"But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. It is by grace you have been saved."
–Ephesians 2:4-5
The gospel is a promise of new life.
A fancy theological word for new life is regeneration, which is a miracle God performs upon those who are spiritually dead. It is also known as being born again.
The apostle Paul uses this terminology in Ephesians 2:4-5,
"4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. It is by grace you have been saved."
He speaks of new life, being born again, and regeneration in the phrase "made us alive." In a previous verse, the apostle made it clear that all humans are born dead in sin.
Being dead in sin means we are not able to respond to the good news of God's grace in Jesus until we have "ears to hear" and "eyes to see." Or, new life!
My grandmother was my best friend when I was a child. But she died with I was only fifteen. Oh, how I wish I could stand at her grave and call out, "Granny, wake up. Come out!"
But she doesn't have the physical ability to hear or rise.
We are the same way spiritually. But when we are given new life, we receive eyes to see our need for Jesus and ears to hear the Holy Spirit call us to receive him as Savior and Lord.
Regeneration is not something that we do. It is a work of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 says,
"God saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
Regeneration is a supernatural work of God that takes place in the heart and soul of a person, resulting in a virtual rebirth and change of nature. Before regeneration, we are dead in our sins and unable to respond to grace. But after regeneration, we are made alive in Christ and respond to God's grace with eager acceptance and a deep desire to follow Jesus as our Savior-King.
Because the gospel is a promise of new life.
Discussion Questions
What is regeneration and why is it important?
How is regeneration a work of the Holy Spirit?
How does regeneration change us?
How does regeneration enable us to respond to the gospel and follow Jesus?
How can we tell if we have experienced regeneration?
A Suggested Prayer
Dear God,
We thank you for the gift of new life in Jesus by the power of your Holy Spirit. What grace is the gift of new birth! Help us live grateful lives in view of such mercy and love.
We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.