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Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast,many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing andbelieved in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’stestimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, amember of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus atnight and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who hascome from God. For no one could perform the miraculoussigns you are doing if God were not with him.” In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one cansee the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”  “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemusasked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into hismother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter thekingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must beborn again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hearits sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from orwhere it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 
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The Gospel According to John
What is Regeneration?
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdomof God." Our Lord Jesus Christ taught that the new birth isso important that no one can see heaven without it.Mistakes concerning this doctrine have been verydestructive to the Church of Christ.It isnot a work of man. It is not something that man does butsomething that God does. The new birth is a changewrought in us, not an act performed by us. This is statedso beautifully by the Apostle John when in the first chapterof his Gospel he speaks of the children of God as those
Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God.
which were born, not of blood,nor of the will of the flesh,nor of the will of man, but of God| John 1:13 |
What is "Decisional Regeneration"?
The history of the Christian Church has seen many errorsconcerning the new birth. These teachings depart fromScripture by attributing to man the ability to regeneratehimself. When these false concepts of man and the newbirth are adopted, churches soon become corrupted withfalse practices. The Roman Catholic church, the Anglicanchurch, the Lutheran church and many other churcheshave all been corrupted at different times and to differentdegrees with the teaching of .Because of this erroneous teaching on regeneration, thesechurches have embraced false practices.Baptismal RegenerationIn the nineteenth century few controversies were soheated as the one over Baptismal Regeneration. It isinteresting to note that (1836-1892), themost prolific preacher of that century, had printed in 1864more copies of his sermon denouncing BaptismalRegeneration than of any other sermon. BaptismalRegeneration teaches that the new birth is conveyed bythe waters of baptism. The sacrament is performed by manand is in his control.C. H. SpurgeonBut the twentieth century Church has, in "DecisionalRegeneration," a more subtle falsehood to combat."Decisional Regeneration" differs from BaptismalRegeneration only in the fact that it attaches the certaintyof the new birth to a different act. This doctrine, just asBaptismal Regeneration, sees the new birth as the result of a mechanical process that can be performed by man. Whatis here called "Decisional Regeneration" has in its deceptive
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way permeated much of the Christian Church.
Our Purpose
The methods and theology of those that practice"Decisional Regeneration" need to be examined — not witha malicious spirit, but with a fervent desire that all of God'speople may be one in doctrine and practice for the glory of God. We love all that are in Christ. But we agreewholeheartedly with Charles Spurgeon thatthe best way to promote union is to promotetruth. It will not do for us to be all unitedtogether by yielding to one another's mistakes.We are to love each other in Christ; but we arenot to be so united that we are not able to seeeach other's faults, and especially not able tosee our own. No, purge the house of God, andthen shall grand and blessed times dawn on us.So then our purpose is not to question the sincerity of some Christians or to malign them, but to unite Christiansin the truth as it is in our Lord. This alone is true Christianunity.As we earnestly seek to bring unity to the Church of Christlet us turn from falsehood unto God's truth. The practice of "Decisional Regeneration" in the Church must be exposed inorder to save men from the damning delusion that becausethey have "decided" or "signed a card," they are going toheaven and are no longer under the wrath of God. Thepurity of the gospel is of extreme importance because italone is the power of God unto salvation and the true basisof Christian unity.
Decisional Regeneration and Counseling
Some may still not understand exactly what is here meantby this term "Decisional Regeneration." Perhaps some areunfamiliar with the counseling courses that are beingtaught by many organizations in this country and abroad,and with the numerous "Soul Winning Conferences" that aretaking place. In these meetings counselors are instructedthat successful counseling must conclude with anindividual's absolute assurance of salvation. Counselors areoften instructed to assure an individual that his salvation iscertain because he has prayed the prescribed prayer, andhe has said "yes" to all the right questions.We have an illustration of "Decisional Regeneration" when apopular present-day preacher prescribes a counselingprocedure. He directs "Mr. Soul Winner" to ask anunconverted "Mr. Blank" a series of questions. If "Mr. Blank"says "yes" to all the questions, he is asked to pray a
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