“Do you remember what I told you about Justification?—What God does to the sinner when He justifies and adopts him?”
|Difference between Justification,| “He changes his state,” replied Emma. “He brings him from a state of wrath to a state of grace,—from a state of condemnation to a state of pardon.”
“You have given me just the answer I wanted,” said her grandmother—“that it is a change of state or condition. In Justification, from being a rebel, the sinner is pardoned by |Adoption,| his Sovereign. In Adoption, from being a prodigal, he is received back into his Father’s lost home. Now, dear,” continued she, “did I say that in these there is produced also any change in character?”
“I don’t think so,” replied Emma.
“You are right; and you will instantly see how well it is that I should speak to |And Regeneration.| you about Regeneration to‐night, which is the very word which tells about this great change of character or mind, which is as necessary to salvation, as the great change of state and condition of which I have already spoken. What is your own idea, my dear child, as to the meaning of Regeneration?”
“Indeed, grandmamma,” replied Emma, “it is such a long and difficult word, that I am ashamed to tell, though I have often heard it mentioned in Mr R——’s sermon, I never understood it aright.”
“You should never be ashamed, my dear, to ask those older than yourself to explain Bible difficulties to you. Many grow up to be big people, in great ignorance, owing to this false shame.”
“Is it the same, grandmamma,” said Emma, “as Repentance? I think I understand that word better.”
|Bible Terms about Regeneration.| “Yes, my child, there are many words in the Bible used to denote this same great change, and which you must often hear ministers speaking about. ‘The new birth’—being ‘born again’—‘Conversion’—‘Repentance’—‘Regeneration;’ but the meaning of them all may be summed up in this,—the necessity of a new heart, produced by the Holy Spirit, who turns the old heart from the service of sin to the service of God.”
|Necessity of Regeneration.| “But must every one have this entire change of heart before he can be saved?”