Christian Living

Regeneration for the Kingdom of God

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
08/04/21
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Regeneration for the Kingdom of God

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Humanity fell into disobedience of their Creator’s perfect plan for His creation’s purpose and existence shortly after the creation. (Genesis 3) Humanity’s purpose is to glorify God in all that they do, to acknowledge Him trusting the understanding that God has of His complete creation and that the Lord would direct the path of their journey. (Proverbs 3:5-6) The call of man was given in the law of God recorded by His Prophet Moses. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) This command is the total of God’s desire for humanity, as this is the unconditional love that God has for His creation.

The command from the Lord contains all the seeds of His grace which opposes the sin humanity fell into. That first misstep, that first disobedience to God’s Word, fractured man’s core, affected every aspect of man’s life and brought death to his physical body. That first sin also affects all of God’s creation here in the world He created for man and every part of God’s complete creation that man ventures. God created and gave to man, His crown of creation a perfect gift without shadow or deception that we would be eternally His. “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” (James 1:17-18) God in His holiness cannot tolerate or be in the presence of sin and began the work of His mercy to restore man to his original state of being.

Humanity was broken, was unable to commune with God his creator as in the beginning, was unable to be in the presence of God as in the beginning, and now was not able to fulfill his purpose for creation or fellowship with God. Man’s sinful ways dominated by his sinful nature was a gap between him and His Creator. “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” (Galatians 5:7-9) The natural generation of man now wants in the eyes of the Lord, leaving him lacking in the perfection of fellowship His Creator is required. “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

Natural generation produces natural life as man produces natural life. The inherent sin nature of humanity fractures the natural life humanity produces has from the fall into sin. The natural man does not seek God in his daily life as his desires are set on the things of the flesh and physical life. As the Apostle Paul explained to the Church of the Ephesians. “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.” (Ephesians 4:17-19)

The Divine Spiritual life is a life where the spiritual life of humanity has been regenerated and can be discerned by the properties that Paul lays out to the Church of the Galatians. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 5:20)

Every life will seek its own preservation. The natural life under the desires of the sin nature will not accept the Divine spirit life. “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2:14) The Apostle Paul implores us to set aside these old immoral ways. “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)

The Lord God will regenerate the fractured spirit of man that he will seek the things of the Spirit and the higher moral things of the Kingdom of God through His Son Jesus. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1) The regeneration of spirit will seek the things of God and preservation of life in the Spirit of God for all that will accept the grace of God through Jesus. “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” (1 Peter 2:1-3)

The one reborn of the Spirit knows that which is an enemy to it, which is a sickness to his spirit. A natural man feels nothing of the life lived in a sinful nature and continues on a path of destruction, but the man led in the Divine Spirit feels the corruption that he may fall into and puts it off. The Spirit-led man will resist the enemy and the desires of the flesh and runs from the temptation of it. It is a lifelong struggle here in this world of corrupted beings. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” (Galatians 5:17)

The life of the Spirit-led can overcome the enemy and have victory. Jesus lived in the power of His Divine Spirit, and with His Spirit leading us on, we can be stronger than the evil one who seeks to destroy us. The regenerated spirit can overcome the power of the One who resides within us. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

The Spirit-led are active and stirring. The motionless is not in the image of Jesus, who has redeemed us. Although a professing Christian may have the features of a Spirit-led body, it will not have life in it, as a Spirit-led soul will have a soul of action, for there is life in the Spirit. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) Those who profess to have the Holy Spirit in them but have not holiness do not God in them.

A life that has grown to strength is a generative life but the regenerate life breaths their life into others. The regenerate life grows into the image of their Lord. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) This is the regeneration work as God, who created us in His image, will restore us to His image. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)

Many in the world cry for change, yet they do not truly seek change. Without truly seeking change, all will find chaos. The change that man needs is to repent from the worldly ways of sin and destruction and seek Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and He will change you into the person you were created to be. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

God is love, and love never fails.  If you desire love, then seek God. If you wish to come to God, then seek Jesus as He is the way. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6). Seek the Divine love, as He loves you and will regenerate you to the perfect being that you were created to be. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ... You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, March 6, 2019