8th May 2025

8th May 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ephesians 2v4-7)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


The Christian is someone who has been regenerated by the Lord and then trusts in Christ. But how does regeneration happen? One viewpoint says that regeneration is a work of both God and man. The Lord graciously sends out His Gospel but it is ineffective until the moment sinful humans decide to respond. This work of cooperation is sometimes called synergism - God and humans working together in salvation.


Nevertheless, I am not a synergist and I hope you are not either. I argue that regeneration is a work of God alone and it comes before saving faith. I am a monergist. What does this mean? That in salvation it is God alone who takes the initiative and it is God alone who works regeneration. Paul one wrote “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”


According to Paul even when we were in spiritual death, God was at work to bring us to spiritual life. Regeneration is not synergistic - spiritually dead people can do nothing to help themselves. Instead regeneration is monergistic - God alone causes us to be regenerated, He causes us to be born again.


Why did God take the initiative in regeneration? Perhaps He knew how nice you are? Maybe it was because the Lord saw that you weren’t as bad as others? No. It was because of His great love which He laid upon us in eternity past. Not because He foresaw anything good in us but to the praise of His glorious grace.


If regeneration is synergistic then I have reason to boast before the Lord - He worked and I worked too. But I have no grounds for boasting. I was once spiritually dead and on my way to a lost eternity but thankfully the Lord took the saving initiative and opened my eyes. I do not subscribe to monergism in order to boast about my theological knowledge. By no means! If we understand this doctrine correctly then it humbles us. Regeneration belongs to the Lord alone! Thanks be to God.
  
Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q78 What is forbidden in the ninth commandment? The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor’s good name.
​