The Priority of Regeneration Part 1 — John Murray

Now we were dealing with the first proposition that can be clearly established, that there is the priority of the generation. And that is very clearly enunciated in 3 .9 because of the two haughty clauses which we find in that passage.

Begotten of God and Freedom from Sin

Everyone who is begotten of God does not do sin. You see that. And by which you mean? You have there the cause of relationship quite clearly. Because you see that. You have the next part and you cannot say that.

Because he is begotten of God, again you have the cause of relationship clearly expressed. It is technically that the exegete abides in him, don't they both? And the exegete is to be taken on a collective sense of God, abiding in God.

Exegesis of that particular clause. The immediate context can be both. Or that the term sperm or metaphorical sex is based upon the idea that he will be getting sperm. Sperm is communicated metaphorical sex.

That analogy is instituted in order through which there is begetting. There is a permanent importation from God, which is the exhumation of sin because he is begotten of God. To introduce the interpretation of the text of C. H. Dodd, that sperm is to be designated, a particular thought in that passage and in the various other passages for divine begetting.

The Parallel Teaching of First John 3:9 and 5:18

Now this is at demand, quite conclusive in 1 John 3, 9. We shall have to apply that very same cause of relationship to 5 .18 because 5 .18, 3 .9, is identical, is similar to this. We know that everyone who is begotten of God does not sin.

He told it, the first part of 3 .9. It goes on that he who has been begotten of God keeps himself and the evil one does not touch him. He is begotten of God, keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him.

And that's so not identical with 3 .9. It is completely parallel, 3 .9. He cannot sin. But nevertheless, because it is so parallel, we must do the elements of 5 .18. So quickly infer, the reason why he is begotten of God and the reason why he and the evil one does not touch him is again that he is begotten of God.

We find, it is clearly stated in 3 .9, the implication necessary applied in 5 .18. That the same obtained that in 2 .29, the reason why a person does righteousness is he is begotten of God. The reason why a person loves God and knows the divine one, the reason why a person believes that Jesus is the Christ is that he is begotten of God.

In 5 .18, the reason why a person overcomes the world is he is begotten of God. ...comprehensive... ...for the catalogue of graces mentioned in all the passages when they are combined. The catalogue covers the wide range of virtues... ...of God... ...who are members of his kingdom.

Faith, Righteousness, and the Graces of Regeneration

And if you begin, for example, with 5 .1... ...that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God. If you begin with 5 .1, it's patent, that even faith that Jesus is the Christ is the fruit of regeneration. ...to the thought of 5 .4, the reason why a person exercises the faith that overcomes the world.

