I can’t shake the fact that Jesus is reforming His church. There seems to be a regeneration occurring as He is positioning His church for greater impact. It is a momentum that is not generated from man’s strategies or formulated techniques but rather shows the sovereign plan of God that will be achieved whether or not we join Him in it. I love that! I love it because it takes the focus off ourselves and brings us into a state of awe as we witness His mighty acts and get invited to join Him. Can you appreciate how special this relationship is? That Almighty God, Creator, King and Lord of all loves us so much that not only did He send Jesus to redeem and set us free but He calls us to a way of life full of surprises, joy, freedom, hope, peace, satisfaction, and the list goes on…
Regeneration is a word that describes a type of rebirth, a revival and renewal. It defines the mission of God in so many ways as His love, grace and mercy is poured out to mankind. Titus 3:5 (ESV) speaks of this when it says, “…Jesus saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit…” What an amazing gift. Nothing we’ve done can make this regeneration happen but the Holy Spirit’s work alone. Again, it takes the focus off ourselves and attributes the regenerated heart soley to the magnificent work of God.
One big distinction between Reformed Theology and the Arminian stream is where the emphasis goes to the moment of regeneration. Reformed Theology emphasizes God rather than being man centred. God chose us rather than we chose God. The choice is His, not ours. He alone can revive a spiritually dead person. Ephesians 2:1-9 (ESV) teaches us this, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved…And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” We were DEAD in our sins and unless God decided to breathe new life into us we would still be dead. Therefore the regeneration of the Holy Spirit is not conditional on us, not dependant upon our works or our own awareness of our need for a Saviour.
We owe it all to the grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ. God took the necessary steps to save sinners like you and me and I am so, so, so grateful that He did. Living out of the regenerated heart opens one up to God’s destiny for your life. As the church gathers and respects this divine act of regeneration we are always brought to a thankful heart of worship. When God’s people live out of this regenerated heart the church then lives up to it’s intended design and retrieves its core DNA, an identity that is born out of the heart and will of God.
I am thrilled to see more and more evidences of this great work of God. People drawn to Him beyond any methods we apply or smart strategies we employ, but prove to us that our Senior Pastor Jesus Christ is doing exactly what He said He would do…BUILD HIS CHURCH! (Matt. 16:18).
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