Some years ago, I met a man who claimed to be a Christian but became offended when I asked if it was a wonderful thing to be saved. He told me that he did not like my referring to his conversion as salvation, because he did not believe he had ever been lost and therefore had no need of salvation. Instead, he considered himself simply on a spiritual journey that had led him to the principles of Christianity. He believed this journey was part of his natural development, a kind of evolution toward a higher understanding of spiritual things. I have also met other people who, while embracing Christianity, reject that regeneration is a necessary and inseparable component of salvation.
The Word of God teaches that in salvation, a person receives justification (Rom. 5:1), redemption (1 Pet. 1:18–19), a Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), the forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7), reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19), and many other blessings. The Word of God also teaches that salvation includes regeneration, or a new birth (John 3:3, 7; Titus 3:5). Regeneration is described by such terms as “born again,” “born of God,” and “born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-13; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1; 1 Pet. 1:23). Born into this world spiritually dead, the Holy Spirit regenerates the human spirit of all who believe in Christ (Eph. 2:1), imparting to them eternal life (John 3:5-7; 6:63). Indwelt by Christ through the Holy Spirit, Christ’s presence and fellowship become a reality in their lives (2 Pet. 1:4). Now part of God’s family, this transformation grants them the privilege and intimacy of calling God “Father” (Rom. 8:14-17).
Regeneration does not imply that God erred in His original creation of man. On the contrary, God’s own pronouncement concerning creation was that it was “very good” (Gen. 1:31). Man was made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26–27; 9:6). He was created to exercise rule and have dominion over the earth, even as God rules and has dominion over all things. Man was endowed with intelligence and created as a free moral agent, capable of thought, choice, and progress. He had the ability to employ imagination in order to design and invent. He was appointed to serve as God’s representative upon the earth, an authority granted to no other creature. Furthermore, man was created with a moral conscience, possessing the capacity to discern between good and evil. These qualities, which reflect the very character of God, are found uniquely in man. Truly, we were created in the image and likeness of God.
But then Adam sinned, and through that sin, mankind inherited a fallen nature from him. This sinful nature stands in complete contrast to God’s holiness. As a result, mankind became “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13). Man, who was crowned with glory and honor, was now wrecked by sin. Humanity became corrupt in its thinking (Rom. 1:23; Eph. 4:22). The moral compass spun out of control, and lives were overtaken by unrighteous and immoral deeds (Rom. 1:28–31; 1 Cor. 6:9,10). They became dead to God (Eph. 2:1), walking according to the course of this world (Eph. 2:2), fulfilling the cravings of the flesh and indulging the desires of both flesh and mind (Eph. 2:3). Blinded in understanding and darkened in heart (Eph. 4:18; Rom. 1:21), mankind lived in the unholy shadows of sin. They no longer knew God the Creator (Gal. 4:8) but instead were separated from Him (Isa. 59:2). Fallen man, unholy and corrupt, could no longer stand in the presence of a holy God.
The gods of Greek and Roman mythology were often portrayed as fallen deities, marked by the passions and lusts of men, and thus were fashioned into the likeness of fallen humanity. Consequently, man falsely imagined God to be like himself. When, at the birth of Christ, the eternal God took on flesh, He revealed to us what God is truly like. In Christ, we behold both the glory of God and the likeness to which man was originally created, the image and likeness of God.
What sin has inflicted upon the human race is far more than a superficial bruise or scar that can be erased or disguised with a veneer of holiness. Sin has so deeply marred the image of man that no degree of reformation can undo its ruin or restore what has been lost. Humanity stands in desperate need of a Savior, and God has graciously provided salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. When we cry out to Him in faith, He does not repair the old life; He transforms it, creating it anew and making us entirely new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17). For this reason, the Lord Jesus declared to Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Pet. 1:23).
No mere adjustment of the old man, no moral improvement, and no outward reform can undo the corruption and devastation wrought by sin. Salvation is more than a mere return to God; it is regeneration—the new birth—and the complete conversion of the soul. Only through regeneration can man be made whole.
I recall Dr. David Gooding illustrating the concept with a memorable story. He told of a pig that delighted in wallowing in the mud, doing just what pigs naturally do. Yet each morning, as it rolled in the mire, the pig noticed the beautiful young women coming out from the city gates to draw water. How radiant they appeared! The pig longed to be as beautiful as they were.
As technology progressed, the pig heard that within the city there was a university where such a transformation was thought to be possible. With eager hope, the pig enrolled. In its first class, it learned to talk like a woman; in the next, to walk like a woman; and in later classes, to smell and dress like a woman.
Yet one problem remained—the pig’s nose. This feature betrayed its true identity. The cosmetics class proved especially difficult, but with the guidance of the instructor and the application of chemicals and paint, the transformation was declared complete. At last, graduation day arrived. The women paraded through the streets, and the now “transformed” pig joined them. Onlookers admired the beauty of the women, and the pig rejoiced in its new identity.
However, as the parade continued, the pig suddenly spotted a mud puddle. True to its nature, it dashed toward the puddle, wallowing happily in the mud as before. Despite every outward change, the pig’s nature had never been altered.
The apostle Peter refers to an ancient proverb about a dog returning to its own vomit and a pig returning to the mire, even after washing (2 Pet. 2:22; cf. Prov. 26:11). These vivid images remind us of a solemn truth. It is possible to assume the outward appearance of a Christian—speaking the right words, walking in the right manner, dressing the part, and imitating Christian conduct—yet never truly possessing the life of Christ. Such a person remains unchanged at the core, and like the washed pig that quickly returns to the mud, they eventually reveal their true nature. Sadly, many who call themselves Christians are little more than that pig dressed as a woman, outwardly reformed but inwardly unregenerate.
Unless there is transformation—unless there is regeneration, unless there is a new creation—then all we have are sinners merely dressed in the garments of Christendom. That is neither biblical Christianity nor biblical salvation.
True salvation occurs when, in our sinful state, we cry out to God to save us from our sins, and He, by His grace, does just that. He regenerates the heart, imparting new life. Regeneration cannot take place apart from the Word of God and the Spirit of God. The Word convicts us of sin and brings us into the knowledge of the truth (1 Pet. 1:23; Eph. 5:26; Jam. 1:18). The Spirit quickens us so that we pass from death unto life (John 5:24). In Christ we become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). We become the children of God (John 1:12; 1 John 3:2; Gal. 3:26).
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).