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Reaching forth...

By God's grace, still presenting the same old message from the same old Book...

Some things are hard to understand, and our being able to understand just what happens and how it is that God regenerates us is one of the things hard to understand. Here are a few words about how I understand things, about the prophesy of Jesus, the word and regeneration.

Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Heb 11:6). Such a belief is I think from hearing the promise, hearing, by the word of God, but not all believe (Ro 10:16; Joh 12:39-40; Ro 3:10-12). Those ordained to eternal life (Ac 13:48) are the ones the Holy Spirit regenerates (Joh 1:13), or quickens, and those ordained to eternal life believe because of the new birth (Joh 6:29). 

Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?

John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. "True calling upon the name of God is the testimony of true faith, and true faith of true vocation or calling, and true calling of true election." (from Geneva Notes)

The gospel is preached using the word. My understanding is the word of God is the seed (1Pe 2:2; Lu 8:11-15; Ro 1:16). With that said, in some way I believe the Scriptures, the word of God, is used instrumentally regarding the new birth. Only those that have heard, and have learned of the Father come to Christ (Joh 6:45). Initially, at the very first when granted new life, a person might not be aware of the things transpiring, with understanding increasing in time. When one is granted life, as I understand, they then know the only true God, and Jesus Christ (Joh 17:3).

I think at the moment one is born again is the time eternal life commences. When one is born again, they are born of the Spirit of God (Joh 1:13; 1Jo 5:2,4). Eternal life is to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ. Until a person has the new life, they are not able to know, for things of the Spirit are foolishness to them. God is a Spirit (Joh 4:24), therefore new life is granted and at that time, whether consciously or unconsciously, a person knows the only true God, and Jesus Christ. It is my belief that not every person that has eternal life and testifies of that life is able to identify the very time their new life began. To be born again, as I understand, means a birth. With being born of God, the new birth, eternal life begins. Quickening, or quicken is another term that means the commencement of new life.

Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Jesus Christ (Joh 6:45). Faith is a fruit of the Spirit (Ga 5:22; 2Co 4:4,6-7). Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God (Ro 10:17). The word is living (1Pe 1:23), and elect men are made alive, quickened, by the Holy Spirit with the word.

When any hear but don't understand, that wicked one comes by and catcheth away that which was sown. That person is said to be he which is said to be by the way side (Mt 13:19). I do not believe those chosen by the Father, the elect, will ever be lost. There must be good ground (Mt 13:23). By the operation of the Holy Ghost, there is new life, and that never apart from the will of the Father. The Father elects, the Son redeems those that are elect, and the Holy Ghost regenerates those the Son redeems. The sheep hear.

As it is written, the elect are “..born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” The Scripture is instrumentally God’s word. While men read it, and repeat it, it is nevertheless God’s word (Joh 6:63). By the operation of the Holy Ghost, new birth, new life, is established, and that never apart from the will of the Father (Joh 14:23-24; 17:8). Those chosen before the foundation of the world, the elect, shall hear (Joh 6:45) . The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are active in our salvation, the new birth accomplished by the Holy Ghost, and as I understand, the word, at the same time, being heard and understood because of the operation of the Spirit. New life springs forth.

While the passage 2Ti 3:16 does not explicitly state that new life is granted by the instrumentality of the Scripture, the Scripture is clearly identified as the word of God in that passage. The passage, 1Pe 1:23 says, “...born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” As recorded in the New Testament, the words Jesus spoke is not His, but the Fathers. Only the elect receive the words with them working effectually (2Th 2:13), for they are foolishness to the natural man (1Co 2:14). At the time appointed (Ac 15:18; Ps 31:15), I think at the same moment but I freely admit I am not able to show that clearly, nevertheless, those words are heard, the elect taught of the Father, and new life received.

Note that conversion is ongoing, through out the life of the Christian. It is often clear to identify the time a person is converted whereby they will make a public confession of their faith, but it is not so clear just when the new life began. This is my understanding. As men grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, these things don’t always become clear, that they can easily say one thing and another happened at such and such a time. As I said, I believe the conscience and subconscious is at work, sometimes with our being ignorant regarding being able to identify such things, our lacking understanding.

The new birth causes faith. Repentance and faith are inseparable, and simultaneous. When we are turned from death to life, darkness to light, we turn from dead works, and so is the time we turn toward God. When we are born again is when we are given a new nature, and when we are given the new nature is the time of our initial conversion, the new birth resulting in repentance and faith.

The new birth is the impartation of a new nature in man, whereby they are born of God. If any would say and understood that a man must first repent and then believe, and after that they would be born again, then I would say they are mistaken, for man does not cooperate in the new birth. Salvation does not come to man by his will co-operating with the Holy Spirit. Ro 9:16 in my estimation makes that clear.

