And what is this mysterious working? According to the universal testimony based upon
Scripture, it is an operation of the Holy Spirit in man’s innermost being.
Hence the question, whether this regenerating act precedes, accompanies, orfollows the
hearing of the Word. And this question should be well understood, for it involves the solution
of this seeming disagreement.
We answer: The Holy Spirit may perform this work in the sinner’s heart before, during,
318or after the preaching of the Word. The inward call may be associated with the outward
call, or it may follow it. But that which precedes the inward call, viz., the opening of the deaf
ear, so that it may be heard, is not dependent upon the preaching of the Word; and therefore
mayprecede the preaching.
Correct discrimination in this respect is of greatest importance.
If I designate the whole conscious work of grace from conversion until death, “regener-
ation,” without any regard to its mysterious background, then Imay and must say with the
Confession (article 24): “That this faith, being wrought in man by the hearing of the Word,
and the operation of the Holy Spirit, doth regenerate him and make him a new man.”
But if I distinguish in this work of grace, according to the claims of the sacraments,
between the origin of the new life, for which God gave us the sacrament of holy Baptism,
and its support, for which God gave the sacrament of the holy Supper, then regeneration
ceases immediately after man is born again, and that which follows is called “sanctification.”
And discriminating again between that which the Holy Spirit wrought in us consciously
and unconsciously, then regeneration designates that which was wrought in us unconsciously,
while conversion is the term we apply to the awakening of this implanted life in our con-
sciousness.
Hence God’s work of grace runs through these three successive stages:
1st. Regeneration in its first stage, when the Lord plants the new life in the dead heart.
2d. Regeneration in its second stage, when the new-born man comes to conversion.
3d. Regeneration in its third stage, when conversion merges into sanctification.
In each of these three God performs a wonderful and mysterious work in man’s inward
being. From God proceed quickening, conversion, and sanctification, and in each God is
the Worker: only with this difference, that in the quickening He works alone, finding and
leaving man inactive; that in conversion He finds usinactive, but makes us active; that in
sanctification He works in us in such a manner that we work ourselves through Him.
Describing it still more closely, we say that in the first stage of regeneration, that of
319quickening, God works without means; in the second stage, that of conversion, He employs
means, viz., the preaching of the Word; and in the third stage, that of sanctification, He uses
means in addition to ourselves, whom He uses as means.
XXIII. Regeneration and Faith.