Soteriology Lesson 23 - The Role of God the Holy Spirit in Regenerating, Indwelling, Baptizing, and Sealing New Believers

<p style="text-align: center;">The Spirit’s Regeneration, Indwelling, Baptizing, and Sealing Ministry </p> <p>At the moment of salvation, God the Holy Spirit performs several acts for new believers, which include regeneration (John 3:6; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 1:3), indwelling (John 14:16-17; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19), baptizing (1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27), and sealing (Eph 4:30).</p> <p>Regeneration</p> <p>The word regeneration itself occurs only twice in the Bible (Matt 19:28 and Tit 3:5). In both places the Greek word used is paliggenesia (παλιγγενεσία), which means, “the state of being renewed… [the] experience of a complete change of life, rebirth of a redeemed person.”<a href='#_ftn1'>[1]</a> Regeneration means new believers receive spiritual life at the moment they trust in Christ alone as their Savior. Geisler states, “The new birth of which Jesus speaks is the act of regeneration, whereby God imparts spiritual life to the believer’s soul (1 Peter 1:23).”<a href='#_ftn2'>[2]</a> Paul Enns agrees, saying, “Succinctly stated, to regenerate means ‘to impart life.’ Regeneration is the act whereby God imparts life to the one who believes.”<a href='#_ftn3'>[3]</a> Ryrie notes:</p> <ul><li>"Although the word regeneration is used only twice in the Bible (Titus 3:5, where it refers to the new birth, and Mt 19:28 where it refers to the millennial kingdom), the concept of being born again is found in other passages, notably John 3. Technically, it is God’s act of begetting eternal life in the one who believes in Christ. While faith and regeneration are closely associated, the two ideas are distinct, faith being the human responsibility and the channel through which God’s grace is received, and regeneration being God’s supernatural act of imparting eternal life."<a href='#_ftn4'>[4]</a></li> </ul> <p>David Anderson adds:</p> <ul><li>"The NT uses a number of different words and images to convey the doctrine of regeneration. The noun palingenesia is used just twice: Matthew 19:28 and Titus 3:5. In Matthew, Jesus is speaking of the regenera