To fully appreciate the importance of regeneration, we must also have a comprehensive understanding of God’s salvation. God’s salvation is full and complete. The goal of His salvation is not merely to redeem us, but also to save us thoroughly in His life so that we might glorify, or express Him. Regeneration is the initiation and the center of our experience of salvation. Without regeneration, God can save us from our sins “judicially” but has no way to go on to save us in His life “organically.”

God’s Full Salvation—Both Judicial and Organic

God’s full salvation of man includes two aspects, the “judicial” and the “organic.” The judicial aspect of God’s salvation, accomplished through Christ’s death on the cross, deals with our objective standing, our righteousness in relation to the law (Romans 3:23-25). The organic aspect, which is based on the judicial, saves us inwardly and subjectively, and is related to our growth in the divine life (5:10). Without both aspects, God’s salvation would be incomplete.

The items included in the judicial and organic aspects of God’s full salvation are outlined below:

Judicial Aspect

• Redemption (Ephesians 1:7)
• Forgiveness and cleansing of sins (Matthew 26:28; 1 John 1:9)
• Justification (Romans 3:23-26)
• Reconciliation (Romans 5:10-11)

Organic Aspect

• Regeneration (John 1:12-13)
• Sanctification (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
• Transformation (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 3:16-18)
• Conformation (Romans 8:29)
• Glorification (Romans 8:30; Colossians
3:4) (Lee, Salvation)

Many consider “salvation” as solely judicial, but this view is incomplete. God’s goal is not merely to save man from his sins. Rather, His goal is to save us, to reconstitute our inner being in His life. He accomplishes this through His organic salvation.

For more on God’s full salvation click here.

The regenerated spirit becomes the "beachhead" for His life to spread within us.

“Regeneration Is the Center of the Experience of Salvation”

We must realize that regeneration is the “center of the experience of salvation, because God’s central purpose in saving us is that we may have His life” (Regeneration? 1). It is through regeneration that God can begin to save our entire being (spirit, soul, and body) from the inside out. Through regeneration, God’s life enters our human spirit, making us children of God (John 1:12-13; 3:3-6). From our spirit, the life of God can gradually take shape, grow, and spread into our soul. The regenerated spirit becomes the “beachhead” for His life to spread within us, through the processes of sanctification, transformation, and conformation, until we are glorified together with Him. Through this full salvation, God obtains His ultimate desire; that is, for man to be filled completely—spirit, soul and body—with Himself as life in order to express God for eternity (Ephesians 3:19; Revelation 21:9-11).

For more on the spirit, soul, and body of man click here