BORN AGAIN – REGENERATION

REGENERATION.

This is a subject which has called the attention of all Christendom, from the first to the last of all the
sects on earth. Some have supposed the “new birth” to be a change of heart. Others that it is to be
converted. While others make a distinction between conversion and the new birth; that to be converted
or change our prin-ciples is one thing, and to be born again is another. But, first, I would, in order to
understand the subject, ask, what is regenera-tion? What is it to be generated? To be generated is to be
be-gotten and brought forth into the world. To be regenerated is to be begotten the second time. Hence
arose the question with Nicodemus when Jesus said to him, “except a man be born again he cannot
enter the kingdom of God,” “how can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter the second
time into his moth­er’s womb?” This appeared to be marvelous in the eyes of a rul­er of the Jews, but
Jesus solves the problem, that as man was born of woman in order to come into this world, even so man
must be born of the water and the spirit in order to get into the kingdom of God. John iii. 5.

We read in the first chapt. of John, 11th, 12th and 13th verses, that as many as received Christ, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. By this it appears that they had power to become the sons of God, by
receiving Christ and being born of God; that is, of the water and the spirit, upon the same principle that
one by being born of woman becomes the son of man. We find also in the 19th chapt. and 28th verse of
Matt. Christ promises to his twelve Apostles that they should sit upon twelve thrones and judge the
twelve tribes of Israel, because they had followed him in the regeneration. But, says one, this
re-generation was the regeneration of the heart–a regeneration from sin. Then, according to this, Christ
must have been a sinner, and been regenerated from sin; otherwise his disciples could not have
followed him, for they could not have followed him in traveling where Christ had not been. But in the
regeneration of water they could have followed, for as “he went down into the water and came up out
of the water,” even so they could go down into the water and come out again, and thus not only have
their hearts regenerated, but also their whole bodies and spirits. But, says the objector, if Christ meant
that a man should be buried in the water and come [Page 87/675] forth out of it in order to be born of
water, how is it that a man is born of the spirit? I answer, upon the very same principle that he is born of
water, that is, to be enveloped in the spirit and come forth out of it. Christ says, “the wind bloweth
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whether it
goeth; so is every one that is born of the spirit.”–John iii. 8. We read in the 2d chapt. of Acts 1st and 2d
verses concerning the Apostles receiving the holy Ghost, “they were all with one accord in one place,
and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as the rushing of a mighty wind’ and it filled all the house
where they were sitting, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost,” &c.

By this we learn that the Holy Ghost comes like a breeze of the wind; that as the wind comes upon us
and passes off again, we cannot tell from whence it comes, neither do we know where it goes, yet we
feel the refreshing. We breathe the air, which seems pure, and our bodies are enveloped in the same.
And, to use the ancient mode of expression, we would say we were born of the wind. So it is with the
Holy Ghost. When the Apostles receiv-ed it, it not only filled them, but all the house where they were, so
that not only the Apostles, but the whole number who were with them were not only filled with the
Holy Ghost, but baptized with it. Hence we discover the truth and propriety of the Savior’s say­ing,
“except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.” By passing
through these two elements (if we may call spirit an element) we enter the kingdom of God, (or his
church,) and until we have passed through both we are not born of God. Therefore, although we might
have been born of wa-ter, we are not sons of God. For, says Paul, except we have the spirit of Christ, we
are none of his. Consequently it takes both the water and spirit for the door into Christ’s church, and
also to make a perfect baptism. Hence, says Paul, “there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.” Eph.
iv. 6. S. P. BACON.

(Gospel Herald, July 26, 1849)