John 3 KJV
1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? (Emphasis mine)
There are three views on John chapter 3 on regeneration. The first view is baptismal regeneration. That is, it is believed that the water of baptism and the Spirit of God saves the sinner. This view is held in the Roman Catholic Church.
The second view of regeneration is held by some that the waters of John 3 refer to the waters of physical birth and the power of the Spirit of God. This view is held by some Evangelical Christians in the Christian Church.
The third view of regeneration is that the water of John 3 refers to the waters of the washing of the Word of God and the Spirit of God. This view is held by those in the Reformed tradition of the Christian Church. The Spirit of God brings to us the spiritual application of the imputed righteousness of the unified merit of Christ alone and gives us a new heart of flesh and takes out a heart of stone and gives us the ability to repent and believe the Gospel. At one time we couldn’t believe because of our total inability. This is consistent with the Word of God. I take this latter view of regeneration known as monergistic regeneration. There is another view of regeneration that is called decisional regeneration. That is, it’s a mere choice of the will. There is no doubt we must decide to follow Christ, but it must be the Spirit of God and the Word of God to change the heart. We profess in the Reformed tradition that the soul remains passive and the Word and Spirit change the heart. I dismiss the decisional regeneration as false. I believe the Word and the Spirit that changes the heart of the sinner.
