THE DOCTRINE OF REGENERATION
J O H N 3 : 1 - 2 1
PART 5: THE CONCLUSION
VERSES 19-21
by
Carl Whorley, Lewistown, Montana/USA
JOHN 3:19-21... And this
is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every
one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest
his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the
light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in
God.
Welcome to part five of this paper. The conclusion.
Should you wish to have parts 1-4 of this paper please feel free to let
me know and it will be sent to you immediately upon request.
The purpose of this paper is to examine the Biblical
Doctrine of Regeneration and it's surrounding ramifications. The
Doctrine of Regeneration is one which is, in totality, inexhaustible.
For our discussion, we have used the text of John 3:1-21.
JOHN 3:19
[19]
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and
men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
In John 3:19,
we see the personification of Word as Light. And those who refuse
Light, are already condemned to a Christless eternity in a Christless
Hell. This condemnation is based on man's final and definitive rejection
of the Salvation which our Savior died for. The Heavenly Father has
given unto man two choices. Light which leads to eternal life, thesis,
with Jesus Christ, and then there is darkness, antithesis, which leads
to eternal damnation in Hell. The choice is not God's. The choice is
mankind's.
I have heard very well meaning preachers speak
of God casting a lost sinner into the steamy sulphuric depths of the
very pit of Hell. May I say, that God has never sent anyone to Hell, and
that He never shall. On the cross, God did everything within His loving
power to keep man out of Hell. Man goes to Hell because that is what
man has chosen for himself. When man consciously decides to reject God's
Gospel Plan of Salvation, and should man decide to die and leave this
world that way, then man has just made the choice to be assigned to the
literal flames of a literal Hell.
Job 15:16...How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
John 12:46...I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
The way in which love is described in John 3:19,
it is that mankind has a deep abiding passion for the world, the flesh,
and the devil. In consequence, this is what will ultimately separate
mankind, the creation, from God the Father, the Creator. Please note
here John 1:6-10.
John 1:6-10...There was a
man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to
bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He
was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was
the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He
was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him
not.
Proverbs 2:14...Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
John 11:9-10...Jesus
answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the
day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a
man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
There are two definitives which the Scriptures make
quite clear. One, the Light in question comes from God the Father
Himself. Two, is that this Light is manifest to the entire world through
the person of Jesus Christ. In that, one great Biblical/Theological
certainty of the Scriptures is, Jesus Christ was, is and always shall
be, the fleshly, visible and tangible manifestation of the very God the
Father.
John 1:5...And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
I John 2:8-10...Again, a
new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you:
because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that
saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even
until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is
none occasion of stumbling in him.
Here in John 3:19,
we see a global crisis. That being, Light made an attempt to shine into
darkness. Darkness repelled Light. This repulsion was premeditated with
malice aforethought. It was intentional with full knowledge and
soundness of mental faculties. This is why in John 3:19,
the word condemnation comes into play. This wilful repulsion of Light,
plunged mankind into a world and condition of condemnation.
John 1:9...That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 9:5...As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
In most cases, world, kosmoV/kosmos,
deals with the world system or world government. In this particular
case, it is dealing with mankind or the global populace. Light was not
offered to a world system or government, it was offered to the human
global populace. And in return, the human global populace, willfully
rejected Light.
I John 6-7...If we say
that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do
not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin.
John 8:12...Then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he
that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light
of life.
John 3:19
alone would tell us that the final verdict on mankind. Whether eternal
life in Heaven, or eternal damnation in Hell, is solely up to mankind.
And that being their final decision on what they would intend to do with
Light. Do they accept Light, or do they intend to reject Light.
I John 2:9-11...He that
saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even
until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is
none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in
darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth,
because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
John 5:35...He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
In consequence of rejecting Light, mankind plunged
himself in to a world of darkness and wickedness. Rejecting Light has
it's own natural regression of events. In the final analysis, mankind is
plunged deep into a world of wickedness and sinfulness.
Ephesians 5:11-14...And
have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are
done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made
manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.
Job 24:13-17...They are
of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof,
nor abide in the paths thereof. The murderer rising with the light
killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. The eye also
of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me:
and disguiseth his face. In the dark they dig through houses, which
they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.
For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know
them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.
