Chapter 9.—The Beginning of Renewal; Resurrection Called Regeneration; They are the Sons of God Who Lead Lives Suitable to Newness of Life.

And hence in the passage, “Whosoever is born of God doth not sin, and he cannot sin, for His seed remaineth in him,”281    1 John iii. 9. and in every other passage of like import, they much deceive themselves by an inadequate consideration of the Scriptures. For they fail to observe that men severally become sons of God when they begin to live in newness of spirit, and to be renewed as to the inner man after the image of Him that created them.282    See Col. iii. 10. For it is not from the moment of a man’s baptism that all his old infirmity is destroyed, but renovation begins with the remission of all his sins, and so far as he who is now wise is spiritually wise. All things else, however, are accomplished in hope, looking forward to their being also realized in fact,283    Donec etiam in re fiant. even to the renewal of the body itself in that better state of immortality and incorruption with which we shall be clothed at the resurrection of the dead. For this too the Lord calls a regeneration,—though, of course, not such as occurs through baptism, but still a regeneration wherein that which is now begun in the spirit shall be brought to perfection also in the body. “In the regeneration,” says He, “when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”284    Matt. xix. 28. For however entire and full be the remission of sins in baptism, nevertheless, if there was wrought by it at once, an entire and full change of the man into his everlasting newness,—I do not mean change in his body, which is now most clearly tending evermore to the old corruption and to death, after which it is to be renewed into a total and true newness,—but, the body being excepted, if in the soul itself, which is the inner man, a perfect renewal was wrought in baptism, the apostle would not say: “Even though our outward man perishes, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”285    2 Cor. iv. 16. Now, undoubtedly, he who is still renewed day by day is not as yet wholly renewed; and in so far as he is not yet wholly renewed, he is still in his old state. Since, then, men, even after they are baptized, are still in some degree in their old condition, they are on that account also still children of the world; but inasmuch as they are also admitted into a new state, that is to say, by the full and perfect remission of their sins, and in so far as they are spiritually-minded, and behave correspondingly, they are the children of God. Internally we put off the old man and put on the new; for we then and there lay aside lying, and speak truth, and do those other things wherein the apostle makes to consist the putting off of the old man and the putting on of the new, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.286    Eph. iv. 24. Now it is men who are already baptized and faithful whom he exhorts to do this,—an exhortation which would be unsuitable to them, if the absolute and perfect change had been already made in their baptism. And yet made it was, since we were then actually saved; for “He saved us by the laver of regeneration.”287    Tit. iii. 5. In another passage, however, he tells us how this took place. “Not they only,” says he, “but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope; for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”288    Rom. viii. 23–25.

9. Ac per hoc in eo quod scriptum est, Qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat, et non potest peccare, quia semen ejus in ipso manet (I Joan. III, 9); et si quid aliud eo modo dictum est, multum falluntur minus considerando Scripturas. Non enim advertunt, eo quosque fieri filios Dei, quo esse incipiunt in novitate spiritus; et renovari in interiorem hominem secundum imaginem ejus qui creavit eos (Coloss. III, 10). Non enim ex qua hora quisque baptizatur, omnis vetus infirmitas ejus absumitur: sed renovatio incipit a remissione omnium peccatorum, et in quantum quisque spiritualia sapit, qui jam sapit . Caetera vero in spe facta sunt, donec etiam in re fiant, usque ad ipsius corporis renovationem in meliorem statum immortalitatis et incorruptionis, qua induemur in resurrectione mortuorum. Nam et ipsam Dominus regenerationem vocat, non utique talem qualis fit per Baptismum, sed in qua etiam in corpore perficietur quod nunc spiritu inchoatur. In regeneratione, inquit, cum sederit Filius hominis in sede majestatis suae, sedebitis et vos super duodecim sedes, judicantes duodecim tribus Israel (Matth. XIX, 28). Nam in Baptismo quamvis tota et plena fiat remissio peccatorum, tamen si continuo tota et plena etiam hominis in aeternam novitatem mutatio fieret, non dico et in corpore, quod certe manifestum est adhuc in veterem corruptionem atque in mortem tendere, in fine postea renovandum, quando vere tota novitas erit: sed excepto corpore, si in ipso animo qui est homo interior, perfecta in 0157 Baptismo novitas fieret, non diceret Apostolus, Et si exterior homo noster corrumpitur, sed interior renovatur de die in diem (II Cor. IV, 16). Profecto enim qui de die in diem adhuc renovatur, nondum totus est renovatus : et in quantum nondum est renovatus, in tantum adhuc in vetustate est. Proinde ex hoc quod adhuc in vetustate sunt, quamvis jam baptizati, ex hoc etiam adhuc sunt filii saeculi. Ex hoc autem quod in novitate sunt , hoc est, ex plena et perfecta remissione peccatorum, et quantumcumque illud est quod spiritualiter sapiunt, eique congruos mores agunt, filii Dei sunt. Intrinsecus enim exuimus veterem hominem, et induimus novum: quoniam ibi deponimus mendacium, et loquimur veritatem, et caetera quibus Apostolus explicat quid sit exui veterem hominem, et indui novum, qui secundum Deum creatus est in justitia et sanctitate veritatis (Ephes. IV, 22-24). Et hoc ut faciant, jam baptizatos fidelesque adhortatur: quod adhuc monendi non essent, si hoc in Baptismo jam perfecte factum esset: et tamen factum est, sicut et salvi facti sumus. Salvos enim nos fecit per lavacrum regenerationis (Tit. III, 5). Sed alio loco dicit, quemadmodum hoc factum est. Non solum, inquit, sed etiam nos ipsi primitias habentes spiritus et ipsi in nobismetipsis ingemiscimus, adoptionem exspectantes, redemptionem corporis nostri. Spe enim salvi facti sumus. Spes autem quae videtur, non est spes: quod enim videt quis, quid sperat? Si autem quod non videmus speramus, per patientiam exspectamus (Rom. VIII, 23-25).