What is Regeration and the New Birth??

Guys and gals,

Maybe we could zll agree as to when "regeneration"/"rebirth"/"born again" occurs if we only knew how it works, no?

"And LORD God ... breathed into [Adam's] nostrils the breath of lie and he becamse a living soul." Gen 2:27

"...for in the day you eat thereof, you will surely die." Gen 2:17 -- "...the soul the sinneth, it shall surely die." Ezek 18:4

So let's review: Adam was created a living soul. We are created in the image of Adam. Adam's and then our souls die on account of sin. Our SOUL. So this is the first brith and first death.

Did the spirit of man (mind, emotions, will) die? No. "... the carnal mind is enmity with God:..." (Rom 8:7) --- "My spirit shall not always strive with men... yet his days [life] shall be an 120 years." (Gen 6:3) How does man have enmity with God if his spirit is dead? if he is, more precisely, "brain dead?" How would God strive with those who cannot hear Him?? So we see that the spirit no more died" at the point of sin than the flesh did! In fact, the spirit dies POGRESSIVELY and the body EVENTUALLY but the soul IMMEDIATELY upon sinning!

Born again, then, is new life to the SOUL. The soul is first born at birth -- it died in account of personal sin -- the SOUL is what needs to be born again. How?

1) Man's spirit must hear from the Holy Spirit just as Adam heard God. Yes, Adam's spirit was at enmity with God. Yes, after the fall, God beckoned to Adam's spirit. And Adam answered, did he not?

God sets up this same situation in each of us (Rom 1-3) wherein the Spirit strives with our enmitous spirit. Your spirit is where all spiritual battles take place -- in the mind, emtions, and will! He gives His "light to all men... that all men through Him might believe." (John 1:4, 7). Yes, we fight it -- but that only shows that we hear it and have the chance to believe it. How does His "Light" penetrate our enmity??

2) The "Light," the Holy Spirit, has one job regarding the unbeliever -- to convict of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." In 1Cor 2:1-5, Paul says he came to them in the power of the Spirit bearing the gospel unto faith (in Christ). The gospel message is the ONLY one the unregenerate can hear.

They hear, intellectually process, and decide. How does this regenerate/rebirth the dead soul? The believer's SPIRIT chooses to dethrone self (repent) and to enthrone (receive) God in his soul. The spirit "signs" the new covenant with God -- "espouses" itself to Jesus -- makes the life-changing decision to trust God, not in part but in total -- and the soul provides the "permanent/eternal record" of the transaction

3) God gives faith that resides in the soul. Eternal relationship with God is established in the reborn soul. "Faith-evidence" is deposited in the soul. Whereas our spirit's belief is transigent and often unfounded (receiving inputs from our sinful flesh as well), faith is something you KNOW from "evidence" and "substance" and commit your soul to.

4) The reborn soul sets the pattern for "new" living.

Guys, ONLY the soul dies -- ONLY the soul needs rebirth! When the soul is reborn, it/God controls our spirit and our flesh beneath (Paul: "I keep my body under...") to the extent that we know God and trust Him.

skypair