[1] Salvation: Conversion and Regeneration

[16] Salvation: Conversion and Regeneration

53. What is "salvation" or "redemption"?

a. Foundation of salvation: Salvation is based entirely on the work of Christ. He became a curse for us (Gal 3:13). His death and his bearing the sins of the world completed the atonement between God and man. Anyone who accepts Jesus as the Saviour is accepting God’s free gift of salvation. b. Meaning of Redemption: the believer has been purchased with the sacrifice of Jesus and now belongs to God

Gr. lytron and apolytrosis -- the price paid to redeem a pawned item, money to purchase a slave’s freedom; Gr. agorazo and exagorazo -- buy or buy back (1Co 7:23),

c. Meaning of Salvation: the complete salvation as planned by God involving:

saving the believer from the deserved punishment from sin which is eternal death,
restoring right relation of man to God through justification
renewing the believer in the image of God (clothed in the "new self") (Eph 4:24)
preserving the believer for eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God

d. Salvation includes 6 steps: (1) Calling: the sinner is invited to accept salvation

(2) Conversion: the sinner turns to salvation through repentance and faith

(3) Regeneration: the spirit of the believer is born again

(4) Justification: the believer is pronounced righteous (or just) by God

(5) Sanctification: the believer is renewed after the image of God and becomes holy

(6) Final glorification: the believer receives the glorified body; the complete and final salvation of the whole person conformed to the image of God (Php 3:21)

54. How does calling to salvation work?

a. Calling is that gracious act of God whereby He invites sinners to accept the salvation that is offered in Jesus Christ, normally through the preaching of the Gospel (Ro 10:17; 1Th 1:5).

b. It is a calling to the fellowship of Jesus Christ (1Co 1:9), to inherit blessing (1Pe 3:9), to liberty (Gal 5:13), to peace (1Co 7:15), to holiness (1Th 4:7), to one hope (Eph 4:4), to eternal life (1Ti 6:12), and to God’s kingdom and glory (1Th 2:12).

c. Those who believe in the doctrine of predestination believe there are two different kinds of calling:

(1) External calling: the invitation by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus

(2) Internal (effectual) calling: the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the elect, referring to those who were predestined by God to accept salvation before creation (Ro 8:30).

d. According to this doctrine (predestination), man is so full of sin that no one is able to heed the external calling from God. Only those who were elected or chosen before creation (Mt 22:14) would be guided by the Holy Spirit to accept salvation (Ac 13:48). In other words, without the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit, none would accept salvation; with the effectual calling, none could reject salvation.

55. Does conversion (repentance and faith) only involve the mind?

a. Conversion means turning to salvation; it includes: (1) repentance: turning away from sin, a negative aspect and a backward look (Ac 2:38)

(2) faith: turning toward Christ, a positive aspect and a forward look (Jn 3:16).

b. In conversion, man is called upon to cooperate with God’s plan (Isa 55:7; Jer 18:11; Eze 33:11). c. Conversion is an instantaneous change but it may or may not occur as a sharply marked crisis.

Examples: Naaman (2Ki 5:13-15), Manasseh (2Ch 33:12-13), Zacchaeus (Lk 19:8-9), the eunuch (Ac 8:30-39), Cornelius (Ac 10:44-48), Paul (Ac 9:5), Lydia (Ac 16:14)

d. Repentance:

Gr. metanoia means change of mind, regret, remorse

It involves feeling sorry and confessing about past sins, with the intention of amending them (Mt 3:6; Ro 3:20; 2Co 7:9-10).

e. Faith:

Saving faith is a positive conviction as to the truth of the gospel (trust), and a hearty reliance on the promises of God in Christ (surrender), in other words, accepting Jesus (Ro 10:9).
Faith is a gift from God (Eph 2:8), wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit; but its subsequent exercise is a human activity that God exhorts (1Co 2:5; Col 1:23; 1Ti 1:5; 6:11).
Faith involves trusting God will carry out His promise (Heb 11:11,17-19), obeying God’s commands (Heb 5:9; 1Jn 2:3), renunciating the world (Jn 15:19; 17:14-15)

f. Both repentance and faith involve more than just the mind. Both constitute 3 different elements. Both require total commitment of the whole person. Without all these elements, repentance and faith may only be temporary and will fail in days of difficulties, trial and persecution.

Elements (Dt 6:5)	Repentance (2Pe 3:9)	Faith (Heb 11:6)
Intellectual (cognitive) element [mind]	change viewpoint about sin and righteousness, feel personal guilt and helplessness	know the truth of salvation, recognize the truth of the gospel as revealed in the Bible
Emotional element [heart]	grieve for committing sin against a holy and just God (2Co 7:9)	give assent to reality of salvation in a determined heart (Mk 12:32)
Volitional (will) element [strength]	change purpose of life, confess sin (Ps 38:18), forsake sin (Isa 55:7), turn to God (1Th 1:9)	accept Jesus, trust Jesus as Saviour and Lord (Jn 1:12), rely on Jesus in daily living

56. How does regeneration totally change the life of the believer?

a. Regeneration (born again): the new birth of the spirit of the believer. It is the impartation of new and divine life into the believer as the result of the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit or baptism of the Holy Spirit (Ro 6:4; 12:2; 2Co 4:16; Gal 6:15; Col 3:10). The Christian is now a new creation and lives a new life with a new spirit (2Co 5:17; Eph 2:1; 1Jn 4:7). b. Like conversion, regeneration is also instantaneous (completed in a moment of time); through it we pass from death into life (1Jn 3:14). It is entirely the work of God (Eph 2:8-9);. It can be known by its results. c. Necessary results of regeneration:

stop continuing indulgence in sin (1Jn 3:9 "cannot go on sinning")
obey the commandments of God in the Bible
possess a genuine, Christ-like love (1Jn 4:7)
able to overcome pressures and temptations of the world (1Jn 5:3-4)
protected from Satan (1Jn 5:18; 4:4) because of the great power of the Holy Spirit
manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23; Mt 7:15-20)

d. According to the doctrine of predestination, regeneration occurs after effectual calling by the Holy Spirit but before conversion. It means that the Holy Spirit first imparts new life to the elected sinner before conversion. This then enables the person to repent and to have faith.