What is regeneration? A dictionary definition reads, ‘Regeneration (abstract noun): renewal, reformation, recovery, rebuilding, revitalising, spiritual rebirth’ (Chambers). Although the English word never appears in the New International Version of the Bible, the idea behind it is basic. The Bible everywhere speaks of the need for men and women to be given new life. It is not enough to reform the branches of the bad tree if you want it to yield good fruit - the whole tree must be transformed (Luke 6:43). It is not enough to liberate a person from evil influences - something positive and powerful must take their place (Matthew 12:43-45). It is not enough to have water to drink - Jesus taught that men and women have need of ‘spiritual water’, an inexhaustible inner supply (John 4.13-14). It is not enough to be born - according to Jesus himself; we all need to be born twice (John 3:3, 5, 7).

The witness of the Bible is that the entire human race is congenitally unwilling to live God’s way and moreover incapable of living God’s way (Romans 8:6-8). What is required is nothing less than life from the dead (Ephesians 2:1-5). While we certainly are at fault for our sins before God, we are not at all able to put them right on our own. Outside of Christ, we will be judged for our godless, self-centred characters, yet we lack the ability, and indeed the will, to change those characters. Whilst Christ himself is well able to save, to cleanse from sin and to make us holy, it will take a great miracle within us to bring us to Christ, a miracle that can be compared in scope to the very creation of the world (2 Corinthians 5:17). How can this come about?

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing (John 6:63). Every true believer is the result of a direct miracle of grace, the product of a sovereign work of God the Holy Spirit. There is no way that we can instil new spiritual life into an individual. ‘The flesh’ - that is to say all human ability and potential of any kind whatsoever - has no possibility of achieving this. Much as we may long for certain individuals to come to Christ, we cannot bring it about. We can help people in all sorts of ways, we can perhaps encourage them to change certain aspects of their behaviour or character, we can educate them and teach them certain things but we cannot give them life. Jesus here teaches us plainly that only the Spirit of God can do this - and, as he taught elsewhere, the Spirit is like the wind, which blows where it will (John 3:8).

This has certain important implications for believers. First, have we fully taken on board that everything about us that matters most has come from God the Holy Spirit - not from our own studying or prayer, nor from our youth group, our church, or even our Christian family background? Secondly, have we come to terms with the miracle that is necessary before someone else will become a Christian? However good our outreach strategy may be, there is no substitute for waiting on God in humble dependence and prayer.

The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life (John 6:63). Though Almighty God has reserved to himself the prerogative of giving spiritual life to the dead, he has graciously given to us the means through which he normally works: the words of Jesus. According to Jesus himself, it is as people hear his own teaching (and, more generally, the good news of the Bible) that the Spirit of God enters their innermost beings and they pass from death to life. While we are powerless ourselves to do real spiritual good to others, we do have in the word of God a mighty weapon that he has placed at our disposal (Ephesians 6:17). Although there are no guarantees about this, we can have confidence that God will use our attempts to tell others his gospel.

Once again, there are practical consequences. How many of our church programmes realistically involve creating opportunities for outsiders to hear the message of Jesus? The sober fact is that, unless they do hear, it is implausible to expect them to come to life in Jesus Christ.

A final word - especially for any who are not sure of where they stand with Christ. Nothing I have written should discourage you from coming to Christ and putting your trust in him. His invitation to you is free and genuine (Matthew 11:28-30). You need not do anything complicated or impressive, nor need you wait for some special experience - just come to him. May God the Holy Spirit work within you and enable you to respond.