Jesus came to the world to be Light to the world. But, mankind rejected Light and turned to darkness.
John 12:35-36...Then
Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk
while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that
walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light,
believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things
spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
I John 1:5...This then is
the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
I John 1:7...But if we
walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
We should stop and look at the word condemnation. The English word condemnation comes from the Greek word krinw/krino.
It means a judgmental condemnation, or, the act of condemning or
pronouncing to be wrong; censure; blame; disapprobation. The act of
judicially condemning, adjudging guilty, unfit for use, or forfeited. It
means the act of dooming to punishment or forfeiture. The state of
being condemned. The ground or reason of condemning.
It has been my pleasure to visit The Liverpool
Cathedral of Liverpool, England. A magnificent structure. I visited this
Church when I was doing some preaching in and around the Liverpool,
England area. Inside Liverpool Cathedral is a memorial to the late John
Charles Ryle, 1816-1900. A great saint of God who also was a great Bible
teacher/theologian of the Scriptures.
When it comes to John 3:19, and the matter of condemnation, this is what John Charles Ryle had to say...These
verses show us the true cause of the loss of man's soul. Our Lord says
to Nicodemus, "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil."
The words before us form a
suitable conclusion to the glorious tidings which we have just been
considering. They completely clear God of injustice in the condemnation
of sinners. They show in simple and unmistakable terms, that although
man's salvation is entirely of God, his ruin, if he is lost, will be
entirely from himself. He will reap the fruit of his own sowing.
The doctrine here laid
down ought to be carefully remembered. It supplies an answer to a common
cavil of the enemies of God's truth. There is no decreed reprobation,
excluding any one from heaven. "God sent not His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." There
is no unwillingness on God's part to receive any sinner, however great
his sins. God has sent "light" into the world, and if man will not come
to the light, the fault is entirely on man's side. His blood will be on
his own head, if he makes shipwreck of his soul. The blame will be at
his own door, if he misses heaven. His eternal misery will be the result
of his own choice. His destruction will be the work of his own hand.
God loved him, and was willing to save him; out he "loved darkness," and
therefore darkness must be his everlasting portion. He would not come
to Christ, and therefore he could not have life. (John 5:40.)
The truths we have been
considering are peculiarly weighty and solemn. Do we live as if we
believed them?. Salvation by Christ's death is close to us today. Have
we embraced it by faith, and made it our own? Let us never rest until we
know Christ as our own Savior. Let us look to Him without delay for
pardon and peace, if we have never looked before. Let us go on believing
on Him, if we have already believed. "Whoever," is His own gracious
word--"whoever believes on Him, shall not perish, but have eternal
life." John Charles Ryle, 1816-1900, Liverpool, England
Man is assigned to the literal eternal flames of
Hell because that is what man has chosen by himself, for himself. Man
has only himself to blame should Hell be his eternal portion. Our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ went to the cross and gave everything He had to
keep mankind out of Hell. And yet, for whatever reason which totally
escapes me, man makes the conscious choice to say no to Jesus, Heaven
and eternal life, and yes to Satan, Hell and eternal damnation separated
for all eternity from Jesus Christ. We are speaking of total separation
from the Heavenly Master who should be the love and purpose of our
lives and existence. For Jesus must be our life, love and existence here
and now on the earth, and then someday in Heaven for all eternity.
But the choice between Heaven and Hell remains with man and man alone:
JOHN 3:20
[20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
[20] paV gar o faula prasswn misei to fwV kai ouk ercetai proV to fwV ina mh elegcqh ta erga autou
What would be a suitable interpretation of John 3:20?
It would be, that in this verse, the works in subject, are more
important than the persons in question. The idea in this verse, is not
to merely display one's own works, but to show the fact that these works
are a premeditated act of rebellion and disobedience to our Master, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Meaning, the persons in question must also make a
conscious choice as to whether they will correct these acts and deeds by
turning to Jesus Christ, or continue on in this rebellion by continuing
on in deeds and sins of iniquity which they already know is offensive
to the Heavenly Father.
In Johnannine, Light is differentiated from darkness
in no uncertain terms. In Johannine, Light is the person of Jesus
Christ and the Gospel Plan of Salvation for which He gave His all and
died on the cross. Darkness, in no uncertain terms, is the world, the
flesh and the devil. This represents the Hell for which Jesus died to
keep all mankind out of.
