An Instantaneous Birth

There is a point in time when we are suddenly and instantly and instantaneously burst into the kingdom. When we go from death to life.

The new birth today on Renewing Your Mind. John 33 uses unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, the term born-again is fairly common in Christian circles today. What does it mean, how are we born again this week on Renewing Your Mind what you are teaching fellow, Dr. Steven Lawson helps us recover a biblical understanding of the Newburgh.

One of the most important and dramatic conversions to ever take place in the history of the church was that one which was experienced by the man who is regarded to be the greatest theologian in the first 1500 years of church history. That man is Augustine.

Augustine was born in 354 in North Africa. What is today Algeria near Carthage and when Augustine was 16 years of age he was unregenerate at this point his father died in in the vacuum of his father leaving he fell into gross sexual sins. So much so that he ended up moving in with a woman who bore him a son out of wedlock and for the next 15 years. Augustine lived in high handed immorality of the grossest kind. He had a friend who died subsequent which really provoked his thinking what is death what is life. What lies beyond the grave and in that searching Augustine traveled to Italy he went to Rome and he had Christian mother Monica was known for praying for him, praying for his salvation praying to be born again and when he went to Rome. His mother literally followed him to Rome to pray for him constantly at his side. His immoral relationship continued.

He became engrossed in one of the worst heresies and cults of the ancient world that was intricate and very philosophical and dealt with the origin of evil, and was one of those heresies and cults that it was not even easy to disentangle oneself from it. Augustine became very disillusioned that the deeper he plunged into sin. He finally moved to Milan and he was a lawyer and skilled in rhetoric and in order to improve his public speaking and his rhetorical skills. He went to hear the greatest preacher of the day in Italy amending Ambrose know that you're familiar with his name and Augustine unregenerate unconverted would slip into the back row of the church and listen to Ambrose preach simply to learn how to better command the language with sitting on the back row of that church and under the power of the word of God. Augustine began to be convicted of his sin, and in the word of God came with power upon his life. He got far more than he bargained for and he said will open my heart to acknowledge how skillfully Ambrose spoke.

There also came an awareness of how truthfully he spoke well who is not long after that that age 32.

You know the story of how Augustine was sitting in a garden, contemplating and meditating just the futility in the vanity of his life and he overheard some children who were playing and he heard one of them cry out, tell a leg a tele-legacy take up and read take up and read and so Augustine who had a Bible next to him, picked it up and he did the random just opened it course we know nothing is random and as he opened it he turned it to Romans 13 verses 13 and 14 which were open before his eyes and he read not in reveling in drunkenness nor in lust and wantonness, knotting quarrels and rivalries. Rather, arm yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ spend no more thought on nature or nature's appetites and Augustine who would ride in his confessions said that in that instant. As I came to the end of the sentence referring to Romans 1314.

It was as though the light flooded into my heart and all of the darkness was dispelled and in that moment in that instant. Augustine was regenerated. Augustine was born again he was burst into the family of God, his mother's prayers had long since been offered on his behalf were now answered. Augustine became the towering theologian of the early church. But in Augustine's experience of coming to Christ. It was such a sudden and such an instant conversion.

I want us to know that every new birth is instantaneous.

One may not be aware of exactly that split-second twin regeneration occurs, but nevertheless it is a sudden act of the sovereign grace of God acting upon the dead soul and as we discussed last time, it is in response to the word of God that is placed there. James Montgomery Boyce writes we are born again spiritually by means of the word of God that was Augustine's experiencing picked up the Bible. He opened it to Romans 13. He had been sitting on the back row listening to Ambrose preach and it was the word of God that came with such regenerating, converting power in his life, and John Piper writes, God makes the word his instrument in the new birth and the way the word works in the new birth is by awakening faith God causes the new birth through the word, that is God regenerate us. God causes us to be born again through the living and abiding word Stephen char Knox, a great Puritan divine in char Knox writes the word is the instrument of regeneration. The word is the instrument whereby God brings the soul forth in a new birth" that was certainly the experience of Augustine in his life was the word of God that awakened faith by the operation of the Holy Spirit as he came into the kingdom of heaven. I think by way of implication we see this in John chapter 3 we been spending each of our sessions. Looking at John chapter 3 and I want to draw our attention to some verses that we've already considered verses three and five and these are the two verses that speak so directly to being born again in John three and verse three Jesus said, truly, truly, I say to you, and last one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God is the very analogy of birth implies that it is instantaneous that there is a particular day that there is a particular time when we are regenerated.

