Word Study
Regeneration
The Greek word is palingenesia (παλιγγενεσία).
Meaning:
- New birth
- Renewal
- New beginning
- New life
Regeneration refers to the miracle of God giving spiritual life to those who trust in Christ.
How Does the New Birth Happen?
The Bible teaches that spiritual birth occurs when a person responds to the gospel with faith.
God works through:
- His Word
- The Holy Spirit
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ
When a person believes in Christ:
- Their sins are forgiven.
- They are justified before God.
- They receive the Holy Spirit.
- They become a child of God.
- They are born again.
The new birth is not earned.
It is received by faith.
Evidence of New Life
While salvation is by grace through faith, the new birth produces evidence of spiritual life.
A born-again believer begins to develop:
- Love for God
- Love for God’s Word
- Desire for prayer
- Desire for obedience
- Love for fellow believers
- Conviction of sin
- Growth in Christlikeness
These things do not save us.
They are evidence that God is at work in us.