The New Birth (Regeneration)
As taught in the Methodist / Wesleyan tradition
The real change of nature where the Holy Spirit imparts spiritual life and a new heart.
In the Methodist tradition, the doctrine of the New Birth, or Regeneration, is not merely a theological abstraction but the "Great Change" which God works in the soul when He brings it into a state of salvation. It answers the most fundamental question of the Christian life: What actually happens to a human being when they encounter the saving grace of Jesus Christ? For John Wesley and the subsequent Methodist movement, the answer is that salvation is not solely a legal transaction in the courts of heaven—a concept known as justification—but a radical, internal transformation of the human heart. If justification describes what God does for us through the merit of His Son, the New Birth describes what God does in us by the power of His Spirit. It is the restoration of the "Image of God" that was defaced, though not totally destroyed, by the Fall.
By the end of this lesson
- **Distinguish** between the relative change of Justification (what God does *for* us) and the real change of the New Birth (what God does *in* us).
- **Identify** the "Marks of the New Birth" as defined by John Wesley, specifically faith, hope, and love.
- **Explain** the relationship between the "Image of God" (Imago Dei) and the necessity of regeneration in the Wesleyan tradition.
- **Articulate** how the New Birth serves as the beginning of the process of Entire Sanctification or Christian Perfection.
- **Trace** the biblical metaphors of "breath," "water," and "spirit" as they relate to the Holy Spirit’s role in regeneration.
- **Defend** the necessity of the New Birth against "nominal" or "formal" Christianity, showing why outward morality is insufficient for salvation.
- **Apply** the doctrine of the New Birth to the practice of the "witness of the Spirit," understanding how a believer may have assurance of their new state.
- **Compare** the Methodist view of regeneration with the Reformed (Calvinist) view, particularly regarding the sequence of faith and the "irresistibility" of grace.
Scripture
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