Titus 3:5 says "5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"
According to this verse, the activity of the Holy Spirit can be found in the life of the believer in two specific areas... Regeneration and Renewal
- Regeneration (adoption) refers to our entrance into the Kingdom of God... our "new birth" (Ephesians 1:4,5)
Jesus said, "you must be born again..." (John 3:3) not "again, again" (repetition) but Again (anothen) FROM ABOVE!
"You must be born from above!"Regeneration (palingenesia) speaks of God creating a new heart and a new Spirit within our lives.
The second work of the Holy Spirit in our lives deals with "Renewal" (Adaptation) or making adjustments for change...
To make suitable for a situation... (Webster)
God will first prepare the vessel before he fills it, to keep from spilling or wasting - God never wastes any of His resources. Waste (perdition) was a name used by Jesus to describe Satan (John 17:12)
In Matthew 9:17, Jesus explains the concept of pouring new (neos) brand new, powerful and active wine - into "Old Bottles". By doing so, the bottles would explode and the wine would be lost. (waste)
So, we are challenged and commanded by God to "renew" our minds (Romans 12:2) that we not only may receive the gifts from God, but we may also be able to "retain" them! (Proverbs 3:18)
Pastor Jody
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