The Evangelist is definitively emphatic in his
manuscripts. He who does evil hates Light, thesis, and loves the
darkness, antithesis. And, evil will not come to the Light lest his
works are reproved. One does not hate of one's own initiative. To hate
is to live in hostility toward Light. To reject Light, is to avoid its
very presence. If we understand Johannine correctly, this profound
hatred is the antithesis of the fact that God is Light and love which is
thesis. Just because Jesus is Light to the world, and the act of divine
love, the hatred and opposition of the world is intensified. The
mystery of iniquity is concealed in the word "hate." The world hates
Jesus. We see this in John 7:7 & 15:18. In so doing it also hates God as per John 15:23. The world also hates all born again believers. We see this in John 15:18, 17:14 & I John 3:13.
John 7:7...The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
John 15:18...If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
John 17:14...I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
I John 3:13...Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
To live in the thesis of Light, is to live in hatred
of darkness. The conscious choice on the part of man to reject thesis
and turn to antithesis. This, ultimately, will prove to be the catalyst
for man to precipitate acts of evil.
II Thessalonians 2:12...That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
I John 1:5-10...This then
is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If
we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not
in us.
I John 2:15-17...Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love
the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the
world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth
away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
for ever.
Notice how emphatic the statement of Jesus is. That
being, everyone, that lives in sin hates Jesus. This is not a minister
speaking, or one of the apostles speaking, this is Jesus Himself
speaking. That if a person lives in sin, then they hate Jesus Christ.
To be reproved is to be chastised by God Himself for
one's evil deeds and sins. The unsaved world, concerning God the
Father, wants to be left alone in their sins.
John 5:29...And
shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of
life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Titus 2:8...Sound speech,
that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be
ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
James 3:16...For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
It is only fair, that with all that is within me, to
warn all persons everywhere, that to hate Jesus Christ is to hate God
our Heavenly Father. And to hate God our Heavenly Father, is to hate
Jesus Christ.
John 15:22-24...If I had
not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have
no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I
had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not
had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
The English word reprove comes from the Greek word
elegcw/elegcho. It means to bring conviction or to rebuke a sinner of
the deeds of their chosen lifestyle. It is a word of confrontation. Not
waiting to be invited to express one's own opinion, but to confront.
Reprove means a face-to-face confrontation of disapproval. As used here
in John 3:20,
the wicked have a deep set hatred of Jesus, and His Holy Word the Bible
because both make a direct confrontation of man's wickedness and man's
wicked behavior.
THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WHEN A PERSON BECOMES ANGRY WITH ANOTHER PERSON, SIMPLY BECAUSE THAT PERSON TOLD THEM THE TRUTH!
For example. In the year 1535, King Henry VIII, of
England, had Sir Thomas More beheaded. Sir Thomas More was Lord
Chancellor of the British Empire in toto.
Today, this same office would prove equitable with that of Chief Justice
of the United States Supreme Court. More, being a lawyer, made a legal
challenge to Henry concerning his practice of multiple marriages and
divorces. Henry VIII told More right to his face that he knew More was
telling him the truth about what the law said concerning Henry's marital
practices. However, this knowledge proved to be of no consequence.
Henry still had More arrested, tried for treason and beheaded simply
because More would not bend the law to accommodate Henry's glutenous
proclivities for lust. This is the very point of which John 3:20
is attempting to bring out. Darkness will always adjoin itself to
darkness. And darkness will always exhibit a hostile reaction to Light.
And just as this inconvenient fact proved true in the 1535 with Henry
VIII and Sir Thomas More, it remains ever the more constant even unto
this very day.
JOHN 3:21
John 3:21...But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
[21] o de poiwn thn alhqeian ercetai proV to fwV ina fanerwqh autou ta erga oti en qew estin eirgasmena
As we come to the final end of this paper, the
matter of truth will come up yet again. In part 2 of this paper, we did
a theological/philosophical examination of the question which Pilate
asked in John 18:38. Pilate's question was ..."what is truth...?"
We examined that as per Jesus in John 14:6 and John 17:17,
truth comes in two separate yet identical components. That being, part
one of truth is Jesus as per John 14:6. Part 2 of truth is the Written
Word of God, the Bible. You see this in John 17:17.
