Spiritual Law of Regeneration
(Reading time: 2 minutes) Most people consider death the end of existence, but the Bible shows us physical death is a transition to eternal existence in the spiritual realm. Most also consider losing something valuable as undesirable, whereas the Bible shows us a loss in this realm can cause regeneration in both the physical and spiritual realms.
As Jesus faced death by crucifixion, he told his disciples, “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” (John 12:24, NIV). Now we’ll do even greater works than he did because he went to the Father (John 14:12), who sent the Holy Spirit to empower us (John 15:26; 16:7; Acts 1:8). So through his physical death, Jesus made it possible for his disciples and multiplied followers to continue his work, eventually throughout the world.
This is the Law of Regeneration which, unlike the Laws of Increase and Reciprocity, involves a death or other major loss, and produces multiplied results. For example, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30). Giving up our home or family for God’s kingdom would be a major sacrifice, but Jesus assures us that if we do, we’ll receive much more than we gave up, besides eternal life. More than a reward for faithful service, it’s a multiplied replacement or regeneration after a major sacrifice.
The greatest example of regeneration will be our transformation when the Lord takes us home (1 Cor. 15:50-54). Our present physical bodies are temporary, extremely limited and unsuited for our eternal destinies. God will regenerate us with bodies that are fully compatible with the spiritual realm and capable of far more than we can imagine. It’s our faith in Jesus’ death for our sins that guarantees that regeneration. But our sacrifice is to make Jesus the Lord of our lives rather than live for ourselves, to figuratively die to the world, our sinful attitudes and behaviors. We make these sacrifices out of love for God and gratefulness for what he did for us, and what he gives us in return far exceeds what we sacrificed.
Regeneration is a spiritual law, so when we sacrifice something important for the sake of God’s kingdom, we can anticipate multiplied blessings in this life and transformation in eternity.