The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum human inability

Regeneration is just what the word connotes; to reanimate, bring back to life. Thus when a sinner is regenerated the dead soul is made alive, i.e., spiritually alive where it was once dead. This new spiritually alive soul (nature) is able to discern spiritual things where before it could not. The apprehension of these spiritual things includes but is not limited to one's guiltiness before God, the odiousness of sin, a desire to repent of sin, the desire to be reconciled to God, the recognition that the Lord Christ is the only way to that reconciliation, and a desire to please God through obedience to His revealed will.

Now, all these things are part and parcel of a regenerated soul. There may be a time-sequence as to how they are expressed, but these elements are so closely related that one could say that they happen at nearly the same time. In other words, contrary to some who hold that one can be regenerated and not believe on Christ for months or years later. This is typically applied to infants or children. But I personally find no such teaching in Scripture. The purpose of regeneration is to bring a person to Christ unto salvation and to thereafter live a life of holiness before God and man. A spiritually alive soul will most naturally be convicted of sin and believe upon Christ nearly instantaneously.

There are several excellent articles on The Highway on this subject here: Soteriology - The Doctrine of Salvation.