Peck’s view on regeneration, that the regenerated spirit does not sin and die again, stems from his different view of human nature as such. He understands the soul to be an immaterial body, but not the spirit. Thereby he focuses on the human being in light of a unity between the spirit and the body. He also explicates human existence with the image of the relationship between master (spirit) and servant (body). Based on his belief he accepts that the spirit is created in the image of God as a simple unit. In this sense he conceives that the spirit manifests all of God’s attributes to the soul, which is also created sufficiently to receive and reveal God’s nature to the body. The body that is created with this capacity to reflect God’s attributes is capable of showing them to all creation. This government of God towards all creation can be effected due to the organic unity of the spirit and the body in the human being as instrument for God’s government.
As soon as Adam broke God’s commandment when his mind was deceived by the devil, his spirit was condemned and its subjective liability perished once and for all. Likewise, the spirit of the whole human race is condemned in Adam and died at once incorporated in Adam’s spirit. Thus, when the spirit created by God is united with its body in the mother’s womb that spirit dies, because all have part in Adam’s sin and have inherited the guilt and the sinful nature from Adam.
However, this all forms part of God’s greatest plan of salvation to establish his church once and for all. This church should be spotless, righteous, reconciled in His presence through the redemption by Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit applies the eternal atoning death of Christ to the human spirit. Therefore the spirit is now able to live again and does not sin and die any more in the sense of the subjective liability for the mortal ‘soul and body’. As soon as the spirit is regenerated, therefore, the Holy Spirit takes this spirit as His indwelling place and powerfully begins to bear witness to the soul, so that this person can confess 000his/her sins and receive Jesus Christ as Saviour, that is, conversion.
Peck describes the regeneration of the spirit as the actual regeneration, in which the effect of sin and death is removed completely. He also depicts the regeneration of the body as the legal regeneration in the sense that any remaining influence of sin and death will be eliminated progressively through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. These effects of sin also will be demolished completely on the day of resurrection at the second coming of Christ. This indicates that Peck’s view on regeneration focuses for the human being as a whole, not only on the human spirit.
Peck regards regeneration as the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit in the sub-consciousness of humans. He also views it as a supernatural change, brought about by the power of the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. In addition, he delineates it as an instantaneous change. When the Holy Spirit applies the redemption through Jesus Christ to the elect ones, their spirit immediately is raised from dead. This change is from death to life and has a ‘once-for-all’ character. Moreover, Peck characterises this process as a radical change.
Peck considers the spirit to be the root and the principle of life in humans. For him the regenerated spirit implies a radical change within the human being as a whole. This radical change does not stem from the human heart, but comes from the Holy Spirit who resurrected the regenerated spirit. By the mighty work of the Spirit the disposition of humans are radically changed (from the root). This happens when the spirit of the regenerated person is quickened, and he/she is unable to resist God’s saving grace, which conforms him/her into the true image of Christ.
In conclusion it can be noted that Peck’s general view of regeneration connects with that of the Reformers, although his thought of the regenerated spirit is not reflected in the general Reformed thought. Finally, the researcher may conclude that Peck’s view of the regeneration is acceptable within the Reformed Theology’s line of thought, whereas Peck’s particular view of the regenerated spirit diverges from the Reformed tradition. / Thesis (M.Th. (Dogmatics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NWUBOLOKA1/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/11097 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Song, Woo Kwang |
| Source Sets | North-West University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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