What is the Holy Spirit’s Role in Regeneration

Regeneration as the Cause of Faith, Not the Result

Our awakening, our regeneration, our being born again is the cause of our faith rather than our faith being the cause of our regeneration. Here's what I'm trying to tell you, and what I want the people of Perry County must know, and what we must know so that we can take the Gospel beyond these walls to the people that we love so dearly.

We are utterly dependent on the gracious work of the Holy Spirit. If God is not going to go with us, then we can't go, right? Because we've got nothing in and of ourselves. We've got no deals. You've got churches today that are trying to pump more fog in their services, or light shows, or let's give away a car, right?

We could do these things, because if we do these things, then we'll get people in the door, and maybe we can convince them to be Christians. Try out Jesus, right? Try Jesus. See what happens to your life, and I'm telling you, friends, none of these things work, because the only thing that works is the Holy Spirit of God.

Salvation Belongs to God Alone

We're utterly dependent. Salvation, then, in this system, which is the biblical system, is taken out of our hands, and it's all in the hands of a gracious and sovereign and holy God. And this is why Jonah says in Jonah 2 .9, do you remember what he says in Jonah 2 .9?

Salvation is of Yahweh. Salvation is of the Lord. John Bunyan said it this way. To be saved by grace, supposeth that God hath taken the salvation of our souls into his own hand, and to be sure it is safer in God's hand than ours.

Let me ask you something about your children. Let me ask you something about Perry County. Who do you want the salvation? Whose hands do you want the salvation of your children, the salvation of Perry County?

Whose hands do you want them in? I can tell you whose hands I want. I want them in the hands of God. If you're a Christian, the only reason you're a Christian is because the Holy Spirit, despite your will, despite your resistance, despite your hard heart, caused you to be born again through the Gospel.

Union with Christ and the New Birth

When this happened, you looked upon Christ immediately in saving faith and repentance, and you were justified and adopted by God. You were united to Christ, as Ephesians has taught us, in a mighty and mystical way, brought into His body.

Your desires and affections and will and heart and mind, all of this was changed. You were brought into, not only could you see now the Kingdom of God, you were brought into the Kingdom of God. You were set upon the narrow path.

You entered in through the narrow gate. And all of this was because of the work of Christ on your behalf, and through the application of this work by the Holy Spirit of God.