concluding study on this subject will deal with the results or fruits of regeneration, for assuredly there must be fruit of some sort if there is life; if regeneration is a change of man’s nature, then there must be a corresponding change in the fruits that spring from that nature. So certain is it that there will be outward fruits resulting from regeneration, that Jesus made this a test of religious character when He said: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every, good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:15-20).

The tragedy of our day, is that so many have claimed to be born again yet without producing the corresponding fruits that most of the religious world neither expects nor looks for any fruit in the life of the professing Christian. This, of course, is a ready made excuse for any person claiming to be a Christian to "not be too radical in religion," for no one wants to be different, and real, practical Christianity is therefore pretty much of a phenomenon in our day.

Nevertheless, the Scriptures teach that the radical inward change wrought in regeneration has a corresponding outward change in the behavior of the person who is born again. Our present duty will be to ask what are these results of regeneration; the answer is—

This is what is declared in such passages as John 6:63: "It is the Spirit that quickeneth." 2 Corinthians 3:6: "The Spirit giveth life." From a state of spiritual death, man is instantly changed into a spiritually living being through the working of the Spirit of God. Thus, man is given the life of God, as A. J. Gordon says:

Regeneration restores man to his forfeited life, the unfallen life of the Son of God, the life which has never wavered from steadfast fellowship with the Father. "I give unto them eternal life," says Jesus. Is eternal life without end? Yes; and just as truly without beginning. It is uncreated being in distinction from all-created being; it is the I-am life of God in contrast to the I-become life of all human souls. By spiritual birth we acquire a divine heredity as truly as by natural birth we acquire a human heredity. —The Ministry of the Spirit, p. 102. Judson Press, Philadelphia, 1949.

This new life is the very essence of regeneration, for the old life of man is the natural life, but this new life is the supernatural life, the very life of God imparted to man. This is what is pictured in the vision of the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37. These bones were dry and lifeless until the power of God called them into order, then enlivened them with the very life of God. So it is in the spiritual realm; God’s power must work preparing the individual, and then actually produce life within him. So early in the Hebrew history as Deuteronomy 30:6, this was taught, for it is there written: "And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live."

Here, as in John 3:5 and Titus 3:5, we are shown the two-fold nature of regeneration; there is first the cleansing, here called the circumcision or cutting off of the heart, and then there is the renewing or actual enlivening of the spiritual nature of man. These two elements are so closely allied that they cannot in fact be separated. Often, however, only the "quickening" aspect is set forth.

In Jesus’ discourse to the woman of Samaria, this new life was set forth under the symbolism of water which continued to flow out, thereby manifesting the new birth in outward results: "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water...but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (John 4:10,14).

Confusion is easy here, for in one sense, the new birth is new life, but not new life considered abstractly, nor new life in a passive or idle form, but the new birth is new life which manifests itself in living acts, and therefore this new life is, in one sense the cause and in another the effect. It is in this latter sense that we consider it in our present study; new life manifested in new deeds and actions. This is what is shadowed forth in the ordinance of baptism, which pictures regeneration and its results: "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). Observe that we said regeneration was pictured, not produced, in baptism, which is the mistake of so many.

Is physical life manifested in walking? Then the Scriptures admonish the believer to "Walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16); is reasoning an evidence of physical life? then we are also admonished to put on the new man "which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Col. 3:10); is work an evidence of physical life? Then we are "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). Does speech show the existence of physical life? Then we are told to "put away lying, and speak every man truth with his neighbor" (Eph. 4:25).

Many of the results and manifestations of physical life have counterparts in the higher realm of spiritual life, and just as surely testify of the presence of spiritual life. But this new life is infinitely higher than the physical life; yes, even higher than the unfallen innocence of Adam in Eden, for Adam in his unfallen estate had no such glory as is given to the new man in regeneration. Thus, by the grace of God, man gains much more through his fall and the redemption of Christ, than he could ever have had even in the innocence of Paradise, for he is given a new, higher form of life in regeneration. "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6); i.e., it is spiritual in nature.

