John 1:12 and 13 bring together these two thoughts--the divine and
the human in regeneration: Those who _received_ Him (i. e.,
Christ)....were born _of God._ The two great problems connected
with regeneration are the efficiency of God and the activity of
man.
a) Man Is Regenerated by Means of the Acceptance of the Message of
the Gospel.
God begat us by "the word of truth" (James 1:18). We are "born
again," says Peter (1 Ep. 1:23), "of incorruptible seed, by the
word of God." We are "begotten through the gospel" (1 Cor. 4:15).
These scriptures teach us that regeneration takes place in the
heart of man when he reads or hears the Word of God, or the Gospel
message, or both, and, because of the Spirit working in the Word as
well as in the heart of man, the man opens his heart and receives
that message as the Word of life to his soul. The truth is illuminated,
as is also the mind, by the Spirit; the man yields to the truth,
and is born again. Of course, even here, we must remember that it
is the Lord who must open our hearts just as He opened the heart
of Lydia (Acts 16:14). But the Word must be believed and received
by man. 1 Pet. 1:25.
b) Man Is Regenerated by the Personal Acceptance of Jesus Christ.
This is the clear teaching of John 1:12, 13 and Gal. 3:26. We become
"children of God by faith in Jesus Christ." When a man, believing
in the claims of Jesus Christ receives Him to be all that He claimed
to be--that man is born again.
Man therefore is not wholly passive at the time of his regeneration.
He is passive only as to the change of his ruling disposition.
With regard to the exercise of this disposition he is active. A
dead man cannot assist in his own resurrection, it is true; but he
may, and can, like Lazarus, obey Christ's command, and "Come forth!"
Psa. 90:16, 17 illustrates both the divine and human part: "Let
_thy_ work appear unto thy servants," and then "the work of
_our_ hands establish thou it." God's work appears first, then
man's. So Phil. 2:12,13.