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of alienation and condemnation. Because of the sin-removing and heaven-meriting work
of Christ, our whole status changes so that we are now called the children of God.
If in adoption we would receive only the privilege and status of being God`s
children, something would still be missing. The adopted child retains the nature of his
biological parents; he does not assume the nature of the adoptive parents. God, in His
amazing grace, not only gives us the status and privileges of being His children by
adoption, but He also gives us the Spirit of sonship as a witness to our adoption, which
abides within us by Spirit-worked regeneration. The Holy Spirit implants a new nature
within us.
Regeneration, then, deals with our nature, those sinful hearts of ours that drink
iniquity like water. God changes our sin-loving personalities by the new birth. In other
words, after changing our status and adopting us into His family as His sons, God will not
allow us to go on behaving like children of the devil. He ensures that we cannot do so; He
gives us the nature and likeness to match our sonship by a birth from above. Our title as
a son of God then becomes intimately related to our own experience. We are not what
once we were (1 John 3:9). God has done what no human father and mother can do when
they adopt a child--change the personality and the nature of the child they have adopted
so that it is like theirs. But God, in regeneration, has allowed His born-again children to
become partakers of His own loving, holy nature as their Father in heaven.
In short, the Puritans taught that regeneration and adoption are to be distinguished
in several ways. Here is a summary of points made by Thomas Manton and Stephen
Charnock:
Regeneration brings us to close with Christ; adoption causes the Spirit to abide in our hearts.
Regeneration is the Spirit`s renewing; adoption, the Spirit`s inhabiting. In regeneration, the Holy
Spirit builds a house for Himself; in adoption, He dwells in the house--much like bees that first
make their cells, and then dwell in them.
Regeneration is not conditioned by faith; adoption is.
Regeneration enables us to believe unto justification and adoption.
Regeneration engraves upon us the lineaments of a father; adoption relates us to God as our
Father.
Regeneration makes us God`s sons by conveying the principle of new life (1 Pet. 1:23); adoption
keeps us God`s sons by conferring the power of new life (John 1:12).
Regeneration makes us partakers of the divine nature; adoption makes us partakers of the divine
affections.
Regeneration affects our nature; adoption, our relationships.
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