6:51) with Christ in immortal heaven.

These are the elect of God, for whom Christ died. This is true grace, undeserved, unmerited, unwarranted, without any works, including that of faith. They are numbered as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore, innumerable. From these a remnant shall be presently saved.