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The first stage of the experience of life is being in Christ. This is due to the fact that our relationship with Christ results in our being in Christ. Before we were saved, we were outside of Christ; we were in Adam. But when we are regenerated, God transfers us into Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). The experience of this stage, from our point of view, may be said to be the stage of salvation or the stage of regeneration, but from the standpoint of our relationship with Christ, it is simply being in Christ.
The first experience of the first stage is regeneration.
From the point of view of knowing life, regeneration means that in addition to his original life man obtains the life of God. But from the standpoint of experience, what, actually, is regeneration, and what are the conditions of regeneration?
The story of how we were saved is the story of how we experienced God’s salvation. God’s salvation is exceedingly full and complete. It includes forgiveness of sins, cleansing, sanctification, justification, freedom from bondage, regeneration, and so forth — all parts of God’s salvation. Of all these parts, only regeneration is the part of life. The forgiveness of our sins is not a matter of life; neither are the cleansing away of our sins, our being sanctified, and our being justified matters of life. Even our being set free from bondage cannot be absolutely a matter of life, since part of this experience has to do with release from the law and another part with freedom from the bondage of sin, and these parts are not entirely of life. All these are only what God has done upon us. Only regeneration is the part of life in God’s salvation. Therefore, when we experience God’s salvation, only regeneration is the experience of the part that is of life.
Since regeneration is the part that is of life in the experience of salvation, it is then the center of the experience of salvation, because the central purpose of God in saving us is that we may have His life. It is for this that He has forgiven our sins; it is for this that He has cleansed us; it is for this that He has sanctified us; it is for this that He has justified us; and it is for this that He has set us free. He has done all these for one purpose — regeneration. Regeneration, therefore, is the central part of God’s salvation, and it is also the central part of our experience of God’s salvation.
The first experience of life is regeneration. Without regeneration we have not yet begun our experience of life. When we are regenerated, we then begin to experience life. Therefore, from the standpoint of experience, regeneration is the beginning of the experience of life.
Since regeneration is the obtaining of God’s life in addition to our original life, the moment we are regenerated is the very moment that God’s life enters into us. Regeneration, therefore, is the entering into us of God’s life.
Regeneration is not only the entering into us of God’s life, it is also the birth of Christ within us. As God’s life enters into us in Christ and regenerates us, it is on one hand God’s life entering into us, and on the other hand, it can be said that Christ is born in us. The birth of Christ in us means that Christ is born once more. Every time a man is regenerated, Christ is born once more into humanity. Hence, regeneration is the birth of Christ within us.
Regeneration is also the beginning of the new man within us. All our experiences of spiritual life are matters of the new man within us, and this new man begins at the time of our regeneration. Before we are regenerated, we are in Adam, a fallen sinner, the old man. Once we are regenerated, God’s life in Christ enters into us. This life is a new element, and when it mingles with our spirit, it becomes the new man within us. Therefore, every one of us who has been regenerated is a double man: we are on one hand the old man in Adam, fallen; and we are on the other hand the new man in Christ, saved. This new man begins at the time of our regeneration. Hence, regeneration is the beginning of the new man.
The experience of regeneration is especially related to four things: our nature, our heart, our spirit, and God’s life. From the aspects of these four things, therefore, we will look at our condition before regeneration, during regeneration, and after regeneration.
First, our nature is corrupted. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, / And it is incurable; / Who can know it?” Although this verse speaks of man’s heart, it actually refers to man’s nature. Thus, we see that before regeneration our original nature is deceitful and crooked, incurable, and unable to match God’s nature.
Second, the heart is hardened toward God. Ezekiel 36:26 speaks of our original heart as a “heart of stone.” This means that before regeneration our heart toward God is always rebellious, stubborn, and as hard as stone.
Third, our spirit is dead toward God. Before regeneration, because of sins (Eph. 2:1), our spirit is dead toward God and has lost its function to contact God. We cannot, therefore, have fellowship with God, nor can we understand the spiritual things of God.
Fourth, man is separated from God’s life. Since the nature of a man who is not regenerated is corrupted, his heart toward God is hardened, and his spirit toward God is dead, his entire person, therefore, is separated from God’s life (4:18).
This is our condition before regeneration.
First, we see that our nature is corrupt. Although before regeneration our nature was corrupt, we did not know it. It is at the time of experiencing regeneration, because of the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, that we see ourselves to be corrupt. At this time we see not only that our external deeds are corrupt but also that our inner nature is corrupt.
Second, our heart is contrite and repentant toward God. When we experience regeneration and the Holy Spirit enlightens us, we see ourselves as corrupt, sinning against God and man. Our heart then reproaches us and is contrite and repentant before God.
Third, our spirit is contrite toward God. Because of the repentance of our heart, the spirit deep within us also feels extremely contrite. Our spirit at this time is like that of Psalm 51:17, “a broken spirit.” When we are being regenerated of the Holy Spirit, our spirit deep within feels contrite — indeed, as if it were broken.
Fourth, man contacts God’s life. Since man sinned and fell and was driven out of the garden of Eden, the cherubim and a flaming sword guarded the way to the tree of life (Gen. 3:24) so that man could no longer contact it and thereby obtain God’s life. Not until the Lord Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross, thus satisfying the demand of God’s glory, holiness, and righteousness, was the way that leads to God’s life opened. Therefore, at the time of our regeneration, because of our contrition, repentance, and faith in receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we can then contact in our spirit the life of God, which is in Him, for the life of God is in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 5:11).
First, we feel that our nature is corrupt. At the time of regeneration we see that our nature is corrupt. After regeneration, because of that initial seeing, we always feel that our own nature is corrupt.
Second, our heart is softened toward God. Our heart, which is as hard as stone toward God before regeneration, having experienced repentance at the time of regeneration, is softened toward God and becomes “a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). Our heart, having been softened, desires to love God and draws near to God; it longs to contact spiritual things and gladly receives and obeys God’s commands; it is not stubborn or rebellious; and although at times it is unable to obey, yet it is still willing to obey.
Third, our spirit is alive toward God. Because of its contact with God’s life at regeneration, the spirit that was dead before regeneration has been made alive by the resurrection power of God. The spirit, having been made alive, is able to contact God, to fellowship with God, and to apprehend the spiritual things of God, and it has the strength to do God’s will.
Fourth, we have God’s life. Because we have contacted and received God’s life during regeneration, we have the life of God within us. At the same time we also have God’s nature, since God’s nature is in God’s life.
When we speak of the experience of regeneration, therefore, in regard to the aspects of these four things — our nature, our heart, our spirit, and God’s life—the changes that have taken place before and after regeneration are all very clear. Our nature before regeneration is corrupt; at the time of regeneration we see that it is corrupt; and after regeneration we always feel that it is corrupt. Our heart is hard toward God before regeneration; at the time of regeneration it becomes deeply repentant; and after regeneration it is softened toward God. Our spirit is dead before regeneration; it is contrite at the time of regeneration; and it is alive unto God after regeneration. Before regeneration we are separated from God’s life; at the time of regeneration we contact God’s life; and after regeneration we have God’s life. If we are clear regarding these few points, we then have a thorough understanding of the experience of regeneration.
