John Dick
Regeneration is a change of the moral state of the soul, a renovation of all its faculties. The sinner becomes a new creature, not in respect of his essence, but of his views, habits and inclinations. It is the introduction of a powerful new principle into the soul, under whose influence its natural faculties are exerted in a different way. In this sense, old things pass away, and all things become new (2 Cor 5:17). His thoughts are new; the objects of his choices are new; his aims and motives are new; and, by this internal revolution, the external conduct is affected. The infusion of divine grace, like the engrafting of a tree (if I may so speak) alters the quality of the soul, so that, instead of the sour and crabbed fruits which it formerly produced, it now yields excellent fruit, acceptable to God. The instrument of the change is the Word of God, and the agent is His Spirit, who, moving as at the beginning of time, upon the dark and turbulent mass, reduces it to order.
Light is the first effect of divine power in the new creation, as in the old. The regeneration of the soul commences with the illumination of the mind. “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). When the Saviour gave Paul a commission to the Gentiles, He sent him “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God” (Acts 26:18). By the same means his own conversion was accomplished, for he tells us that, “when it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me . . . immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Gal 1:15,16).
This must indeed be the mode of procedure in every conversion, because God will always act upon us according to the nature which He has given us; and, as His purpose is to make us willing and obedient, there is no way in which this can be accomplished but by communicating clear, impressive views of truth to the mind. The Scriptures are a perfect revelation of the will of God, containing all the doctrines which we must believe, and all the precepts which we are bound to obey. But, although their instructions are full – plain at least on every essential point, and admirably fitted to arrest the attention and engage the heart – the human mind is so blinded by prejudices, and so captivated and misled by the maxims of worldly wisdom that it either rejects the information which the Scriptures bring, or contents itself with a cold, careless assent to them.
An unrenewed man may have perused the Scriptures, and may have acquired such clear ideas of their contents as to be qualified to be a teacher of others. Yet, at the same time, he does not perceive their real excellence, nor experience their spiritual efficacy. Hence, while he remains under this mental incapacity, it is evident that the intended effect of the Word will not be produced, and that an operation is necessary, analogous to that performed on the eyes of a blind man to admit light.
The illumination of the mind does not consist in the discovery of unknown truths. To represent this as its purpose would detract from the fullness of the Scriptures and – if there were some truths which must be known that are not contained in God’s written revelation – it would provide the unconverted with the excuse that they do not possess adequate means. But “the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Ps 19:7) – that is, among external means it is sufficient for conversion, and it has no defect that needs to be supplied. Enthusiasts may talk of dreams, visions and revelations, but every sober-minded Christian can trace all his spiritual perceptions, holy tempers and devout feelings to the records of the apostles and prophets. And if he was first awakened, or has been since impressed by the words of men, the sentiments which they conveyed were consistent with the Scriptures and were derived from them.
Thus the illumination of which we speak consists in enabling sinners to apprehend the true sense and importance of truths which they find in their Bibles, and which they may have often read before without being affected by them, because there was a veil on their hearts. It is impossible to explain how this change of views is effected, because we do not know the way of the Spirit, and it is impossible to make it intelligible to anyone who has not experienced it. No one ever succeeded in giving a blind man an idea of colours. Even the regenerated cannot tell how they were illuminated, or make others understand the specific difference between their present and their former conceptions. They may realise that their views of truth were once obscure and uninteresting and now are clear and enlivening; but such information is general and indefinite. One thing, however, they know, that whereas they were blind, now they see.
The sinner is enlightened in the knowledge of his own character and state. Thus, conscious of his guilt, wretchedness and danger, he is prepared to accept the offers of mercy. He is enlightened in the knowledge of the love, grace and compassion of God, becomes disposed to return to Him instead of hating, dreading and avoiding His presence. He is enlightened in the knowledge of Christ, of His substitution, righteousness and fullness, that he may trust in Him for the supply of his need and, believing in Him, may be restored to the favour of God.
Indeed his views on all subjects are changed. He is now convinced of the evil of sin; he now feels the vanity of the world; he now appreciates the value of time; he now perceives the excellence of holiness; he now forms a proper estimate of the realities of eternity. God’s illumination leads him to view things as they are, whereas he formerly contemplated them through the false medium of prejudice and misconception. He awakes as from a dream and finds himself surrounded with the solemn and interesting objects of religion. All Christians are “renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created them” (Col 3:10). “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord” (Eph 5:8).
