How God Reclaims the Lost (Value 1: WE ARE NEW)
No one wakes up one morning and decides to resurrect themselves. Spiritual life does not begin with human self-improvement; it begins with a divine resurrection.
Lifepoint Core Value 1: WE ARE NEW
Jesus brings us from death to life. (We repent and believe.)
1. God’s Role: The Sovereign Initiator
Left to ourselves, humanity is not merely sick or misplaced—we are spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1). Therefore, moving from non-believer to new believer requires God to take the first step.
- The Father Draws: Jesus plainly states in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Salvation begins in the mind and heart of the Father.
- The Son Seeks: Jesus defines His primary earthly mandate in Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
- The Spirit Regenerates and Convicts: Before a person ever prays a prayer, the Holy Spirit is at work. In John 16:8, Jesus promises that the Spirit “will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Titus 3:5 reinforces that God saved us “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
God removes the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
2. The Believer’s Role: Repentance and Faith
While God does the spiritual resurrection, human beings are called to respond. Regeneration expresses itself through two distinct actions: repentance and faith.
- Hearing the Word: Faith cannot ignite in a vacuum. As Romans 10:17 teaches, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
- Repenting (Turning Around): Repentance is a conscious decision to turn away from self-rule and sin. In Acts 2:38, Peter commands the crowd, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…”
- Believing (Trusting Christ): Believing is not mere intellectual assent; it is entrusting your life to Jesus. In Romans 10:9–10, Paul explains, “…if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
3. The Church’s Role: Ambassadors of the Gospel
How does a non-believer hear the Gospel in order to repent and believe? Through the faithful witness of the local church.
- Proclamation and Evangelism: Paul lays out the logical necessity of church witness in Romans 10:14–15: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
- Ambassadorial Representation: The local church acts as heaven’s embassy on earth. 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
- Intercessory Prayer: We pray for open doors and softened hearts, knowing that only God can open eyes. Paul requests in Colossians 4:3, “At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word…”
When a person moves from death to life, they realize that they are NEW—and the foundation for a life of discipleship is officially set.