The Radical Reality of Regeneration 

Text: Acts 26:20 (CSB) – “Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.” 

Grace and peace to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, we’re going to talk about a doctrine that doesn’t get enough airtime in our feel-good, self-help churches—a doctrine that separates the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the chaff, the true believer from the pretender. We’re talking about *regeneration*. Now, I know some of you are thinking, “Preacher, that sounds like one of those big theological words that’s just gonna fly over my head.” But stick with me, because this is the heart of what it means to be a Christian. Regeneration isn’t optional—it’s the radical, supernatural change that God works in the life of every sinner He saves. And when God regenerates a man, that man doesn’t just clean up his act a little bit. No, sir. He changes radically! 

Let’s dive into our text. In Acts 26, Paul is standing before King Agrippa, giving his defense, recounting his conversion and his mission. And in verse 20, he says he preached that people “should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.” This isn’t just a call to say a prayer or raise a hand in a church service. This is a call to a total transformation—a turning from sin and a turning to God that produces a life marked by fruit. That, brothers and sisters, is regeneration in action.

What Is Regeneration?

First, let’s define our terms. Regeneration is the sovereign work of God through the Holy Spirit whereby He takes a dead sinner—someone spiritually lifeless, enslaved to sin, hostile to God—and makes them alive in Christ. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:1, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Dead! Not sick, not wounded, not struggling but still kicking—*dead*. And what can a dead man do to help himself? Nothing! He can’t climb out of the grave. He can’t will himself back to life. It takes a miracle of God to raise the dead, and that’s exactly what regeneration is: a miracle. 

Jesus Himself said in John 3:3, “Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Born again—not by your effort, not by your decision, not by your pedigree or your good intentions, but by the Spirit of God blowing where He wills (John 3:8). Titus 3:5 calls it “the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” It’s a new birth, a new creation, a radical change orchestrated by God alone.

The Radical Change

Now, let me make this plain: when God regenerates a sinner, it’s not a Band-Aid fix. It’s not a little tweak here or a minor adjustment there. It’s a demolition and reconstruction project. Look at Paul himself. Before his encounter with Christ on the Damascus road, he was Saul—breathing threats and murder against the church (Acts 9:1). He was a Pharisee of Pharisees, zealous for the law, and he thought he was doing God a favor by persecuting Christians. But when Jesus met him, blinded him, and raised him up, Saul didn’t just become a nicer version of himself. He became a new man—Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, preaching the very gospel he once despised.

That’s what regeneration does. It takes a man who loves darkness and makes him a lover of light. It takes a woman who’s chained to her sin and sets her free to walk in righteousness. And here in Acts 26:20, Paul says this change isn’t just internal—it’s visible. “Do works worthy of repentance.” Regeneration produces a life that proves the change. You don’t get to claim new life in Christ and keep living like the devil. No, sir! If God has regenerated you, your life will show it.

The Evidence of Regeneration

So what does this radical change look like? Let’s break it down from the text. Paul preached three things: repent, turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance. 

1. **Repent** 

   Repentance is not just feeling sorry for your sin. It’s not shedding a few tears at an altar and then going right back to the same mess. Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. It’s seeing your sin the way God sees it—ugly, wicked, deserving of wrath—and hating it enough to turn away from it. When God regenerates you, He gives you a new mind. Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” That new heart doesn’t play footsie with sin anymore—it flees from it. 

2. **Turn to God** 

   You can’t turn from sin without turning to something else. Regeneration reorients your whole life toward God. Before, you lived for yourself—your pleasures, your pride, your plans. But now, your compass points to Him. Your desires change. Your priorities shift. You start hungering and thirsting for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). You start loving what God loves and hating what He hates. That’s radical, church! The world doesn’t get it—they think you’ve lost your mind. But you haven’t lost it; you’ve been given a new one.

3. **Works Worthy of Repentance** 

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Regeneration isn’t just a feeling—it’s a doing. James 2:17 says faith without works is dead. If God has made you alive, you’ll produce fruit. Not to earn your salvation—Christ earned it—but to prove it. A regenerated man doesn’t keep cheating on his wife. A regenerated woman doesn’t keep gossiping and tearing others down. A regenerated teenager doesn’t keep dishonoring their parents. The works don’t save you, but they show you’ve been saved.

The Sovereign Source

Now, let me hammer this home: this radical change isn’t your doing—it’s God’s. You didn’t regenerate yourself any more than Lazarus raised himself from the tomb. John 1:13 says we’re born “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Your will was enslaved to sin. Your flesh was dead. But God, in His mercy, stepped in and said, “Live!” That’s why Paul could preach with such boldness in Acts 26—he knew the power wasn’t in his words but in the God who changes hearts.

The Call to Examine Yourself

So let me ask you today, brothers and sisters—have you been regenerated? Has God done this radical work in you? Don’t point to a prayer you prayed or a decision you made. Look at your life. Do you see repentance? Are you turned toward God? Are there works worthy of that repentance? Second Corinthians 13:5 says, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.” This isn’t about perfection, but direction. A regenerated life isn’t sinless, but it sins less—and it fights against sin with everything it’s got.

If you don’t see this change, don’t despair—cry out to God. He’s the one who regenerates. Plead with Him to make you new. And if you do see it, praise Him! Because the radical change in your life is a billboard shouting His glory to a lost and dying world.

Brothers and sisters, regeneration is the miracle that proves the gospel. It’s the power of God to take rebels and make them sons, to take enemies and make them friends. So repent, turn to God, and live a life worthy of the miracle He’s done in you. Amen.