Today's theme will be a subject in page
118 of how he uses a fairly different
verb, and a verb that is not used
anywhere else in this connection in the Apocryphal.
In all instances, you have the instrumentality of
the word, and therefore the thought is that
the consciousness of the person concerned is intelligently
and receptively and faithfully engaged with the word
in that which is expressed by Apocryphal in
James 118 So regeneration
in these instances is the concept
of regeneration which is not the same as
that which we have.
How are we to resolve this discrepancy?
Well, the solution must be two
distinct senses, but in two distinct
senses.
First, in the more restrictive sense, which
is certainly the more preponderant in the script,
and which is, however, more
exceptional and occurs expressly only in
118-123, and when used, it includes
the activity of our consciousness in
saving response.
And does that include conversion?
At least, that's what we call it.
Now this double usage of the language of
regeneration, this double usage of it, this double
connotation, for
this reason that regeneration in the restricted sense,
John 1.13, John 1.2, et al.,
must never be conceived of outside of its
context.
Regeneration in the restricted sense has no meaning
of relevance apart from the truth of the
possible at rest to and engaging our consciousness.
But in the restricted sense there's no meaning
of relevance apart from we must
remember that regeneration takes a call and
the effectual call comes to us.
As I said earlier, regeneration is brought to
us in the bosom of the effectual call,
and it is that subjective what that of
the Holy Spirit brought in us.
And furthermore, regeneration always pushes itself into consciousness
in the responses of faith and repentance.
As we found in our study of 1
John 5.1 particularly, 1 John 5.4,
1 John 5.1 and 4, faith is
the invariable concomitant of regeneration, the invariable
concomitant.
And faith is always
the word.
So regeneration in the restricted sense has no
meaning except as it is concomitant with those
other aspects of the order salutis.
Regeneration in the restricted sense has no relevance
except as it is concomitant with these other
aspects of the order salutis, effectual calling, faith,
repentance.
Now review of that.
It's perfectly natural, perfectly natural for biblical writers
on occasion to take that broader context into
account and bring it within the very purview
of regeneration, the very concept of regeneration.
And that is what we find in the
Greek and the Ephesian and the Ephosphean.
Well, that's my attempt to identify
a little outside
of the context.
But faith in
a certain context has no meaning at all.
Regeneration in the restricted sense expresses a full
operation in order that the word of the
truth...
Now I come to that
regeneration causally.
Regeneration and conversion.
A regenerate person can live in sin.
Regeneration can...
The moral priority of regeneration is no
excuse for our unbelief and no other.
For people to argue that we should not
repent and believe until we are regenerated, until
we are regenerated, is to introduce confusion.
We never
know that.
We have known.
The gospel of God's responsiveness in
the demand for repentance and faith.
It doesn't address in the demand for regeneration,
but in the demand for that which just
as the unknown has run off the rule
of our founder.
...for the grounds upon which we are ashed.
So the instinct for the ground of our...
...is never the ground...
...first acts of faith...
...and third we generate...
...the priority of man
in a liberty that
naturally...
...are we able to release his...
...are we able to release it.
We generate the interposition of supernatural...
...supernatural...
...to ensure the release of that...
...release of that...
...to the end...
...to do for us...
...the world.
We generate...
...regeneration...
...things...
...in his...
...work of vitality...
...mysterious...
...exposes...
...statement...
...graphy...
...belong to the...
...so...
...ability of...
...in...
...of...
...front...
...recognizing that it is...
...sure...
...powerly to relate...
...all that has been said...
...respecting...
...region...
...especially when we take into account...
...the context...
...we generate...
...falling...
...now in the nature of the king...
...the little infant...
...is the incapable...
...and intelligent...
...must define things...
...aim...
...and that measure of understanding...
...but when regeneration...
...takes place...
...in infants...
...we must not think...
...just as taking...
...but when regeneration...
...we must not think...
...for that little infant...
...by being regenerated...
...the kingdom...
...of God...
...think of that little infant...
...accept as a child of God...
...think of that little infant...
...condemnation of sin...
...resilience...
...worship...
...membership in the kingdom of God...
...implies justification...
...is a doctrine...
...for the family of God...
...and although we likewise define...
...effectual calling...
...terms that are...
...must likewise be...
...be conceived of...
...as call...
...into the fellowship of Christ...
...just as...
...surely...
...assured...
...angel...
...keeping you at all times...
...generation...
...becomes a fact...
...in the case...
...we are bound to say...
...that in this sense...
...there is implanted...
...what is the germ...
...not because...
...capable...
...of exercising that...
...intelligence...
...we define for you...
...but simply because...
...we live in the mind...
...and the heart...
...of the little infant...
...that which impurities...
...the developing system...
...will issue...
...in intelligence...
...it is impossible for us...
...impossible...
...for us to determine...
...how this...
...whole complex...
...of new relationship...
...must be...
...to become God's will...
...a fact...
...and we cannot...
...the more we have known...
...for our own selves...
...this we must say...
...that this regeneration...
...together with the total...
...call...
...just...
...we must make...
...indictment...
...against...
...in terms of depravity...
...for example...
...they go astray...
...now...
...we must say...
...the regenerated...
...in essence...
...the regenerated infant...
...is no longer...
...a child of God...
...and therefore...
...develops...
...in the nature...
...of the Lord...
...the Lord...
...Himself...
...in Christ...
...develops...
...in the nature...
...of the Lord...
...it will take...
...years...
...perhaps...
...for that infant...
...to become...
...explicitly conscious...
...of that relationship...
...which had been...
...constituted...
...in infancy...
...by the grace of God...
...but we must not...
...conceive of...
...we must not...
...conceive of such an infant...
...as regenerated in infancy...
...and converted...
...when it comes to the years...
...of understanding...
...converted...
...in this way...
...may occurs...
...something which...
...in the rudimentary...
...response to conversion...
...that little infant...
...and that little infant...
...develops...
...under the sanctifying...
...influence...
...of this indwelling...
...controlling...
...and directing...
...Holy Spirit...
...that which is born...
...of the Spirit...
...is Spirit...
...that which is born...
...of the Spirit...
...is Spirit...
...born...
...expanding experience...
...and increasing knowledge...
...that...
...some infant...
...regenerated in infancy...
...that to their...
...temporal conversion...
...some day may reach...
...this experience...
...in infancy...
...but in many other cases...
...in many, many...
...there has been no...
...no such for many...
...intelligent...
...never remember...
...experience has been quite...
...gradual...
...and more or less...
...you were not...
...much...
...many, many...
...revelatory deeds of furnished...
...worship...
...outside of the context...