Yesterday's devotional reading from Patrick Lumbroso's book Under the Fig Tree still has me pondering one statement: "May our lives constantly reflect the costly gift of regeneration, given to us freely by Yeshua haMashiach." Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? How could a "free gift" be "costly?" Is it free or isn't it? You know the old saying, "there's no free lunch!" So, is there a free gift of regeneration, or does it cost me? And what is regeneration anyway?
Vine's Complete Dictionary defines regeneration as "new birth" and points us to several scriptures that speak of a single event in time, "involving the communication of a new spiritual life in contrast to antecedent spiritual death."
1 Peter 1:23: For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
Titus 3:5: He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit...
If you have received Messiah Yeshua (the Lord Jesus) as the ruler of your heart and your life, surrendered your life unto Him, and received His Holy Spirit, then you are regenerated, born again. It was a single event, and the gift was freely given to you by God, who created you and loves you beyond measure. It is His greatest desire that you would spend eternity with Him! He has indeed given you this free gift through the blood of Messiah Yeshua, not because of your righteousness, but because of His mercy.
But there was another part to that definition in Vine's Dictionary, wasn't there? Something about this new birth being "in contrast to antecedent spiritual death." That means that before you could become a reborn, regenerate person you had to die to your old self.
Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Messiah and I no longer live, but Messiah lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
That verse brings additional understanding. The gift of regeneration was free, but it cost me my life. Yes, it both saves my life and costs my life! How can this be? It means I can no longer live as the world lives, seeking my own way and my own pleasures. It means I've been granted free passage out of "Egypt" (the world) and into a life lived for God and focused on His desires, His will, and His way. "That doesn't sound fun, and it doesn't sound easy," you might say. "It doesn't even sound like freedom!" You would be right on the first two counts. It is not always fun and it certainly isn't always easy; but it does lead to the perfect freedom that gives life, and keeps us into eternity.
James 1:25: But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
The gift is free, but the cost is high. It doesn't make sense in the natural - but these things are not natural, but spiritual! If I die daily to my flesh - looking intently into God's Word daily and doing it - I am blessed; but I can only do this in the power of the Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit), who is freely given to me.
May our lives constantly reflect the costly gift of regeneration, given to us freely by Yeshua haMashiach!
