TJieodore W. Jennings, Jr. The Meaning of ... - Quarterly Review

that for the latter "regeneration is only completed in sanctification,
which also coincides with conversion." 51
Borgen minimizes
Wesley's use of the word "conversion," but sees Wesley in
agreement with John Calvin, who claimed that infants are renewed
by the Spirit of God. 52
Whether they called it renewal or
sanctification, both these Christian leaders envisioned a new birth
first granted in water baptism and given subsequendy through the
Word of God to lead to a life of faith active in love under the Holy
Spirit's presence and guidance.
Conclusion
The United Methodist Church can affirm the doctrine of baptismal
regeneration as it reflects upon and teaches the theological
significance of baptism in its new baptismal liturgies. It can do this
in one of two ways: First, as Lawrence Stookey suggests, it can let
those who wish to have a theology of baptismal regeneration read
this into the new liturgies which, like every good liturgical
statement, are ambiguous and speak to the diversity of our
denomination. 53
There is a certain wisdom to this in its appeal to the
catholicity of our church.
I prefer a second approach. I think I have demonstrated that there
is in our European Pietist and Methodist heritage a greater
sacramental sense with which we ought to get in touch. Spener and
Wesley expected the fruits of living faith to be manifested in the
lives of their colleagues and followers, but not at the expense of an
emphasis on baptismal grace. They were not Baptists. They saw the
primacy of God's working through the Holy Spirit in the Word and
sacraments to call people to salvation in Jesus Christ. They looked
for the human response, but they also extolled the initiation of divine
grace. We truly need to emulate them. I believe that we can affirm
the baptismal regeneration themes in our vastly improved new
baptismal rites. We need only believe the Good News that in our
helplessness God through water and the Word takes the initiative to
kindle faith in us; to grant us forgiveness, justification, and
adoption; to create an entirely other and new nature in us; and after
the New Birth through the Word and the Lord's Supper, to renew us
daily until perfected at death we depart the Kingdom of Grace for
the Kingdom of Glory.
BAPTISMAL REGENERATION
55