"Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by
the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." Titus 3.5
I ran across this scripture while preparing the Branches lesson on the person
of the Holy Spirit. Two words in it are interesting. The first is
"regeneration" (paliggenesia). As the English implies this means new
birth. It is used only twice in all the New Testament, here and in Matthew
19.28. But it is implied in many scriptures including Jesus discussion of
being "born again" in John 3. George Ricker Berry in the Interlinear
Greek-English New Testament explains it the word means "God's act of causing
the sinner to pass from the death of sin into spiritual life in Christ." This
then is the instantaneous act of salvation. The other word is translated
"renewal" and is the Greek word anakainosis. It refers to the ongoing
work of the Holy Spirit which transforms us from a child of this World into a
child of God. Dr. Berry puts it this way "[It is] a continuous process through
which man becomes more Christ-like, in which process he is A WORKER
TOGETHER [Italics Mine] with God."
The Christian life, just like a physical life, only begins with the new birth.
But afterward, there is the continual process of becoming more and more like
Jesus. This is not instantaneous. It is a process. At times we fall, but the
Holy Spirit picks us up and continues the work in us. But it is a partnership.
He does his part in perfecting us, but we do our part in letting him. Just as
a child who never grew beyond infancy would eventually die, so a Child of God
who never grew beyond a born again experience will eventually fall away.
As the words of an old song said, "Jesus needs Disciples and not decisions
anymore."
Regeneration is glorious, but our call as Christians must be to renewal.