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In the "regeneration” so glibly talked of by religious people generally it is not a matter of instructing and enlightening men. It is a matter of impulse and excitement. It is an instantaneous thing produced by the spur of an expert "evangelist,” aided by the charms of music or fright from a vivid picture of "hell torments." For this work a plain, matter-of-fact man will not do, be he ever so well informed and able as a teacher. A teacher is not wanted. He is too slow. He is not fiery enough. He can only deal with the mind, and by a process of reason deal with evidence that will change the mind and instruct it what to believe and do.
For modern methods of "regeneration" this is two thousand years behind the times. It is not quick enough, not excitable enough; it will not get the crowds necessary to build and maintain fine churches with tall steeples. It will not support fine orators in the pulpit who can sing sermons charming to those who wish to "heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears" for fine sounds without sense. No, no; this will never effect popular "regeneration." Send for an expert, advertise and get the people excited about "Boy preacher” so and so, or "Blind" or "Black" so and so - blind and black in more ways than one in many cases. Hire for a consideration in cash a good choir, good for singing sounds; never mind whether they can sing praises or not. Everybody ready, a large crowd assembled, work up the excitement in the whole house and let it mesmerically and magnetically concentrate upon the feelings of the most excitable; not upon the minds of the intelligent, reasoning element, for they are not moved that way.
A, B and C have "come to church" out of
curiosity, just to see the doings and hear the singing, and because everybody
else was going. They knew nothing about the teachings of the Bible
before they entered. The "evangelist” taught them
nothing, but he played upon their feelings and excited them.
They "felt queer," and he saw it and took advantage of it to tell
them that it was "conversion." They do not know any better, and
give themselves up and into the hands of the church. They are pronounced
"regenerated" and go home "feeling good," but just as
ignorant of the "things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of
Jesus Christ" (Acts 8:12) as they were before they went to the "revival
meeting." What a farce!
Before generation took place there was no man; to produce man it required formation and life. Before regeneration takes place there is no "new man;" to produce one it requires formation and life, or begettal, development and birth. The Apostle Paul says he "travailed in birth until Christ be formed again in you" - Gal. 4:19. In this formation the apostle is not speaking after the flesh. In writing to the Corinthians he says: "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh.***Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things have passed away, and behold, all things are become new" - II Cor. 5:17. This "new creature" is” Christ formed in us;" but what do these words mean? They mean that Christ is an embodiment of the Truth. He is the Truth. His existence was the indispensable necessity of the Truth, and His life was and is a manifestation of it in word and deed and fact.
For Christ to be formed in us, therefore, is for our minds to change from that which is not the Truth to that which is. This is repentance, which means a change of mind.
The mind must be changed from believing in three gods, co-equal and co-eternal with each other, to a belief that "the Lord our God is one Lord."
It must change from believing that Christ was God, immortal and deathless, to a belief that He was "made in all things like unto his brethren," and that He died, was buried and was raised again from the dead.
It must change from believing that the Holy Spirit is one of three gods to a belief that it is the Spirit of the One God, the effluence proceeding from Him and medium of His power, which is omnipresent.
It must change from believing that there is an immortal, indestructible devil to a belief that through Christ being made flesh and blood He will "destroy him that hath the power of death that is the devil."
It must change from believing that man is immortal by generation or by nature, to a belief that immortality is only for the regenerated after "seeking for glory, honor and immortality."
It must change from believing that eternal life is the possession of all men to believe that the gift of God is eternal life to the righteous only.
It must change from believing that we have "never-dying souls" to a belief that souls are dying and salvation is to save souls from death.
It must cease trying to fit immortal souls for the sky and try to be of the "meek" who "shall inherit the earth" (Matt. 5:5).
It must stop trying to "sing its title clear to mansions in the sky,” and try and prepare to sing, "Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth."
It must cease talking about the
It must no more believe that Christ is gone to heaven that He might receive us there, and must believe that "to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."
It must stop the folly of despising the
restoration of
No longer must it delude itself that we are the children of God by nature, by generation; but it must come to see that to those only who believe and obey the Truth God will give the "power to become the sons of God."
No more must it imagine that there is hope in Adam, but it must see there is "no other name given among men whereby we must be saved but the name of Jesus Christ."
It must change from believing that sprinkling a few drops of water in a baby's face will make it "a member of Christ, a child of God and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven," and believe that only upon obedience to the gospel by being "buried with Christ in baptism" and rising to a new life can we become "heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised."
When the mind has undergone these changes a
new creature mentally is begotten and formed; and when in baptism the person
emerges from the water there is a "washing of water by the word"
(Eph. 5:26), and there is a "birth out of water” and a new creature
in Christ Jesus is the result. Regeneration has taken place by the
"washing of regeneration," and the "new creature" is
“clean through the word," in a state of reconciliation with God, in the
atonement.
Excerpt from Regeneration...What
Is It and How Effected? By Thomas Williams