Regeneration And Reproduction

Galatians 4.19 My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you

Galatians was written by Paul when the church there started going back to trying to earn salvation through the Law (legalism) instead of accepting the grace of God. Paul experienced birth pangs for the church so that Christ may be formed in them. 

Jesus came into us when we accepted Him as our saviour in our personal lives. But even when Jesus is in us, we can still choose to live in our old ways. It’s like locking Jesus up in one of the rooms in our house. But if Jesus is given control of our house, he goes into every area and transforms the house. The Kingdom of God is where God, the King rules and reigns. 

Regeneration is when Jesus is born in us; the born again/rebirth/ salvation experience. 
Reproduction is when Jesus’ life and behaviour is produced in us. 

Paul tells the Galatians that once they lived in the ways of the Lord but later, a wrong teaching entered their church and the people were confused and led to the wrong way. They kept Jesus aside though He lived inside them,to follow Moses’ law. 

Paul said in Galatians 2.20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul was saying that Christ was regenerated in him.

John 12.24,25 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Here, Jesus was primarily talking about Himself and His death that was to come. He was a kernel of wheat sowed by His Father that died to produce a harvest. He was crucified to produce many more of us who will be like Him. 

The born again experience is a very quick process. But becoming like Jesus is a slow process and takes a lifetime. We need to let go of many things and surrender to the Lord. Many feel that it is boring to give our life to the Lord, but the reverse is true.

Psalm 16.11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Joy in the Lord’s presence is much more than in anything else that we can find in the world. But many of us find it difficult to give up the world. But whoever loves his life will lose it, according to the Word of God. 

A saved life is one where we live for Jesus; where we no longer live but Christ lives in us. It is not a changed life but an exchanged life. Jesus didn’t come to make small small changes in our lives and leave it at that. 

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

It is not a changed life, but a fully exchanged life that Jesus brings us. 

1 John 5:11-12 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
So it is not about receiving  life but receiving the person Jesus into our lives. He produces life in me. He can give me life and reproduce His life in me. It is regeneration and then reproduction of His life in us. 

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord

Eternal life is simple, it is just accepting Christ as our saviour; we give our life to Him and he gives us His in exchange. When we have the Son, we have eternal life by default.

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