Spiritual Regeneration
Greetings and good morning, brothers and sisters. This is Dr. James Perry continuing with our series, where we seek to explore the deeper meanings of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the years, the heavenly Father has revealed many revelations of spiritual truth to me, and I want to share them with you. This morning we seek to understand the necessity of spiritual regeneration.
And now, sit back and listen to today's message.
Spiritual Regeneration
"... Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 2
Brothers and sisters, in today’’s broadcast, we examine the phenomenon of spiritual regeneration, that phenomenon that gives birth to the soul and maintains it. To help us grasp this spiritual concept, we shall examine several types of regeneration--physical regeneration, emotional regeneration, intellectual regeneration, moral regeneration, and finally spiritual regeneration.
We are all familiar with physical fatigue. Physical regeneration is required because our bodies become tired. Physical regeneration occurs when we rest our bodies through sleep or cessation of activities. When we rest or recover, our bodies are refreshed and ready once more to take up the physical challenges of life. Internally our bodies are constantly regenerating. Cells are constantly being renewed. In some cases as with some of the lower animals, limbs are able to be regenerated after their loss. Physical regeneration is limited though because it takes place in face of a mortal existence. This means that as we grow older, the process of regeneration gradually become eclipsed by the process of degeneration. We are after all mortal.
Next is emotional regeneration. Emotional regeneration is required after we have been engaged in situations that are highly emotionally charged for prolonged periods. And these situations tend to exhaust us emotionally. Our emotions must be renewed. The best to way to regenerate our emotions is to retreat for a period of time from the emotionally charged situation. When we change the emotional scenery, we should not mention the situation that has exhausted our emotions. After such rest, we find that our emotions have been renewed. We often find that the situation that was causing the emotional exhaustion has shrunk or actually gone away. We have received a new charge of emotional energy and are now ready to face our difficulties once more with increase emotional enthusiasm. There is something therapeutic in forsaking things that cause emotional difficulties for a short period. Sometimes our emotions can become so involved that they not only magnify the problem but also cloud our reasoning process.
Intellectual regeneration is required after a sustained period of intellectual striving. Our minds become fatigued and require renewing. The best way to replenish the depleted charge of our mind is to revert to a former stage of existence in our minds. This reverting back has the effect of recharging the mind. Humor also plays this role. It helps break and release the accumulated tension resulting from unremitting intellectual striving. Our intellectual energies can also be renewed when we are faced with an exciting challenge that we are desirous of meeting. Nothing transforms an intellect that has become bored with routine functioning than an exciting worthy challenge that has value for the person accepting the challenge. We can also renew our minds through prayer and worship. Retreating from the rigorous challenges of life for a short while in prayer and worship brings refreshment to the mind and replenishes depleted energies. After our intellectual energies are renewed, we are equipped to resume the upward challenge of achievement with renewed vigor and enthusiasm.
Moral regeneration is required after making sustained difficult moral decisions. After being saddled with persistent moral responsibilities, moral energies become depleted. We become morally tired. There comes a time when the duty obligations of life turn into moral slavery. The joy of responsibility vanishes, and we are left with a joyless uphill climb that appears to get steeper every day, causing us to grit our moral teeth. Moral regeneration is best done by infiltrating our obligations with spiritual values. Jesus said, "Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Spiritual values are always moral, but they elevate the concept of duty to service along with the realization that in serving our brothers and sisters, we are in fact serving the heavenly Father. This rids the soul of the ball of moral slavery and sets it free to discover the joyful spiritual values and meanings of loving service. Such a moral regeneration becomes a labor of love.
Finally we proceed to spiritual regeneration, which has three phases. First there is soul conception. This is the process of recreating the self from the material mind. This process occurs when the Father’’s spirit and the moral mind make contact. This is the conception process and is very similar to the conception of a human being when the sperm and the ova unite to produce a human being. In this embryonic form, the soul requires energy from the Father’’s spirit, just as the embryo in the mother’’s womb receives energy from the mother.
This process goes on until it growth reaches such a state that it is able to recognize the Father’’s spirit. It is born again and can now receive the revelations of truth, beauty, and goodness and can appreciate the Father’’s love. The soul having become conscious now begins to pray, to in effect receive divine revelations of truth, beauty, and goodness. It recognizes the image of the Father, as demonstrated by the Spirit of Truth, the spirit of Jesus. This state is similar to a child being born into the world. The child then begins an existence separate from the mother, though the mother still has to nurture and nourish the growing child. This process requires energy.
The next step of this process is the continuing regeneration of the soul. The soul now begins ceaseless growth activity to spiritually become like the image of the Father. This requires energy, and the soul must constantly be renewed. Spiritual effort results in depletion of spiritual energies. It is similar to the growth of the child, requiring a continuing need for energy.
As long as we are time-space beings, we will always have to replenish our depleted spiritual energies. Once we attain paradise and become perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect, we lose the ability to become depleted. We receive our sustenance directly from the Father. We become eternal beings.
This concludes today's message on understanding the necessity of spiritual regeneration. We hope you find something in this message to ponder and pray about as you go about your day.
Until next time, this is Dr. James Perry.
Your Kingdom Come; Your Will Be Done!
Inspirational Messages of Light
Bu Dr. James Perry
Spiritual Regeneration
