82 The Spiritual Man
“regeneration” or “new birth.” Though He cannot alter our flesh God
gives us His life. Man’s flesh remains as corrupt in those who are
born anew as in those who are not. The flesh in a saint is the same as
that in a sinner. In regeneration the flesh is not transformed. New
birth exerts no good influence on the flesh. It remains as is. God does
not impart His life to us to educate and train the flesh. Rather, it is
given to overcome the flesh.
Man in regeneration actually becomes related to God by birth.
Regeneration means to be born of God. As our fleshy life is born of
our parents so our spiritual life is born of God. The meaning of birth
is “to impart life.” When we say we are born of God it signifies we
receive a new life from Him. What we have received is a real life.
We have seen previously how we human beings are fleshly. Our
spirit is dead and our soul is in full management of the entire being.
We are walking according to the lusts of the body. No good is in us.
In coming to deliver us, God first must restore the spirit’s position
within in order that we may have fellowship with Him again. This
occurs when we believe in the Lord Jesus. God puts His life into our
spirit, thus raising it up from death. The Lord Jesus now declares that
“that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3.6). At this juncture
God’s life, which is the Spirit, enters our human spirit and restores it
to its original position. The Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the
human spirit; and man is thereby transferred into the spiritual realm.
Our spirit is quickened and reigns once again. The “new spirit”
mentioned in Ezekiel 36.26 is the new life we receive at the time of
regeneration.
Man is not regenerated by doing something special but by
believing the Lord Jesus as his Savior: “to all who received him, who
believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who
were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of
man, but of God” (John 1.12-13). Those who believe the Lord Jesus
as Savior are born of God and are therefore His children.