Ro 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

James Adams says, "One may read thousands of pages of the history of the Christian Church without finding a single reference to the “old-fashioned altar call” before the last century." The reason for this is that making an offer and calling for a decision is not a Scriptural practice. It is a false practice to have a man make a decision to say yes, and then repeat a prayer as if that would cause them to be saved. Such methods of decisional regeneration are false. With caution, not wanting to approve the false practice, it is true that sometimes when such methods are being used, they never have been and never will be saved by the decision, nevertheless men can still be saved by their hearing the word , for those ordained to eternal life, the elect, are begotten by the word, quickened, regenerated by the word (Joh 1:13; Jas 1:18; Ps 119:50; 1Pe 1:23; Ro 9:16).

John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Ps 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

". . .Salvation in all its parts and branches, as redemption, justification, regeneration, calling, and conversion, faith, repentance, hope, love, &c. and eternal life, is not to be ascribed at all to the will of men, nor at all to the works of men, but entirely and alone to the love, grace, and mercy of God through Christ." (John Gill)

When the new birth occurs, the new man is so radically different than the old man that it is not without notice to the one born again, therefore the man will surely come to know they have been saved. With the new birth, repentance and faith are, in practical terms, immediately generated by the operation of God (Col 2:12; Joh 6:29). The man that is born again will be different, whether or not they understand much about what has happened.

For those so appointed, God intervenes and the word of God works effectually, the word brings forth whereby men are born again (1Pe 1:23; Php 2:16; Joh 6:63; Jas 1:18). Regarding the identity of that word, i.e., are we able to say where those words are or what those words are? That is what is often wondered about. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. How are we given life? God speaks and men are born again (Joh 6:45). It is readily admitted by most, the Bible identifies itself as, and is the word of God. Does that word have anything to do with our being born again? I think it does.

The word of God is life and brings forth life when and where God appoints (Isa 55:11). One has their eyes opened and another does not, one has their ears opened and another does not, one believes and another does not even when they are hearing the same words spoken at the same time (2Co 2:15-17; Ro 10:15; Joh 17:17; 6:63; 2Th 2:13).

When we received the word, while holy men of God spoke, and though they were men, the word was not diminished and is not now diminished, i.e., it is not less than God’s word. It is in truth, the word of God, for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2Ti 3:16; 2Pe 1:21). We don’t have vain words as some teach with their claims the word is corrupt, but we have Scripture given by inspiration of God. The word of the Lord endureth for ever, says the Bible. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached today and all generations (Ps 89:1; 1Pe 4:11; 2Co 2:17; Ps 100:5; 12:6-7).

The word is life giving.

Joh 6:63,68; De 32:46-47; Ps 119:50; 1Pe 1:23-25; Joh 5:24

The words we have, the Scripture, is given by inspiration of God, and is therefore God’s words. The word has an impact on one in particular ways but not on another hearing the same words. That is shown when the word is preached to a congregation, and not all are impacted the same way, for the words are divinely controlled (Joh 1:12-13; Ro 9:16). Unless you are elect, you will not be regenerated, quickened, you will not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. If you do believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, it is because you have been born again, and that answers the question of whether you are elect.

Jesus came to do the Father’s will, and the words that are life to us were given to Jesus by the Father, those same words life to the elect by the Spirit (Joh 6:45; Jer 31:33-34). The preaching of the gospel is said to be the preaching of the word and thereby as God ordains, the heart and will of men is changed. (Ro 10:8-21; 1Co 1:18; Ro 1:16; Ps 110:3; Ac 13:48; Eph 3:20; Php 2:13).

God’s word is able to create ex nihilo. The new birth is accomplished without and apart from man co-operating with the Holy Spirit (Joh 1:13), that word shall accomplish that which is pleasing to God, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto God sent it (Isa 55:11), therefore men ordained to eternal life are born again, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (Joh 1:13; Ac 13:48; Ro 9:16,21).

Joh 6:68; 17:8; 2Pe 1:21; Ro 1:16; 1Co 1:18; 1Th 2:13; 2Th 2:13 

I present the Bible as it is, the inspired, inerrant and infallible word of God. The Bible is inspired, most all will admit that, but many say only the original autograph is inspired and inerrant. To counter that error, the preservation of the Scriptures needs to be considered, for the words, inspired Scripture, is preserved (Ps 12:6-7; Mt 24:35; 1Pe 1:23) and we have that in the Authorized King James Bible.

Ps 12:6-7; Mt 24:35; 1Pe 1:23 

Bob Krajcik; Bible Study Letters

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A message of comfort from the Scriptures,
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Come and hear, all ye that fear God,
and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
Psalms 66:16

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