I was born on April 13, 1951, 10, 13, at night.

I was not born in 1951 in the months of March, April, May and June there was a point on a timeline when God brought me forth into this world naturally and so it is true supernaturally. There is a point in time when we are suddenly and instantly and instantaneously burst into the kingdom. When we go from death to life. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the prince of preachers has said every regeneration is instantaneous. Its evidences is outward manifestations may be gradual but there must be a time when the man begins to live there must be a. When the first ray of light darts on the open. I there must be a time when the man is condemned and a. When he is not condemn, there must be an instant when the change takes place." This is true in my life. This must be true of your life. A moment a time when we went from death to life. Lewis Burke off, who is a renowned reformed theologian writes quote the new birth is an instantaneous change of man's nature affecting it wants the whole man is not a gradual process like sanctification. There is no intermediate stage between life and death when either Liz or his dead and so it is in our life spiritually, and it was in an instant. We were resurrected from the dead in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

It will be at the end of the age so it will be in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

When one is born again spiritually.

This is all by way of just the analogy. The metaphor that Jesus uses in the new birth that happens at a point in time to be born. There's another analogy that is used here is in verse five, and it's the analogy of an entrance into the kingdom of God.

Jesus says in verse five unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Again, as we stated earlier, this implies we were born outside the kingdom and we must be brought into the kingdom. We must enter into the kingdom, and there is only one means of entrance into the kingdom of God and that is through the new birth, but to enter into the kingdom that analogy itself implies that it happens in a moment.

Conversion is the other side of regeneration regeneration is one side of the coin conversion is the other regeneration is God's work of giving us life and conversion is our heart being turned to God, we are converted and there is a step of faith that one takes to go through the narrow gate is not running a marathon is not a long term race. It is step of faith by which we enter into the kingdom of God. So it is we are arguing that it is an instantaneous birth. What did Jesus say to the thief on the cross today you will be with me in paradise. Not a month from now. Not a year from now.

Not a decade from now. Today you will be with me in paradise.

That is how quickly the new birth takes place. Someone can walk in the church lost dead in trespasses and sin they can leave church.

Having heard the gospel in the word of God and leave a new creature in Christ Jesus someone as well said that God puts a new man inside the coat without ever unbuttoning the jacket he just puts a new man on the inside it happens all it wants. This is what we read in the book of acts is it not as the gospel was going forth in acts chapter 2 Peter stands up on the day of Pentecost. He says you men of Galilee, hearken unto me. This is that that was spoken of the prophet Joel. He reads Joel two verses 28 to 32 and then he begins to expound that last verse in Joel, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Peter then begins to define who the Lord is his name must be called upon this Jesus for known and predetermined in his death. You nailed to a cross.

But God has raised him from the dead and Peter preaches Joel two Psalm 16 Psalm 132 back to Psalm 110 Scripture after Scripture after Scripture after Scripture. Remember the word of God is the means. The instrument by which the spirit works in bringing about the new birth and what was the result of that word. They regenerated a month later. What was it was it a three month process now in acts chapter 2 we read quote that day there were added about 3000 souls. They came to hear that sermon they were lost they were dead in trespasses and sin. In fact, in the middle of the sermon they were regenerated they interrupted the sermon, they cried out. What must we do to be saved. Peter said repent and gloriously they were regenerated. What is our point that regeneration is not like sanctification. Sanctification is a lifelong process.

