Using Correct Terminology (Part 5) - Regeneration and Conversion

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13. Regeneration, regenerate A. Regeneration - 1. a. The action of regenerating; the process or fact of being regenerated; re-creation, re-formation, etc. 2. a. In religious use: The process or fact of being born again in a spiritual sense; the state resulting from this. B. Regenerate v. - 1. a. trans. In religious use: To cause to be born again in a spiritual sense; to invest with a new and higher spiritual nature. C. Regeneration is the act of God whereby He creates a new spirit in one of the elect, giving them eternal life (Tit 3:5). i. Regeneration is accomplished by the sovereign voice of Jesus Christ, calling a spiritually dead sinner to new spiritual life (Joh 5:25). ii. The call of regeneration by the voice of Jesus Christ is the same means by which Jesus resurrected Lazarus when He called him out of the grave (Joh 11:43-44 c/w Joh 12:17). D. Regeneration is a synonym of quickening and being born again, and it is the means by which a man becomes a child of God. E. Regeneration is not a synonym of conversion, but rather happens prior to conversion (Joh 5:24). 14. Conversion A. Definitions i. Conversion n. - I. Turning in position, direction, destination. 1. The action of turning round or revolving; revolution, rotation. ii. Convert v. - I. To turn in position or direction. 1. a. trans. To turn (a thing or oneself) about, to give a different (or specific) direction to. refl. = To turn (intr.). B. Conversion is the process that a child of God goes through when he hears the gospel, repents of his sins, is baptized, and turns the direction of his life from living in sin to keeping God's commandments. C. Conversion can only happen after a person has been born again (quickened, regenerated). D. Conversion is not a synonym of being born again, or being regenerated or quickened. E. Conversion is an ongoing process in the life of a child of God, whereas regeneration is the instantaneous act of God in giving a person eternal life. F. Conversion is dependent on the faith and works of a child of God, whereas regeneration is by the sovereign grace of God alone. G. How the Bible defines conversion. i. The word "conversion" is actually only used once in the entire Bible in Act 15:3. a. The conversion of the Gentiles spoken of in Acts 15:3 refers to the Gentiles who were converted by the apostles, Paul and Barnabas, in Acts 13 and 14 in Antioch in Pisidia (Act 13:14), in Iconium (Act 14:1), and in Lystra (Act 14:6). b. The conversion of the Gentiles also includes Cornelius and his family, who were the first Gentiles to be converted in Acts 10. c. Since Act 15:3 is the only place the word “conversion” is used in the Bible, we simply need to examine what the Bible says happened to those Gentiles, and we can see what conversion is according to the scripture. ii. Cornelius and his family a. Cornelius was a Roman centurion (Act 10:1) and was the first Gentile to whom the gospel was taken. b. He had a vision where an angel told him to send for a man named Peter to tell him what he should do (Act 10:3-6). c. Peter went to his house and preached the gospel to those who were present (Act 10:34-43), after which time they repented (Act 11:18) and were baptized (Act 10:47-48). d. In order for one to be baptized, he must repent (Act 2:38) and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Act 8:36-38). e. Here are the elements of their conversion: (i) They received the word of God (Act 11:1). (ii) They repented (Act 10:47-48 c/w Act 2:38; Act 11:18). (iii) They were baptized (Act 10:47-48). f. From this we see that conversion includes hearing, believing, repenting, and being baptized. iii. The conversion of the Gentiles by Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13 a. Paul and Barnabas went to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the synagogue and preached Jesus to the Jews (Act 13:14-41). b. When the Jews left, the Gentiles wanted to hear more of the gospel on the next sabbath (Act 13:42). c. On the next sabbath day, nearly the whole city showed up to hear the word of God, and when the Jews saw it, "they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming" (Act 13:45). d. At that point Paul turned to the Gentiles (Act 13:46). e. The Gentiles heard the word of God, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed (Act 13:48). f. Here are the elements of their conversion: (i) They heard the word of God and were glad (Act 13:48). (ii) They believed the gospel (Act 13:48). (iii) They were baptized and added to a church, which will be proved next. iv. The conversion of the Gentiles by Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14 a. Next Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium and preached the gospel there, and some Gentiles believed (Act 14:1). b. After that they went and preached the gospel in Lystra (Act 14:6). c. After being stoned at Lystra they went to Derbe (Act 14:19-20). d. Next they went back through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (Act 14:21). e. Notice what they did when they went back to those cities. (i) They confirmed the souls of the disciples (believers) to whom they had just previously preached (Act 14:22). (ii) They exhorted them to continue in the faith (Act 14:22). (iii) They told them they must though much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (the church) (Act 14:22). (iv) They ordained elders in the churches that they had formed in those cities (Act 14:23). f. The fact that churches were started in those cities is the proof that the Gentiles who believed in those cities repented, were baptized, and were added to the church according to the pattern set forth in (Act 2:37-42, 47). g. Therefore, the conversion of the Gentiles that Paul and Barnabas declared in Act 15:3 consisted of Gentiles hearing the word of God, repenting, believing the gospel, being baptized, and being added to the churches that were formed in those cities. v. As was shown previously, regeneration is the one-time, instantaneous act of God causing a person to pass from spiritual death unto spiritual life, wherein the person is totally passive, his will or works playing no part in it. vi. Conversely, conversion is the process by which a person hears, believes, repents, is baptized, and is added to a church as we have seen from Acts 13-15. vii. In conversion, the person is very involved in the process, and his will, submission, and works all play a role.