We have said that the new birth is new life manifested in the activities of life, and we now pass to consider the first of these activities of the new life; the Scriptures set forth the fact that—

This is the result of regeneration. The new heart is prepared to turn to God and does actually so turn. Without regeneration, the sinfulness of man keeps him away from God, causes him to set his affections upon self and his own pleasure, and to find gratification in things which are opposed to God and holiness. The regenerated heart has new affections and desires and is, therefore, fitted to seek after God and holiness. —J. P. Boyce, Abstract of Systematic Theology, p. 379. American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1887. 1973 Reprint by the Baptist) Publication Society, Missionary Baptist Church, Hayward, California.

Paul said that there was no good thing in his fleshly nature (Rom. 7:18). This is the only nature man has until God gives him a new one. And since no good can come out of that in which no good exists, conversion cannot proceed from the fleshly nature. Therefore the giving of the new nature, or quickening, must come before conversion. To affirm otherwise is to deny total depravity, which means that sin has permeated every part of man’s being and poisoned every faculty, leaving no good thing in the natural man. —T. P. Simmons, Systematic Study of Bible Doctrine, p. 293. Associated Publishers, Daytona Beach, Florida, 1969.

It is here that many people have "the cart before the horse" in that they teach that regeneration results from conversion; this view often dangerously approaches teaching that a man is saved by the works of his own hands, by his own deeds, will or ability. Again, conversion is sometimes confused because men put a narrower meaning upon the word than it has in its Biblical usage. The word means "to be turned about" and it may be used in several ways and contexts. For example, Jesus said to Peter, "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32), but this did not mean that Peter was not then saved; it had reference to Peter’s presumption and overconfidence in the flesh. Not until Peter was converted from his self-reliance could he be used of the Lord in strengthening others.

However, there is a way in which the word "conversion" may be rightly used concerning salvation; immediately upon the Spirit regenerating an individual, there takes place within him a "turning," and this turning is of a two-fold nature. On the one hand, there is a turning from sin, which may be denominated repentance, and on the other hand, there is a turning unto Christ, which is simply faith in His finished work of redemption, and while this is not the place for an extended study of these two aspects of conversion, it will be well in passing to consider them briefly.

Paul makes reference to this two-fold nature of conversion when he says: "For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (1 Thess. 1:9). It is here in reverse order to the more common order, which is repentance first and then faith, but it does not contradict the facts involved. This two-fold nature of conversion partakes of a negative and a positive character. W. N. Clarke says of the two parts of conversion:

Repentance looks back and forsakes. Faith looks forward and accepts. Faith is trustful recognition of unseen reality. Christian faith is trustful recognition of the unseen but living God, especially as he is revealed in gracious character in Christ the Saviour of men. —Outline of Christian Theology, p. 403. T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1905.

The negative aspect of conversion is denominated repentance; much confusion has resulted from an erroneous concept of repentance; some say it is penitence, but at best penitence is only a fruit of repentance; others say that it is reformation, but this is again to confuse cause and effect; still others believe that it is sorrow for sin, but this cannot be so, for "godly sorrow worketh repentance" (2 Cor. 7:10), and so cannot be repentance.

The word translated "repentance" (Grk. metanoia) means primarily "afterthought," with the secondary meaning of "a change of mind." However, even this secondary meaning does not fully express the meaning of the word as it is used in the New Testament unless we also recognize that this "change of mind" is such that it also effects a change of conduct as well. We believe that the phrase "change of attitude" better explains the word in our modern day English. Repentance actually involves a number of things, all of which are internal things, for repentance itself is internal. J. M. Pendleton says:

Of the repentance enjoined in the gospel, the following things may be said-namely, that it involves—1. A consciousness of personal sin...2. That sin is a great evil committed against God, for which there is no excuse...3. Hatred of sin. This is an essential element in repentance. The Hatred is inseparable from the change of mind already referred to...4. Sorrow for sin...5. A purpose to forsake sin. —Christian Doctrines, pp. 265-268. American Baptist Publication Society, Philadelphia, 1878.

Repentance is the first aspect of the believer’s initial experience of salvation, called conversion. True conversion is an essential part and proof of regeneration. Regeneration is God working in and conversion is man working out his salvation in repentance and faith. Repentance is largely negative and has to do with sin in its many aspects and forms, and especially with the sin of unbelief. —E.H. Bancroft, Elemental Theology, p. 200. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1948.

