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CHANGE OF DISPOSITION THROUGH REGENERATION – The Only Remedy For The Decadence of Our Time.!  (Part 1) 

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CHANGE OF DISPOSITION THROUGH REGENERATION  

The Only Remedy For The Decadence of Our Time.!  (Part 1) 

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In this two part series we have a look at the supernatural change in the very core of man’s being that occurs through the exclusive act of God by which a principle of new life is implanted in man, with the result that THE GOVERNING DISPOSITION OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SOUL IS MADE HOLY.

“Every Generation Needs Regeneration” – Charles H. Spurgeon

“The chief danger that confronts the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, heaven without hell.” – William Booth

In Part 1, we will look at:

  1. An Introduction
  2. Regeneration & Disposition – Definitions “Except A Man Be Born Again”
  3. Man’s Sinful Nature
  4. Quickening (Regeneration) ‘Awakening’ Leading To The Governing Disposition of The Functions of The Soul Being Made Holy And Then Repentance
  5. Sorrowful Turning From Sin

In Part 2, we will look at:

  1. Disposition
  2. Result of A Changed Disposition
  3. Why it is impossible to be A Christian Without A Change of Disposition
  4. Assurance of Salvation

 

CHANGE OF DISPOSITION THROUGH REGENERATION – The Only Remedy For The Decadence of Our Time.

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 Ghost. (Titus 3:5)

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 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. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:3-8)

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezek. 36:26–27)

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  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. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. (John 1:13-16).

Regeneration is an Exclusive act of God by which a principle of new life is implanted in man, with the result that THE GOVERNING DISPOSITION OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SOUL IS MADE HOLY.

Regeneration means to be renewed, reformed, or reconstituted; to have a spiritual rebirth (be spiritually reborn) “Born Again”; to cause to be completely reformed or improved and to grow anew (a part to replace one hurt or lost).

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)

While the dictionary describes disposition as:

  1. A person’s inherent qualities of mind and character.

“your sunny disposition has a way of rubbing off on those around you“

  1. The way in which something is placed or arranged, especially in relation to other things.

“the plan shows the disposition of the rooms“

Disposition is that which guilds, govern, control and directs all the faculties, powers and propensities. The change of the disposition is what occurs as a result of quickening – the direct and supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit to effect a newness of life in the heart of man, so that he is able to receive the things of God (e.g. Word, directions etc.). That newness of life being the ‘activation’ of the intuition and communion in the spirit of man.

Quickening is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit; it is characteristic of the attributes of God as shown through His Spirit. This sovereignty backed up by the omnipotence of God:

God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God. (Psalm 62:11)

Quickening is entirely an act of consistent, instantaneous, unperceived work of the Grace (unmerited favour) of God. MAN HAS NO PART TO PLAY IN IT. The goodness of God leads man to repentance or can we say it should lead man to repentance: SO THAT the governing disposition of the  functions of the soul is made holy.

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

Man’s sinful ways naturally should lead to judgement but instead, God extends His mercy to man:

Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. (Psalm 25:8)

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5: 7-8)

QUICKENING ACTIVATES THE INTUTION AND COMMUNION WITH GOD IN THE SPIRIT OF MAN – This is the point where man’s quickened heart is able to see the spirituality of God’s law, as the functions of intuition and communion are made available to him by God,. The conversion process which follows regeneration (at point of quickening) is Repentance and Faith (Saving Faith) working hand in hand in an indivisible process. Saving faith is trust in Jesus Christ as a living person for forgiveness of sins and for eternal life with God. It is faith that propels one to take the next step past simply having knowledge of Christ and believing in the facts presented.

While faith is our receiving of the grace “offered us in Christ.” and repentance is availing ourselves of this grace and utilizing the power of it to turn to God. It is paramount we realise that faith will always precede repentance as it impossible for one to utilise what he/she does not have an understanding of – we need first to understand this mercy of God as provided for us in the finished work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ before we can now say we will go to God in repentance:

The quickening that effects the change in disposition, then repentance (turn around) which then opens the door for the receiving of this understanding does not change the faculties of a man’s being (his inherent qualities of mind and character); but does this by replacing the old principle of life that governs them so that a new principle of life is operating in him and controlling him. He still retains all his natural powers. Regeneration (quickening) does not (like widely believed) produce a standard type of Christian; who are more or less identical; everything about them is almost exactly the same. But this is not new testament Christianity; whatever a man is by nature, as regards his temperament or his abilities, his faculties, his powers etc., they remain exactly as they were before.

We will have a closer look at this in Part 2.

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