Regeneration

[KenH]

You.

Regeneration precedes faith. Spiritually dead people have no spiritual life.

 

[Van]

What does "regeneration" mean? To be originated again. Thus born anew. To be made alive (spiritually) from our spiritually dead original condition. When God places an individual into Christ, they are made alive together with Christ.

 

[Van]

Text: the things of the Spirit.
Calvinist rewrite: all the things of the Spirit.
The rewrite is twaddle, precluded by verse after verse, such as 1 Corinthians 3:1-3.

 

[KenH]

What do you think the will of God to be in Matthew 7:21? For which Jesus never knew them, Matthew 7:22-23?

"What do you think the will of God to be in Matthew 7:21?"

John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

The elect believe, but it is God's work, not theirs.


"For which Jesus never knew them, Matthew 7:22-23?"

Christ is referring here to a lost religious person. For the lost religious person it is "I did this", "I did that", "I did this other thing". For the lost religious person it is all about THEM! They in essence say, "Look, God, what all I have done for You." Now let me into Heaven. I have earned it!" They attempt to establish or work out their own righteousness - which is an impossible task. They are like the Pharisee described by Christ:

Luke 18:10-14 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (emphasis mine)

Look at that. The Pharisee used "I", first person singular, 5 times in only two sentences.

 

[KenH]

Anyway, this is what came first:

...God, who separated me, even from my mother`s womb..."

Similar to Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

I agree with John Gill on this subject:

"Or rather this designs divine predestination, which is a separation, a setting apart of persons, for such and such purposes, as here of the apostle; and the eternity of it, it being very early done, from his mother's womb; whilst he was in it, before he was born, and had done either good or evil; from the beginning of time, from the foundation of the world, and before it, even from eternity: all which phrases express the same thing, and intend either his predestination to grace and glory, to holiness and happiness, to sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, and to the obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ; or his predestination to apostleship, to the work of the ministry, to the Gospel of Christ, to which he was separated in eternity, and in time; reference seems to be had to Jer 1:5 or indeed both, and his separation or predestination to both was owing to the sovereign will and good pleasure of God, as was also his after call"

- John Gill, Gill's Bible Commentary

 

[CalTech]

Matthew's account:
28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, there met him two possessed with demons, coming forth out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man could pass by that way.
29 And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
30 Now there was afar off from them a herd of many swine feeding.
31 And the demons besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine. Mt 8

Mark's account:
6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him;
7 and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many. Mk 5

Luke's account:
27 And when he was come forth upon the land, there met him a certain man out of the city, who had demons; and for a long time he had worn no clothes, and abode not in any house, but in the tombs.
28 And when he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I beseech thee, torment me not.
29 For he was commanding the unclean spirit to come out from the man. For oftentimes it had seized him: and he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters; and breaking the bands asunder, he was driven of the demon into the deserts.
30 And Jesus asked him, What is thy name? And he said, Legion; for many demons were entered into him.
31 And they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss. Lu 8

Not sure what you're after here but the first interaction was between Christ and the demon(s), it was not the man who acted, but the demons within because they recognized the Son of God, and that He held power over them.

As far as what the man did after Jesus delivered him, I like to think it was to take repose in Christ:

35 And they went out to see what had come to pass; and they came to Jesus, and found the man, from whom the demons were gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus: and they were afraid. Lu 8

Exactly that was my point, the demons not the man recognized the Lord, he was in bondage to the demons who controlled his life, once Christ cast out the demons, he was "clothed" in a robe, sitting at his feet in Peace, and then saw Jesus, and knew him. That is why he desired to follow Him, but Jesus had other plans to use his testimony to the people, and when Christ returned back to that land then they were willing to listen.
Because I was trying to answer the question which comes first belief or regeneration. In this case it was deliverance before belief. I hope this makes it more clear.
Thank you for the discussion!
Lord bless you

 

[tyndale1946]

Exactly that was my point, the demons not the man recognized the Lord, he was in bondage to the demons who controlled his life, once Christ cast out the demons, he was "clothed" in a robe, sitting at his feet in Peace, and then saw Jesus, and knew him. That is why he desired to follow Him, but Jesus had other plans to use his testimony to the people, and when Christ returned back to that land then they were willing to listen.
Because I was trying to answer the question which comes first belief or regeneration. In this case it was deliverance before belief. I hope this makes it more clear.
Thank you for the discussion!
Lord bless you

Let me ask one question?... Can a person love God without being regenerated?... Brother Glen

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Oh and btw... How can a man show the love of God unless the love of God is in him?

 

[CalTech]

Let me ask one question?... Can a person love God without being regenerated?... Brother Glen

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Oh and btw... How can a man show the love of God unless the love of God is in him?

Greetings,

The Faith and Love of Christ towards God, is only granted to those who are chosen by Him. For the Love of God is shed abroad within our Hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given, which is given unto us, to us........to us


Rom_5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 

[CalTech]

"What do you think the will of God to be in Matthew 7:21?"

John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

The elect believe, but it is God's work, not theirs.


"For which Jesus never knew them, Matthew 7:22-23?"

Christ is referring here to a lost religious person. For the lost religious person it is "I did this", "I did that", "I did this other thing". For the lost religious person it is all about THEM! They in essence say, "Look, God, what all I have done for You." Now let me into Heaven. I have earned it!" They attempt to establish or work out their own righteousness - which is an impossible task. They are like the Pharisee described by Christ:

Luke 18:10-14 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (emphasis mine)

Look at that. The Pharisee used "I", first person singular, 5 times in only two sentences.

Greetings,

I do think this is one thought that God's will is:

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Born of God by the Spirit, not the flesh......

 

[tyndale1946]

Let me ask one question?... Can a person love God without being regenerated?... Brother Glen

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Oh and btw... How can a man show the love of God unless the love of God is in him?

I forgot to add this... What separates a sheep from a goat?

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.