The Dispensationalist Spiritual Transformation and Regeneration Problem
The New Testament places an emphasis upon spiritual transformation and regeneration in order for the individual to be justified, saved from the consequences of sin and to know the Truth, and not to be deceived into accepting false doctrines..
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8: 32
Among those things which you are set free from by spiritual transformation and coming to the knowledge of the Truth, is the danger of falling for false doctrines.
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3: 1-7
Paul in Romans 12: 2 explains more of what being born again means. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Follow the New Testament strand on transformation in Christ, that is, with Christ in the individual, from John 3: 1-7 - ye must be born again - to Romans 12: 2 - be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind - to Galatians 4: 19 - until Christ be formed in you - then to Philippians 2: 5 - let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus - and to II Corinthians 5: 17 - if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away - then you can see that Tyndale was right. These scriptures by Paul help to define what Christ means in John 3: 1-7 by being born again of the Spirit.
Colossians 1: 27 says "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Being born again by the Spirit and becoming transformed spiritually means that Jesus Christ comes to be in you - which is the hope of glory.
"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matthew 19: 28
The interest in Matthew 19: 28 is in the word παλιγγενεσια, Strong's Number 3824, "paliggenesia: regeneration, renewal, a new birth."
Look at Titus 3: 5: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"
Regeneration is from "paliggenesia," regeneration, renewal, a new birth.
And renewing is from ανακαινωσεως, anakainósis, renewing, change of heart.
Then I Peter 1: 3 says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
Begotten is from αναστασεως, Strongs Number 313, anagennao, to begat again.
But dispensationalists do not appear to be very interested in spiritual transformation and regeneration in Christ by the Holy Spirit, at least not on the Christian Forums I have been on.
I remember that about fifty years ago the dispensationalist radio preachers did talk a lot about salvation and the Gospel, and not too much about "rightly dividing" that Gospel, or issues of systematic dispensationalism. But even then they did not emphasize spiritual regeneration as real change in those who accepted Christ.
See: https://www.christforums.com/forums...’-the-‘sinners-prayer’-and-more-antinomianism.
"Here is a partial transcription of RC Sproul Sr’s discussion on dispensationalism and its dangers.
RC. Sproul:
“They asked me, R.C., what’s your problem with dispensationalism? And I said, “You know, my biggest problem with dispensationalism is your historic doctrine of regeneration. And that was met with bewilderment. These professors said, “What are you talking about? What’s our problem with regeneration?”
"I said, “Well, classic dispensationalism teaches that when the Holy Spirit regenerates a person, that person does not experience a change in their nature. So that you can have the Spirit in you, and you be in a state of salvation, without any change in your life whatsoever. And that was popularized by the picture books that were spread out by Campus Crusade, where, you had the circle with the chair, and you had the cross outside the circle, and ‘S’ the self, was on the chair, and that’s the picture of the unregenerate person, the pagan. But then you have the next stage of those who are regenerated, where now, Christ is inside the circle, but not on the throne. Self is still on the throne. You’re saved you’re in a state of grace, you’re regenerated, you’re justified – but you have absolutely no fruit whatsoever because your life hasn’t changed – and that gave rise to the development of this concept of the “Carnal Christian” where a person could be saved without any manifestation of any change, and, that’s what I said, I said for us, regeneration involves a foundational change in the disposition of the human heart where that fallen person prior to his regeneration had no inclination to the things of God, no love for Jesus, and once that heart has been changed, through the immediate, transcendent power of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration, now that person has Christ in his life, and Christ is now his Lord. He’s not perfected, not fully sanctified, but the process of sanctification has certainly begun. And if it hasn’t, you have a profession of faith with no faith."
R.C. Sproul may be following Five Point Calvinism, which I believe is a systematic man made theology of the church system. But what Sproul says above about many dispensationalists not being born again or really changed by the Gospel of Christ is true.
The New Testament places an emphasis upon spiritual transformation and regeneration in order for the individual to be justified, saved from the consequences of sin and to know the Truth, and not to be deceived into accepting false doctrines..
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8: 32
Among those things which you are set free from by spiritual transformation and coming to the knowledge of the Truth, is the danger of falling for false doctrines.
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3: 1-7
Paul in Romans 12: 2 explains more of what being born again means. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Follow the New Testament strand on transformation in Christ, that is, with Christ in the individual, from John 3: 1-7 - ye must be born again - to Romans 12: 2 - be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind - to Galatians 4: 19 - until Christ be formed in you - then to Philippians 2: 5 - let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus - and to II Corinthians 5: 17 - if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away - then you can see that Tyndale was right. These scriptures by Paul help to define what Christ means in John 3: 1-7 by being born again of the Spirit.
Colossians 1: 27 says "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Being born again by the Spirit and becoming transformed spiritually means that Jesus Christ comes to be in you - which is the hope of glory.
"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matthew 19: 28
The interest in Matthew 19: 28 is in the word παλιγγενεσια, Strong's Number 3824, "paliggenesia: regeneration, renewal, a new birth."
Look at Titus 3: 5: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"
Regeneration is from "paliggenesia," regeneration, renewal, a new birth.
And renewing is from ανακαινωσεως, anakainósis, renewing, change of heart.
Then I Peter 1: 3 says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"
Begotten is from αναστασεως, Strongs Number 313, anagennao, to begat again.
But dispensationalists do not appear to be very interested in spiritual transformation and regeneration in Christ by the Holy Spirit, at least not on the Christian Forums I have been on.
I remember that about fifty years ago the dispensationalist radio preachers did talk a lot about salvation and the Gospel, and not too much about "rightly dividing" that Gospel, or issues of systematic dispensationalism. But even then they did not emphasize spiritual regeneration as real change in those who accepted Christ.
See: https://www.christforums.com/forums...’-the-‘sinners-prayer’-and-more-antinomianism.
"Here is a partial transcription of RC Sproul Sr’s discussion on dispensationalism and its dangers.
RC. Sproul:
“They asked me, R.C., what’s your problem with dispensationalism? And I said, “You know, my biggest problem with dispensationalism is your historic doctrine of regeneration. And that was met with bewilderment. These professors said, “What are you talking about? What’s our problem with regeneration?”
"I said, “Well, classic dispensationalism teaches that when the Holy Spirit regenerates a person, that person does not experience a change in their nature. So that you can have the Spirit in you, and you be in a state of salvation, without any change in your life whatsoever. And that was popularized by the picture books that were spread out by Campus Crusade, where, you had the circle with the chair, and you had the cross outside the circle, and ‘S’ the self, was on the chair, and that’s the picture of the unregenerate person, the pagan. But then you have the next stage of those who are regenerated, where now, Christ is inside the circle, but not on the throne. Self is still on the throne. You’re saved you’re in a state of grace, you’re regenerated, you’re justified – but you have absolutely no fruit whatsoever because your life hasn’t changed – and that gave rise to the development of this concept of the “Carnal Christian” where a person could be saved without any manifestation of any change, and, that’s what I said, I said for us, regeneration involves a foundational change in the disposition of the human heart where that fallen person prior to his regeneration had no inclination to the things of God, no love for Jesus, and once that heart has been changed, through the immediate, transcendent power of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration, now that person has Christ in his life, and Christ is now his Lord. He’s not perfected, not fully sanctified, but the process of sanctification has certainly begun. And if it hasn’t, you have a profession of faith with no faith."
R.C. Sproul may be following Five Point Calvinism, which I believe is a systematic man made theology of the church system. But what Sproul says above about many dispensationalists not being born again or really changed by the Gospel of Christ is true.