It's a long journey in the same direction, but regeneration is not a journey. Regeneration takes place in a moment. It is a point in time where we cross the line we go from death to life. We read later in acts chapter 2 that they were preaching the word of God everywhere in the house to house, praising God and having favor with all the people and you recall what it says in acts 247 day by day the Lord was adding to their number. Those who were being saved there with here were specific individual days when people were regenerated by the spirit of God. I think of acts chapter 8 you remember the account of the Ethiopian eunuch who came up from Africa went to Jerusalem searching looking God in reality was drawing that wonder where the truth would be made known, but went to Jerusalem and was confronted with just the barren dead religion of Judaism. There was no truth for him to be heard and then he's making his journey back in the spirit of God impressed Philip to leave a place for many were being saved to go out of the desert by himself and he went out there and you talk about a divine appointment in the Ethiopian eunuch came riding by in a chariot in the head's entourage. There and he had Isaiah 53 and he's reading it and Philip pops up in the chariot with him and says do you understand what your readings is how could I accept someone explain and it says he began to preach to him, Jesus, and in that moment in that instant, the spirit of God so found out that Ethiopian eunuch and he was born again right there in that chariot as they were riding along. That's how quickly the new birth comes it comes with dramatic power. But there is a moment there is a point there is a time when we are brought into the kingdom of God give you one more example probably the premier example of all examples that I could set before us in acts chapter 9 Saul of Tarsus. How long did it take for Saul of Tarsus to be regenerated. Not long if there was ever an active sovereign regeneration that took place in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

It was Saul of Tarsus and he stands as an example as a picture as a type of every regeneration in acts chapter 9 we read, Saul was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord and went to the high priest and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any belonging the way both men and women he might bring them down to Jerusalem. He was lost in sin. He was spiritually blind.

He could not see the truth. His heart was spiritually dead.

He could not believe the truth. His will was paralyzed. If anyone was ever bound in nature's night. It was Saul of Tarsus and Nancy was traveling verse three it happened that as he was approaching Damascus to notice the next two words and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him and he fell to the ground. Christ knocked him off his high horse and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me persecute the church is to persecute the Lord Jesus Christ himself, for he is the head of the body, the church and he said who are you, Lord, if there was ever an instance of Lordship salvation. This was it, and every salvation there is a recognition of the sovereign authority of Jesus Christ, to be totally in control of that life that is surrendered and committed to Jesus Christ by faith in that moment with that light shining out of heaven and shining into the dark and soul of Saul of Tarsus. He was immediately and instantly born again. All this is to say, regeneration, or the new birth is a decisive act.

It is not an ongoing process.

It is a single point on a timeline, not an extended season Oregon, a lengthy period of time are parentheses in time. It is a pinpoint moment when the life of God enters into the empty vacuum of the spiritually dead soul and that soul is made to come alive when Jesus said Lazarus come forth. Lazarus immediately came forth.

So it is in our new birth when he called us and when he quickens and when he raises and when he imparts supernatural life we are instant, born again from the new birth is miraculous. The Holy Spirit opens our blind eyes to see the kingdom of God.

To see the we are sinners in need of a Savior and God gives us a willingness to turn from her soon and follow Christ as our focus this week on Renewing Your Mind as we are highlights of Dr. Steven Lawson series the new birth in 12 messages. Dr. Wilson explains this spiritual new birth and hopes to see why it's necessary. We invite you to request this to DVD set when you contact us today with a donation of any amount to look at her ministries. There are couple of ways you can reach us. Her phone number is 800-435-4343 but you can also go online to Renewing Your Mind.word in the series. Dr. Lawson watches through biblical regeneration and in the process we learned how to share this good news with others. When you request a series this week will also include the digital study guide along with outlines of every session plus study questions and suggestions for further reading George and request the new birth by Dr. Steven Lawson when you contact us today or web address again is Renewing Your Mind.org and her phone number is 800-435-4343. Another great resource for your Bible study is Wegener's monthly magazine table talk.

It features daily devotions and thought-provoking articles from trusted Christian authors and teachers like Dr. Lawson, you can request a free three month trial subscription by going online to try table talk.com.

That's try table talk.com will, as we learned today from Dr. Lawson.

This new birth is instantaneous, but it has life-changing ramifications. God took that old heart and he lifted it out and set it aside within us a new heart. We now are headed in a new direction.

We have new appetites and they are God given us the result of the new birth. We hope you'll join us Tuesday for renewing your mom