You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 (NIV)
Dead things don’t grow. If you put a stone in the ground, it won’t grow. But if you put a seed in the ground, that’s another story.
Regeneration is the root from which your Christian life grows. It is the life that grows in sanctification. Regeneration is the engine that drives all your progress in the Christian life. Regeneration is what makes you want to be more holy than you are.
Since regeneration is the root of all progress in the Christian life, sanctification begins with knowing who you are in Christ. Regeneration tells you who you are.
Have you ever said something like this to yourself, I am such a miserable, pathetic, feeble, useless, powerless, no-good, failing apology for a Christian? Maybe you fell into some sin, or the progress of other Christians made you feel small. Maybe you said to yourself, If that thought went through my mind, can I be a Christian at all?
Let God tell you who you are: In Christ, you are a new creation. You have been crucified with Christ, so don’t crucify yourself again. You have been raised to new life in Christ. You are a temple of the Holy Spirit. You have been set free from sin. You are a light in this dark world. You have been born again, and for that reason you are a child of God. All progress in the Christian life begins with knowing who you are.
Are you letting God or your own experience tell you who you are?