Since men die spiritually as a result of their own sin (Ro.5:12) then it is obvious that before they sin they are spiritually alive. And this truth is made plain by what Paul says in the following verse about his salvation:
"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 Spirit" (Titus 3:5).
Here Paul uses the word "regeneration" in regard to his salvation. This word is translated from the Greek word
paliggenesia, which is the combination of
palin and
genesis.
Palin means
"joined to verbs of all sorts,it denotes renewal or repetition of the action" (Thayer's Greek English Lexicon).
Genesis means
"used of birth, nativity" (
Thayer's Greek English Lexicon).
When we combine the meaning of the two words we have a
"repetition of a birth."
It is obvious that the reference is not to a "physical" rebirth, or the repetition of one's physical birth. Paul could only be speaking of a repetition of a spiritual birth. And the words that follow make it certain that the "birth" of which Paul is referring to is a "spiritual" birth--
"renewing of the Holy Spirit." If a person is "regenerated" by the Holy Spirit then that means that one must have previously been born of the Holy Spirit.
Joseph Henry Thayer says that the Greek word translated regenerartion
"denotes the restoration of a thing to its pristine state, its renvation" (
Thayer's Greek English Lexicon).
When a person is born again of the spirit that means that he is restored back his pristine state of previously being born of the spirit. That means that all people emerge from the womb spiritually alive.