Regeneration and the Word

"He chose to give us birth through the word of truth ..." James 1:18

“You have been born anew, not of perishable seed but but of imperishable, through the living
and abiding word of God...that is, through the living and enduring word of God. ” (1 Peter 1:23,25)

Q: I was reading your questions and answers section on your website and I was reading the topic regarding Regeneration and 2 verses that was quoted was 1 Peter 1:23 and James 1:18 and the conclusion was that Regeneration is the RESULT of hearing the word of truth. But if 1Corinthians 2:14 says that the natural man does not receive the spiritual things of God then how could the natural man be able to "hear" the word of truth, understand it to exercise saving faith unless they are regenerated BEFORE hearing the word of God in order to understand it? I know that Regeneration & Faith are instantaneous events but it seems as though Regeneration must come first before you are able to even "hear" the word and understand it.

But then I'm confused with the situation that happened with Lydia in Acts 16:14 because in her case it sounds like God "opening her heart (regeneration)" was the result or the response to hearing the word and when we compare this to John 3:3 where we can't even SEE the kingdom of heaven unless we are regenerated how can unregenerate people hear the word of God, understand it to respond IF regeneration is the result of hearing the word? ...Do you have to hear the word to become regenerate OR do you have to be regenerate in order to hear the word?

A: Thank you for your great question dear sir. To clarify, the word of God does not work "ex opere operato," rather, it is the work of the Holy Spirit Himself sovereignly dispensing grace, working in the heart through the word to bring forth life. So the written/spoken word is not the material of the spiritual new birth, but rather its mean or medium. The word is not the begetting principle itself, but only that by which it works: the vehicle of the mysterious germinating power. It is because the Spirit of God accompanies it that the word carries in it the germ of life. The life is in God, yet it is communicated to us through the word. This means that the seed is cast forth through preaching (...We plant the seed and water but only God causes the growth 1 Corinthians 3:7). However, repentance and faith can only be exercised by a soul after, and in immediate consequence of, its regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Obviously, the word does not have this regenerative affect on every person and some may even be in the presence of the word for years before the Holy Spirit determines that He will quicken, open and change the disposition of his/her fallen heart. The word will never be heard by some who has no spiritual ears.

(Note: In a like manner, faith is not the material of justification but the medium - "by grace THROUGH faith" Eph 2:8. We are not saved by our faith but through faith. We are freely saved by Christ's finished work where God's elect are attributed Christ's satisfaction (grace) which we appropriate through faith." God promises to give unto all those that are ordained unto life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing and able to believe" (WCF Chapter 7:3). -see John 6:37, 39, 44, 63-65, Rom 9:16; Acts 13:48).

Even our will to be cleansed comes to us through the infusion and working of the Holy Spirit. The desire for faith does not belong to us by nature but is a gift of grace, that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit amending our will and turning it from unbelief to faith and from godlessness to godliness. "And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6). And again, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). It is by the infusion and inspiration of the Holy Spirit within us that we even have the faith, the will, or the strength to desire the true God.

As I said in a recent article: "A fallen person with an uncircumcized ear [who is hostile to God] has no earthly way of hearing, much less understanding and believing the gospel (1 Cor 2:14). Our ears must first be supernaturally opened and a new heart given us so that we are even willing to hear God's word and come into vital union with Christ through faith. A man could more easily see without eyes or speak without a tongue than turn to Christ apart from the gracious, life-giving work of God in his soul." Just like in the case you mentioned of Lydia, as Paul is preaching, God opens her understanding that brings her to faith in Christ. Without the Spirit, she cannot savingly hear the word until God opens her heart by giving her spiritual, circumcized ears to hear. Prior to that the word goes into her heart as a seed until the Holy Spirit determines when He will cause life. For there is no natural desire for faith in our fallen, unregenerate nature (Rom 8:7, Rom 3:11,12)

This is not to say it is not possible for God to supernaturally enter into direct revelation with someone, as He has done in certain instances in biblical history. It appears that John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit in his mother's womb...set apart from birth for a very special purpose of God. Or Paul on the way to Damascus whose heart of stone was made into a heart of flesh. Of course this does not demonstrate a norm for us now and we should not base our theology on, what may be a one-time event, that took place in the book of Acts. We need to base our belief, rather, in propositions made by the Scripture. Also, I speculate that it is possible for God to directly reveal His word in calling elect invalids, who would not otherwise have the capacity to hear, or elect infants who would die in birth.