Paul said that he had taught "repentance toward God" (Acts 20:21), but in this is necessarily involved a repentance with respect to sin, self and the Saviour, for one cannot have the right attitude toward God without, at the same time, having the proper outlook on these other things. Repentance is simply getting things in their proper prospective; but this is not a native ability in man, for the Scriptures predicate this also as the work of God, as it is written: "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins" (Acts 5:31). "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:18). "...The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" (Rom. 2:4). "...If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" (2 Tim. 2:25).

It still may be objected: How, then, can we repent, as a stream can rise no higher than its source? The answer is obvious. We cannot repent except by divine grace. Remember this scripture cited: "Jesus Christ was exalted a prince and a Saviour to give repentance," and remember also what has been stated, that the exercise of repentance on our part is but the under side; the upper side is regeneration. We work out what God works in, both to will and to do according to his good pleasure, and therefore our "confession of faith" makes repentance a fruit of regeneration. —B.H. Carroll, An Interpretation of the English Bible, Vol. X, pp. 177-178. Broadman Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1947.

That repentance is that necessary change of attitude before one can or will be saved, and that it goes before reformation of the life, is declared in Acts 26:20, where it is said that Paul preached both to Jews and Gentiles "That they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." But if repentance is that necessary change of attitude, then it is clear that it must always come before faith, as indeed it does in the New Testament. Thus Jesus preached, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15). And Paul testified "both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).

Therefore, faith is the second element in conversion, and is the positive side of conversion. But again men have put an erroneous interpretation upon faith; too many have held it to be nothing more than an intellectual assent to some truth, but this is not the faith of the gospel, for the faith of the gospel is a faith of the heart, not of the head. "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:8-10). T. P. Simmons lists this as one of the evidences of regeneration:

We have noted that faith is wrought in the heart as a part (the secondary part) of regeneration. This is necessarily so because the new nature cannot be in unbelief. The faith that is wrought in man in regeneration does not stop short of implicit trust and confidence in Christ as a personal Saviour. It is not merely belief about Him, but faith and trust in and on Him. This is so abundantly evident from all passages dealing with faith that it needs no further argument to substantiate it. —Systematic Study of Bible Doctrine, p. 288. Associated Publishers, Daytona Beach, Florida, 1969.

If repentance may be called a change of attitude, faith may be called a change of allegiance, for in faith the individual turns to Christ, committing his whole destiny to Him, and depending upon Him alone to save and to sustain. Many people claim to believe in Christ who nevertheless reject the claims of Christ; such is not the faith of the gospel, nor is it the faith of God’s elect. Alexander Carson rightly declares:

To believe that Jesus is the Christ, implies proper views of the character of the Christ of God. If the Scriptures give one view of his character, and if a man hold a different view, then, however sincere he may be in believing that Jesus is the Christ, he does not believe the Scripture truth. The Christ in whom he believes is not the Christ of God. In the Scripture sense of the word, he does not believe that Jesus is the Christ. —The Doctrine of the Atonement, p. 149. Edward H. Fletcher, New York, 1853.

Faith, like repentance, is not a native virtue to man, and so man cannot take pride in his ability to believe in Christ; nor should he think that this is something that he can do any time he pleases. The statement, "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace" (Rom. 4:16), clearly shows that faith can have no merit in it, and so man cannot rejoice in his own ability to believe; salvation would not be by grace (unmerited favor) if faith were a human virtue, or had any intrinsic merit in it. Men only believe "through grace" (Acts 18:27f).

The Scriptures teach in many places that faith is itself the gift of God, and so without any human merit in it. However, since we have devoted a whole chapter to this subject, we will not go further into it at this time. Since conversion is a result of the divine regeneration, both repentance and faith are divine works wrought in man by the Spirit of God, according to His own sovereign pleasure, and for His own glory. But we go further and notice—

As an infant, by physical birth, one becomes a member of his father’s household, and an heir to his father, so it is in regeneration; being born again spiritually, a person becomes a son of God. Paul expresses this fact when he says, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26). And John also refers to this when he says: "But 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...of God" (John 1:12,13).

