CONVERSION IS THE RESULT OF REGENERATION-Part 1

John 3;1-21

The Act of God in Regeneration is followed by The Act of Man, in Conversion.

The Bible teaches Regeneration, but it doesn't teach Re-regeneration.
JOHN 13;9-10-''Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith unto him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit; and ye are clean, but not all.''
God's Act in Regeneration initiates action in man, which is conversion.

Now, Conversion is a spiritual Act; but there can never be a spiritual act apart from spiritual life; wrought in the sinner's heart, in Regeneration.

Conversion takes place, not in the Subconscious, but in the conscious life of man.
This doesn't mean, that it is not rooted, in the subconscious life, but it brings out, the close connection between Regeneration and Conversion.

You see, Conversion marks the conscious beginning, not only, the putting away of The Old Man,
But, also, The Putting on, of The New Man.
The converted man consciously forsakes the old life, and turns to the new life of communion with God, through Jesus Christ.

The two words, Regeneration and Conversion, are used synonymously by some;
yet, in most cases, they refer to different, but closely related matters.
Logically, Conversion follows Regeneration.

Conversion, which is the activity of man, always results from a previous work of God in man.

Lamentations 5;21-''turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.''

Philippians 2;13-''For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.''

The fact, that man is active in conversion, is evident in The Bible--
Isaiah 55;7-''Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.''

Jeremiah 18;11-''Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you; return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.''

Ezekiel 18;23, 32-23-''Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die/ saith the Lord God;
and not that he should return from his ways, and live/
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.''

Acts 2;39-''For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.''

Acts 17;30-[Turn].

Now, to show that, man isn't passive in conversion--
Jeremiah 31;18-21-''I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me,and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. 19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. 20 Is Ephraim my dear son/ is he a pleasant child/ for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore my bowels are troubled for him;
I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD. 21 Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps; set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest; turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities.''

According to this passage, Grace must first enter into a man's heart, before it can be discovered in his life, in conversion.
The God of All Grace, first of all, draws us, or, we would never move towards Him.

Now, get this truth; QUICKENING GRACE OPENS THE HEART TO GODLY SORROW, AND
THIS ALWAYS ISSUES IN EVANGELICAL REPENTANCE.

Repentance is an abiding principle, or characteristic, of the New Heart.
By nature, the heart is hard and impenitent.
It has a natural fitness to sin, and is without shame, or sorrow.

The Heart is by Grace, Penitent, broken, and contrite.
It has a fitness to repent, an attitude to mourn over sin and sins.
Now, this is a permanent principle, or source, of sorrow for sin, and turning from it, to holiness.

Repentance is God's Gift--
Acts 5;31-[Turn].
Acts 11;18-''When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.''

Man is without power to repent-Jeremiah 31;18-19-[Turn].
The Truly Saved do not spring in one leap, from the rebelliousness of a sinner, to the rejoicing of The Saint.
Instruction and Application follow the turning of a repentant sinner.
The effect of instruction made Ephraim say, ''I was ashamed'' [Verse 19].

Repentance gives to the mind, a just sense of one's sins, and also, an appreciation of the Redemption and Grace in Christ Jesus.