Having seen the effect of divine grace on the intellectual part of our nature, let us consider the change in our moral principles. In giving an account of regeneration, it is usually observed that the illumination of the understanding is followed by the renovation of the will. To renew the will is to incline it to good, to render it conformable to God’s will. This change is necessary because the will is naturally rebellious and its practical language is: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?” It is therefore said: “Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power” (Ps 110:3), and we learn from an apostle how this is done: “It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Phil 2:13).
The renovation of the will may be considered the natural consequence of the illumination of the understanding. While we speak of different faculties of the soul, we should reflect that, strictly speaking, these are only different modes in which the soul exerts itself. The understanding is the soul apprehending and contemplating; the will is the soul choosing or refusing. But although the heart often opposes slight and transient convictions of truth and duty, it does not follow that it will act thus when the Word comes “in demonstration of the Spirit, and with power”.
The effect of regenerating grace extends to every power of the soul, and all its movements are controlled by grace. The affections are all influenced by the change. They are regulated and directed to their proper objects. New feelings and emotions, new tendencies and exercises, are the consequences of the new views of divine things which have been communicated to the mind. The revelation of the Saviour in His righteousness and grace, accompanied as it is with a heartfelt sense of guilt, wretchedness and helplessness, gives rise to faith – that act of the soul by which it receives His offered salvation, trusts in Him for acceptance with God, and finds peace, hope and joy in contemplating His character and work.
Repentance is the effect of a clear apprehension of three things: (1) the infinite purity of God’s nature, to which sin stands opposed as darkness is to light; (2) the goodness of God, whom sin has offended and dishonoured; (3) His mercy in Christ, the serious consideration of which is sufficient to melt the hardest heart and to subdue the most stubborn. Godly sorrow for sin, hatred of it, prayers for deliverance from it, a purpose instantly to forsake it, and the commencement of a course of resistance and mortification, are the ingredients, or fruits, of repentance.
The dislike of the human heart to God flows partly from misconceptions of His character, and partly from its own corrupt inclinations. Both are removed in regeneration, when the mind is enlightened and the will is renewed. How is it possible for that person not to love God, if He seems the most amiable of all beings and the person is tasting that He is gracious? All the fruits of the Spirit are produced in the heaven-born soul; all His graces are imparted; and the heart of man – which was recently like a wilderness, overgrown with briars and thorns – is transformed into the garden of the Lord.
When the seed is sown in the mind, the fruit will speedily appear. Reformation is not regeneration, but will always be the result of it, when the conduct has previously been irregular; for “whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 Jn 3:9). The Corinthians were adulterers, fornicators, idolaters, covetous and extortioners, before God called them by His grace; but they were washed, sanctified and justified “in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11).
A change will even take place in the behaviour of the most moral unconverted man as soon as he is born from above. There are no gross sins, we will suppose, from which he needs to be purified; but he will become more spiritual in his conversation, more attentive to religious and other duties, less eager in the pursuit of the world, more scrupulous in the selection of his company, more cautious in avoiding occasions of sin and appearances of evil. The eye of an attentive onlooker will perceive, notwithstanding his former fair show, that even he has become a new man.
But it is in the secret recesses of his heart that he will himself be deeply conscious of the spiritual revolution. He will be conscious of a new attitude of mind in the performance of duty. Whereas it was formerly a drudgery, it will now be his highest pleasure. Engaged in the service of God, he will find himself in his proper element; instead of confining himself to the narrow round of duties in which he moved, while his sole aim was to maintain a decent appearance or to silence the clamours of conscience, he will now labour to be extensively useful to others and unweariedly active for the glory of God. The praise of man is no longer the motive which stimulates his activity; another motive, of a purer and more exalted kind, has taken its place, a desire for the approval of his Maker.
The principles by which he is governed are: a reference to God in all his thoughts and actions, a regard to His authority, and love compounded of esteem and gratitude, and a desire for His favour and presence. There is a lofty elevation of sentiment and affection above the standard of nature, however carefully improved. He is still in the world, but he is no longer of it. Although he attends to its affairs and feels joy or sorrow from its changes, he gives the decided and habitual preference to nobler objects; and, like the ancient sojourners in Canaan, whose faith we are exhorted to follow, he declares plainly that he is seeking a country, even a heavenly (Heb 11:13-16).
1Taken with editing from Dick’s Lectures on Theology, vol 3.