Articles

Jesus Saves: Regeneration

by Justin Huffman

When you read the gospels, do you get the impression that Jesus of Nazareth lived about two thousand years ago, did some great deeds, taught some good lessons, and then just died? If so, then you obviously didn’t finish the book! But even if you continue reading through His resurrection and ascension into heaven, do you imagine that Jesus is now unconnected with, or unconcerned about, the events that transpire still on earth?

The writers themselves clearly did not mean for us to think this way, because Luke begins the second volume of his two-volume history with the reminder that the gospels only record what Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1).

As Luke faithfully records for us, the apostles themselves saw Jesus as still very much present and very much active in the world around them.

In Peter’s first sermon, for instance, he credits Jesus with empowering Pentecost (2:33); he soon after insists that Jesus, not he, had healed the 40-year-old man who had been lame from birth (4:10).

To those who carefully listen to Jesus’ earthly teaching, it comes as no surprise that He is still vitally present and involved in the world today — “I am with you always”; “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I”; “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” In fact, Jesus tells us that He is with us from the beginning, that it is He who gives us spiritual life and a love for Him as the Son of God.

Resurrection

Clearly speaking of this spiritual regeneration, Jesus proclaimed “the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25). This life-giving voice, He informs us, is sovereign, for “the Son quickeneth whom he will” (21).

Because the creative, quickening act of the new birth is ascribed to each member of the Trinity in turn (Ephesians 2:4,5; John 3:8; 5:21), it is evident that Jesus’ work certainly was not confined to the cross. As Paul explained to Titus, before the washing, regenerating work of the Spirit was shed on us through Jesus Christ, we were all characterized by foolishness, disobedience, deception, and servitude to sin (Titus 3:3-6). Then the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared to us, not because of any righteous works on our part, but “according to his mercy he saved us” (3:5).

He saved us! We did not, could not save ourselves, but His mercy led Him to reveal Himself to us.

We would never have seen, known, or appreciated His perfections, if He had not made Himself known to us or, as Paul says, appeared to us.

Reception

What Paul defines as an appearance of Jesus Christ to our hearts, John describes as a reception of Christ in our hearts. Not surprisingly, though, even this ability to receive Christ, John says, comes from Christ: “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

When we receive Christ, when we believe on His name, it is not because we were born into a certain family, or because we worked up the will to do so, or because someone else powerfully forced salvation upon us. We are born again by the sovereign will of God; we receive Christ because Christ gives us power to do so.

Instruction

Yet another characteristic of Jesus’ work in our heart is instruction. After describing the blindness and estrangement from God that is the lot of the wicked, Paul reminds us that Christ has not left His people to wallow in such misery. Rather, He instructs their hearts so that they learn of Him. While the world is given over to depravity and greed, Paul says, “ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus” (4:20-21).

What a mercy, that the regeneration of our hearts is not only to give us life but to instruct us regarding the Prince of life! This is the great New Covenant promise of God to His people: “this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest” (Hebrews 8:10,11).

Sanctification

Because Jesus Christ gives us life, reception, and instruction, we can truly say that whatever righteousness we have is not our own.

All our righteousness is alien righteousness; it comes from another world, from outside ourselves.

While we are actively involved in the arduous work of our own sanctification, even our good works are due to the fact that Christ is continuing to work in us.

Our righteous actions are the fruit, not the root or cause, of Christ’s work in us, for “everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him” (1 John 2:29). Truly, then, all the glory for our salvation, even including our sanctification, goes to Jesus Christ, as Paul would testify himself: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Our old, sinful nature is nailed to the cross of Christ and is undergoing a slow and painful death. Simultaneously, and gloriously, the resurrected Christ is living inside us. The life that we now live is by the faith of the Son of God, because He loved us and gave Himself for us.

Truly, the cross and resurrection of Christ were only what Jesus began to do and to teach. He is still working, and still teaching, in His people today.

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