Regeneration and Entrance into the Kingdom of God

The reason why a person exercises the faith that overcomes the world is that he has been begotten of God. ...virtues... ...abstinence from sin... ...B9A... ...abstinence from sin... ...inability to commit a certain sin... ...or a certain type of sin... ...9B and 5 .18... ...and the knowledge of God... ...7... ...doing of righteousness... ...2 .39... ...one thinks that this inference, that this conclusion is disputable... ...by violating any canon of hermeneutics... ...having taken our starting point from 3 .9... ...where the causal relationship is clearly mentioned... ...applying the same to 5 .18... ...because 5 .18 was so parallel... ...understanding the very same... ...that virtues are disputable... ...otherwise, you see, you would have... ...abstinence from sin... ...and inability to sin... ...according to 3 .9, 5 .18... ...abstinence from sin... ...and inability to sin... ...which are clearly stated to be the effects of these innovations... ...an entirely different category... ...from the other virtues... ...mentioned in the other passages... ...2 .29, 4 .7... ...5 .1 and 4... ...and that is simply impossible... ...abstinence from sin... ...in the Johannine sense... ...if there is the inability to sin... ...in the Johannine sense... ...if there is immunity to the touch of the evil one... ...in the Johannine sense... ...it is simply impossible... ...to separate that condition... ...or that state from the virtues... ...that are mentioned in the other texts... ...like faith that Jesus is overcoming the world... ...the faith that overcomes the world... ...love of God and the knowledge of Him... ...and the doing of God... ...becomes very fatal... ...when you more strictly relate... ...3 .9 and 5 .18 to 5 .14... ...because the thought of overcoming the world... ...in 5 .14... ...overcoming the world... ...is egotistical... ...or at least... ...coordinate with... ...what John means in 3 .9... ...nay, not do sin... ...so this is all important... ...in the interpretation... ...he cannot see the kingdom of God... ...he cannot have any membership... ...in the kingdom of God... ...without regeneration... ...without birth from above... ...being the kingdom of God... ...and being a member of the kingdom of God... ...just another way... ...of what John means... ...in the various catalogue of virtues... ...that are enumerated in 1 John... ...kingdom of God... ...according to the New Testament... ...is the kingdom of righteousness... ...it is the kingdom of power... ...it is the kingdom of life... ...and it's in these six passages... ...the virtues of the kingdom of God... ...so what John has learned... ...has learned his lessons... ...point in connection with these... ...Johannine passages... ...that is, the first John passages... ...is... ...the invariable concomitance... ...I-T-A-M-P-E... ...the invariable... ...the invariable concomitance... ...of regeneration... ...believing that Jesus is the Christ... ...of overcoming the world... ...and of immunity to the touch of the evil one... ...taking the order... ...that's what I mean by the fruit... ...in this particular instance... ...the invariable regeneration... ...sometimes and before communion... ...regeneration can be separated from conversion... ...a period of time may elapse... ...between regeneration... ...can be constant... ...but virtually quiet... ...for a period of time... ...until it blossoms... ...in faith and... ...the Christ, have you come across that... ...in your pilgrimage?

The Invariable Effects of Being Begotten of God

Do you point? Have you come across it at all? Have you encountered it? You don't believe so, well... ...and... ...well, you may be very fortunate if you haven't... ...well, it's that viewpoint... ...a few men living on the face of the earth... ...for whom I have greater regard... ...than my... ...colleague... ...twenty years here... ...Professor R .D. Type... ...that he made a great deal of emphasis on that... ...but nevertheless he took that viewpoint... ...and that viewpoint I live by... ...and that is a distortion... ...of which the priority of regeneration... ...is very liable to be subjective... ...because we are so very liable to think... ...in terms of chronological priority... ...simply with causal priority... ...now it is that position... ...that is very clearly contradicted... ...by John's teaching... ...and this is expressed... ...in 3 -9 -5 -18... ...not so expressively... ...it's expressed... ...in 3 -9 -5 -4 -5 -18... ...you need just to read the text... ...begotten of God... ...does not do sin... ...God will eventually... ...come to be in the position... ...of not doing sin... ...in the condition of having been... ...begotten of God... ...does not do sin... ...and he repeats... ...likewise in 5 -4... ...begotten of God... ...can paraphrase Paul's saying... .everyone who is begotten of God... ...overcomes the world by faith... ...begotten of God... ...overcomes the world by faith... ...begotten of God... ...exercises that faith... ...by which he overcomes the world... ...see that there... ...that is clearly not understood... ...take us all out...

If you change your mind, tell me on Friday. In 5 .18 you have the very same thing. Everyone who has begotten of God does not sin. Who has been begotten of God keeps himself. That is the exercise of self-control.

Deliverance from the Power of Sin

That's the question. What is drawn in by not doing sin and by inability to sin? Together it is quite clear that every regenerated person has been delivered from the power of sin. Now it's the Lord's interest at this present time to ask the question, what is drawn in by not doing sin and by inability to sin?

It's not our interest. Putting all of the texts together it is quite clear that every regenerated person has been delivered from the power, overcomes the world, exists that self, reduced to its simplicity, the same principle to the other three texts, expressly enunciate the invariable concomitant.