But note how this latter Scripture overthrows the humanistic teaching that men are already the sons of God; it is a very prominent teaching in this present evil age that there is a universal Fatherhood of God, and a universal brotherhood of men, but this is Satan’s device to blind men to their need of a Saviour. If all men are already sons of God, then it goes without saying that they do not need to be born again, and Christ was crucified in vain. But such is not the case, for Jesus Himself declared that the Jews, who were strict monotheists, who worshipped the one true God, who were more moral than any other nation on earth, who kept the letter of the Law, and who were very zealous in serving God, were children of the devil nevertheless (John 8:44). This being so, in what condition does it leave the rest of the world which had much less knowledge of and zeal for, the Lord?

Divine sonship results only from the new birth, but it follows as a matter of course where regeneration is. And not only so, but it is a present thing, and not something to be accomplished sometime in the future, as some erroneously teach. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: and such we are (so reads the best and oldest manuscripts). For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is (1 John 3:1-2, R.V.)

A blessed truth this, that not only are we called the sons of God, but we are so in fact; and though the world does not recognize us in this character even as it did not recognize our Lord as the only begotten Son of God, and though even we cannot conceive of what we are going to be like, yet the time is coming when we shall be made like unto our glorious Lord.

But the point we wish to make from this is the fact of a present sonship; this Paul also emphasized when he said: "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ" (Gal. 4:4-7). "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby ye cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Rom. 8:14-17).

Observe how that throughout these passages the present sonship of believers has been emphasized; this is a result of regeneration and is testified of by the Spirit of God who indwells us. If any person has not the witness of the Spirit that he is a child of God, he had better enquire diligently if he has been regenerated, for the two go together.

Thus, there is not only a divine sonship which results from regeneration, but an assurance of this as well; yea, more than this, there is a security, for who has ever heard of a child being unborn? It is an impossibility, yet this is what would be necessitated if any regenerated person could afterward be lost again. The whole idea of a saved man being lost again is based upon the idea that a man is saved by his own good works; but this is not the case at all; man is regenerated by God, and that by grace, and since no one is saved by his own good works, no one can be lost by his own evil works. But this is not all; not only does regeneration result in new life, conversion, and sonship, it also has another blessed effect, namely—

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10). The word translated "before ordained" is the same word that is translated "afore prepared" in Romans 9:23, and we have here set forth the fact that by regeneration God prepares in advance every regenerated person to serve Him, and therefore no excuse is left for negligence. It is true that not every believer has the same office or work, but every one has a duty to serve God in his respective place and office, and for any person to say "I can’t" is to belie God’s Word which declares that we are prepared and fitted for service. Too often it is more a matter of "I won’t" than of "I can’t."

Paul admonishes believers to maintain good works that they may be profited spiritually thereby, for he writes to Titus: "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might, be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men...And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful" (Titus 3:8,14).

It has long been this writer’s belief that God does not pass out talents and abilities promiscuously, but that the ability to perform any given work in God’s service is an evidence of God’s will that it be done by that person who has that ability. God does not expect any person to do that which he can’t do, but every person who has experienced the grace of God can "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee" (Mark 5:19). This is the essence of Christian witness, and every regenerated person is fitted for it, for "no child of God is ever born mute."

This is not to say that God gives abilities already perfected, for this is seldom the case; generally, God gives an individual the potential to accomplish a given work, and it is left up to that individual to develop and perfect that ability. Therefore it is no legitimate excuse for a person to refuse to do some work for the Lord simply because he can’t do it perfectly, for progress toward perfection is only made by repeated exercise in that direction, and no one has ever attained to perfection in any work for the Lord. However, every child of God is going to be judged, not on the basis of what he has accomplished, but upon the basis of how faithful he has been to his duty.

Regeneration prepares a man for service to the Lord by giving him all that is necessary to develop the ability necessary, to do that to which the Lord has called him. It is sometimes the case that a child of God has his own idea about how to serve the Lord, and the Lord must hedge up the way to prevent him going into the wrong work for the Lord. If one repeatedly keeps running into the Lord’s "thorns," perhaps he ought to pause to get directions from the Lord as to what He would have him to do. Regeneration fits us to do the Lord’s will, but does not fit us to do our own. God’s will must always be supreme in our lives.

Behold then the blessedness of regeneration, that a lost, dead, doomed, child of the devil should be divinely changed and made a "new creation" and fitted for service to the Lord here on earth, and for a home in heaven when the earth life is finished. Praise the Lord for His redeeming, regenerating love and mercy to unworthy sinners.