What this means is, Jesus is truth and the Bible is truth. Which would
mean, the Bible is Jesus and Jesus is the Bible. To reject Jesus is to
reject His Word. To reject the Word is to reject Jesus. They both are
one in the same.
WHEN SOMEONE IS SEARCHING FOR TRUTH, THEY ARE SEARCHING FOR JESUS AND HIS
WRITTEN WORD, THE BIBLE
Coming to Light is coming to Jesus. Again, Light and
Jesus are synonymously one in the same. The Scriptures are quite clear
on this point.
John 1:4-5...In him was
life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in
darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 1:7...The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
John 1:9...That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 8:12...Then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he
that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light
of life.
John 9:5...As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
John 12:46...I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
In both verses 20 & 21, Jesus Christ is both Light and truth.
In verse 20, as per the very words of Jesus Himself,
if a person lives in sin, then they hate Jesus. They are not going to
come to Light/Jesus. They will not come because they do not want this
Jesus to confront them about their sins.
Then verse 21 continues this same thought. That
being, those who live in the truth/Jesus are drawn to Light/Jesus. A
person who is drawn to truth/light/Jesus, are those who's deeds and
actions are directed by the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
In John 3:3, the English word see comes from the Greek word eidw/eido.
This word is not about visual eye sight. Instead, it is about
understanding or seeing with mental comprehension, a particular point of
view. Therefore, what Jesus is saying in John 3:3, is that without
regeneration, or being born again, one can never come to a comprehensive
understanding of spiritual matters.
I would like for us to turn our attention immediately to John 3:5.
John 3:5...Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
When looking at John 3:3, and then John 3:5, if one
is not careful, you will not recognize the subtle, yet profound,
differences between the two verses. The wording is so similar in nature.
In John 3:3, Jesus speaks of seeing the Kingdom of God while in John
3:5, Jesus speaks of entering the Kingdom of God.
In John 3:3, seeing is a Biblical way of saying
understanding or comprehending. The only way to understand or comprehend
Bible truth is to be regenerated/born
again. To have the Heavenly Father apply the shed blood of His dear Son
Jesus Christ to your heart, life and spirit and bring your spirit, the
part of you which is God conscious, to life. For according to I
Corinthians 2:14, an unsaved person cannot comprehend Bible or spiritual truths.
I Corinthians 2:14...But
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned.
John 6:63...It is the
spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I
speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Jesus was teaching this precise, selfsame truth in Matthew 7:13-14. In Matthew 7:14 Jesus uses the English word find. Though the English word find comes from the Greek word euriskw/heurisko,
though not the Greek word under consideration in this part of our
study, the meaning remains the same. In John 3:3, as in Matthew 7:14,
both mean the same thing. Spiritual comprehension due to divine
enlightenment. Meaning, that the one and only way to enter Heaven, is
through regeneration/born again through and by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ only.
Matthew
7:13-14...Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which
go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
In John 3:5, Jesus teaches that to enter into Heaven
one must be born of the water and the spirit. The English word water
comes from the Greek word udwr/hudor. The initial meaning of this particular Greek word would be H2O as we would normally understand it. However, water is also a cleansing agent as well. We see this in John 15:3.
John 15:3...Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
We see in Ephesians 5:25-26, that the water is a symbolic pictorial for the Word of God or the Bible.
Ephesians
5:25-26... Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word,
In John chapter 6, we see Jesus walking on the water. We see this in John 6:19.
John 6:19...So
when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see
Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were
afraid.
There are unlimited interpretations and hypothesis
concerning Jesus walking on water. And I am not here to argue any of
them. However, if I may be permitted to do so, I should wish to add yet
another thought to this fray. That being, since water represents the
Written Word of God, and there is Jesus standing and walking on it,
perhaps this would be a pictorial of when it comes to the teachings,
doctrines and theologies of Jesus, that in all things, Jesus stands on
the Word and stands on the Word alone.
There is also yet another correlation between Jesus and the Word to consider. It begins in John 18:38.
This would be at the trial of Jesus before Pilate. In this verse Pilate
will ask a very intriguing question. The question is, what is truth?
John 18:38...
Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he
went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no
fault at all. Pursuing the answer to that question will prove quite
interesting.