Only 229. But everyone who has begotten of God does righteousness. Who has begotten of God loves God and knows God. Who has begotten of God believes that Jesus is the Christ. But the whole epilogue, the whole epilogue of the failure of self and regeneration, and we have known of that action of God in regeneration, that appropriate regeneration is preferable to what we sometimes call contrast.

Simply that the regenerated person cannot participate in the logic of the divine provision, live in sin and be unconverted. In Corinthians 5 it says of Jesus, if any man be in Christ he is a new creation.

Regeneration as a Creative Act of Renewal

Tinnitus. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. A new. As I said earlier in connection with This is the great lesson that is emblazoned on the final outcome. Even however much the temporary declaration is emblazoned on the final outcome of the career, dedication and efficacy.

I want to conclude our study of our Lord's teaching and of the teaching of John. And I take these together because they are in Johannine literature. This book is written by John 115. In these passages, in these passages, we have the biblical words, the seeding of regeneration in the restrictive sense.

The initial, in the restrictive sense, as the initial step in the process of subjective renewal in which creative act by a recreated act directly in the heart of man getting him after his own image getting him from death to life by the impartation which is generated after his own moral likeness.

The article which I shall mention shortly speaks of it as regeneration in the purity of its conception. Regeneration in the purity. It may be that the terminology of regeneration is used later in other passages in a more inclusive sense.

That is possible. At present time, it is possible that regeneration may be used in a more inclusive sense. But in these passages, we have the clearest of this concept in such a sense that it would not be to speak of it through the instrumentality or mentality of the gospel because when we use that expression of the word, we are thinking of the word as engaging our consciousness in understanding and faith.

How many of you engage in our consciousness in understanding and faith? For example, you speak of justification by faith. By faith. Concerning faith as meaning only. In these terms, take this into account in dealing with regeneration.

James 1:18 and the Instrumentality of the Word

To say strictly that it is through the immediacy, we have a different perspective. James 1 .18. Of his own will brought he as forth. Of his own will bullied faith. Of his own will brought he as forth.

This does not refer to regeneration. Let James explain something. That it is rather precarious to argue to that effect. It is precarious to argue to that effect because it is very closely to the terminology of regeneration and the emphasis of the context.

I know then in verse 17 and we can separate this from the following. In the very text itself James 1 .18 you have bullied faith emphasizing the sovereignty of God. This is perfectly strong. God in his own will bullied faith in his own eternal will bullied faith.

He begat us by the word of truth impenetrable to say that this passage has no relationship whatsoever to the terminology of regeneration. You just have to take Apple 2 .0 as a valiant term in terms of being a final thing to keep it on again.

Well, if you take that view that Apple 2 .0 is a valiant term of what is virtually regeneration you have to take account of the instrumentality of God's word of truth. And of course when you have the word of truth mentioned in this connection you must presuppose the saving response on the part of the person concerned to the immediacy of the word of truth which the person concerned savingly apprehends and consciously engaged in what is implied.

First Peter 1:23 and New Birth Through the Word

Well, you have the same thing in 1 Peter 3 .23 born again corruptible seed but of incorruptible it again means men are being in the condition of having been born again the seed actually the fertile the self empty garden not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible the ad lago composte u caedem in any case whether you render it through the living and abiding word of God or through the word of the living and abiding God it doesn't make any difference from a person's discussion because it is still the ad lago the ad lago and that must I think in the context be taken in the sense of the word of the truth of the gospel because go on to read in verse 25 that the word of the Lord abides forever the word of the Lord there is we mark you the word of the Lord abides forever and this he proceeds to say is the word which hath been preached unto you so verse 25 I think gives you the denotation and the connotation of the ad lago in verse 23 namely that it is the word of the truth of the gospel the word preached and the de ad lago meaning you have the same term and again I will proceed with one phrase but they are refused in an entirely different sense what we call regeneration begottenness again the same word what begottenness has been to a living hope in the dead that is not the same Lord.

We buy regeneration we buy a hope that hath been generated in the disciples but regeneration which we find in the teaching of our Lord and in the teaching of John. But how can these two be reconciled.