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Regeneration and Total Depravity
The spiritual knowledge of our sin and misery belongs to the fruit of regeneration, wrought by the preaching of the Word, and God’s grace working by the law upon the regenerated heart. The result is that while the regenerated child of God is no more dead, nor is he totally depraved, yet we may well feel as if we were so, for sin is present with us and depravity, though not total, cleaves to us, for in our old man of the flesh dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7:18). It is important therefore in this matter of regeneration carefully to distinguish the reality of it and our experience of its fruit. Failure to do so can lead to and has lead to the error of antinomianism, to the idea that the blessings of salvation are only imputed unto us legally but leave our nature unchanged so that we remain totally depraved and dead in sin. It can lead also to spiritual discouragement in the Christian life because we behold continually the greatness of our sin and seem to see so little of the life of Christ within us. We are not to confuse, therefore, total depravity with the knowledge of our depravity by nature in our regenerated experience.
The Peace of God
This is an extract from chapter 4 of the book The Fruit of the Spirit of...
Psalm 136 Beautifully Illustrated
O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. To...
Depravity and Regeneration (4): A Battleground Within the Regenerated Believer
The life of a regenerated sinner is a battle ground. This is true because he carries with him a sinful flesh. There is a law in his members seeking to pull him down into captivity to the law of sin. Though the regenerated sinner is yet the old man of sin, the old man is no longer in control. Being redeemed in the blood of Christ the regenerated believer is become a new creature. Through the work of regeneration, faith, and sanctification he is recreated. His spiritual identity is now the new man in Christ. According to Ephesians 4:24, the regenerated man and woman have the image of God restored to them: “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” According to Colossians 3:10, this image of God also includes a true knowledge of God: “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” This new man renewed in the image of God is now who we are. Not the old man, but the new man dominates our hearts and therefore our thoughts and desires. The old man is not in control! There is not even a 50/50 relationship between the old and new man as if the control of who we are is up for grabs! The new man, the inward man of the heart (Romans 7:22) is in control of our hearts, thoughts and desires. I am the new man in Christ.
Watch your mouth (2)
By the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in us, we have been given new hearts. Those new hearts beat with love for Him who has first loved us, with holy fear and reverence of the all-seeing God, and with gratitude for His gracious saving of us from sin. Out of love, holy fear, and gratitude, we sing praises to Him and confess His name. Out of love, holy fear, and gratitude, we speak the truth in love to our neighbor, to instruct, comfort, encourage, or correct him. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things!
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