First, in John 14:6, Jesus makes four
self-witnessing statements about Himself. First, He is the way, second
truth, thirdly, the life, and then fourthly, no man can come unto the
Father but by Him.
John 14:6...Jesus saith
unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me. I want you to notice that Jesus makes the
self-witnessing statement that He is the truth.
THE DOCTRINE OF SELF-WITNESS ARE THOSE STATEMENTS IN THE BIBLE MADE BY JESUS HIMSELF CONCERNING THE FACT OF
HIS OWN DEITY
In John chapter 17, Jesus makes another interesting statement. In John 17:17. That being, that the Word of God, the Bible is truth.
John 17:17...Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Let us also remember the words of John the Apostle in John 1:1-2, John 1:14 & I John 1:1-2.
John 1:1-2...In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
John 1:14...And
the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth.
I John 1:1-2...That which
was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with
our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the
Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and
bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the
Father, and was manifested unto us;)
What this means is, Jesus Christ Himself is the
Written Word of God. Jesus Christ is the Bible. And the Bible, the
Written Living Word of God, is Jesus Christ. They are both one in the
same. They are both inseparable. And to neglect the Bible is to neglect
Jesus. And to neglect Jesus is neglecting the Bible. Jesus Christ, was,
is and always shall be the Living, Breathing, Perfect, Written Word of
the Living God the Father.
Which then brings us back to the original question of Pilate in John 18:38, when he asked ...what is truth?
The answer is, Jesus is truth. The Written Word of God is truth. Both
are in separately one in the same. Truth will never be found in a the
world, the flesh and the devil. Truth is found in the Bible. Truth is
found in the person of Jesus. The search for truth in any other media
will only lead to an ongoing frustration and deep sense of a doomed
failure.
This would then mean that since Jesus is the Word and the Word is Jesus, that based on Romans 10:17,
since one cannot be saved until they hear the Word of God, this would
then mean that one cannot be saved until they hear the witness of Jesus
Himself as presented in His own Written Word.
Then there is the promise of Jesus concerning the Bible. It is found in John 4:14.
John 4:14...But
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life.
What the world offers will never satisfy what you
are looking for. People attempt many things in life attempting to
satisfy the place which only the Lord Jesus can fill. Not realizing that
they make their dilemma only deeper and more foreboding. What Jesus is
offering is a water from which we will never thirst again. The water
which He offers is not only the Word, but also Himself. For without
Jesus and Jesus only, and without the Word, there is no salvation. There
is no eternal life.
James 1:18...Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Romans 10:17...So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 12:2...Looking
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God.
As we witnessed in these verses, even Nicodemus
spent the entirety of his life hoping that the pomp, circumstance and
regalia of religion would savw his soul. And as we saw so profoundly,
it all failed him miserably.
The goal of our Heavenly Father in the process of Regeneration/born again,
is to eradicate the nature of Satan the devil from the new convert, and
replace the nature of Satan with the nature of Jesus Christ. We see
this in II Peter 1:4.
II Peter 1:4...Whereby
are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these
ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
Dr. John F. Walvoord (May 1, 1910-December 20,
2002), on February 6, 1952 was installed as the second president of
Dallas Theological Seminary. He remained DTS President until 1986. Dr.
Walvoord had these timely and important observations about the
importance of Jesus in the Doctrine of Regeneration and Salvation.
Other important
undertakings of God, such as the creation of the world, the incarnation
of Christ, His resurrection, the second coming, and the creation of the
new heavens and the new earth, become meaningless if Jesus Christ did
not die. This doctrine is not only the heart of Gospel preaching, but,
without it, other doctrines have no relevance. Without the death of
Jesus Christ, there would be no sacrifice for sin, no Salvation, no
resurrection, and none of the other doctrines that have formed the
context of Christian faith from the beginning. Dr. John F. Walvoord
In closing and in conclusion on this paper on the Doctrine of Regeneration, the entire doctrine can be summed up in one verse. That verse is John 3:36.
John 3:36...He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 3:17-18...For God
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
II Thessalonians 2:10...And
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because
they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Psalms 122:6...Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
I pray that our Heavenly Father will bless you quite richly.
Carl Whorley
816 Virginia Street
Lewistown, MT 59457