What is Regeneration by the Holy Spirit?

Answer 1

The idea of regeneration by the Holy Spirit can be found in John 3:1-21 and 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, among other places. The idea is that man, descended from Adam, lives under Adam's curse of sin (even though we can't just blame him ... given the opportunity we all sin (Romans 3:23)). We are born physical beings, but our spirit is stillborn. Our spirit needs to be regenerated, or resurrected. That's something we cannot do on our own; just as a dead man cannot raise himself from the dead, so the dead spirit cannot raise himself. When we open ourselves up to God and choose to accept the gift of Jesus' death on the cross, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. He brings about that resurrection, or regeneration, of our own spirit. Perhaps a close analogy would be of a lizard regenerating its tail after it has been broken off. In this case, though, the whole creature is regenerated, or brought back to life.