When we think about some of the most amazing creative acts of God I believe that most people would point to Genesis and the account of the creation of the world through the word of God Almighty. If we really step back and think about the creation account it should bring us to our knees in praise to our God – that He would simply speak things into existence – things from nothing.
When Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, he had to be thinking about that glorious truth of God creating everything from nothing, or ex nihilo as the theologians put it, when he penned chapter 4. There is a profound verse that speaks so many truths in this chapter…
“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6
This verse is comparing the miraculous creation of the world by the unlimited power of God to the regeneration of the dead soul at war with God to a new creation that longs to know Him. I believe it was Paul Washer who once gave a powerful sermon stating that the regeneration of the soul is a greater act of God than His creation of the world. The apostle Paul I believe is saying just that in this verse.
This powerful verse of Holy Writ illustrates so many truths:
1. Only God can cause the regeneration of a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. Notice that God is the One who gives the light of the knowledge of His glory in Christ. This is not something that any man can obtain on their own – Scripture is clear on that. We want so much to be able to cling to something within ourselves to come to God. The only thing you have to bring to God is your sin. All of our salvation, all of it, is from God. He graciously causes us to be born again granting us repentance and faith to come running to Him, all to His glory.
2. The absolute miracle and power of God to speak light into existence is the same miracle and power of God to create a new heart – to create a heart of flesh from a heart of stone. God speaks in Isaiah 66:2 that His hand created all things, by His hand all things came into being. But as He looks out over the landscape of a billion galaxies what catches His attention, what causes Him to look is one with a contrite and broken heart and one who trembles at His Word.
“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:2
God looks for His greatest creation – the regenerated man. This regeneration is all for His glory. We have nothing, absolutely nothing to boast in except the cross of Jesus Christ to the glory of God. I am so humbled that God would save a sinner such as I. I am a man who deserves nothing but eternal damnation because of my rebellion and willful sin against my Creator. But He saved me. My God and Savior Jesus Christ saved me. And my God who spoke light into existence transformed my stony heart to one of flesh and opened my eyes to His glory in the face of Christ Jesus my Lord. All to Him I owe.
3. What is the purpose of salvation? Why did God choose to save His elect? The Westminster Catechism sums it up better than any other – for God’s Glory. Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. God is glorified through what He does to save sinners. Since all men are born haters of God and enemies of God, our natural desires are things other than God – namely self. Regeneration causes us to love the things we once hated and hate the things we once loved. We become new creatures in Christ and the scales come off our eyes to see God in Christ and to seek with all of our might to know Him more and more. God is glorified in our knowing Him. In fact, Jesus in what I call “The Real Lord’s Prayer” in John chapter 17 explains in absolute beauty what eternal life truly is…
“This is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” John 17:3
In regeneration, God gives the light of His glory in the face of His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus being God reveals the fullness of God to us. To know Christ is to know God. The glorious truth is that it is only by God’s gracious and unmerited regenerative miracle that may we know Him in Christ.

This is just touching on this amazing verse. Like all of Scripture we can never exhaust the riches of what it contains and Who it exalts and glorifies. I am just amazed that God would save any one. The cross of Jesus Christ exemplifies the perfect love as well as the perfect justice of God. There on that cross was God in the flesh loving us beyond all measure taking the place of His elect, bearing the full wrath and punishment from God that we so deserve as rebels, idolaters and enemies of God saving us from the wrath to come. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Father in Heaven, may we all be humbled by Your gracious love, mercy, grace and justice in the cross of Your Son – The Prophet, The Priest, The King. May we boast only in His cross as we take up our own and follow Him. May we be constantly and ever increasingly amazed at the miracle of regeneration, the new birth, being born from above by Your power for Your glory. May You be glorified in all that we do as we seek to obey Your word by Your grace.
I love you Lord Jesus. Maranatha.
Soli Deo Gloria
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