How do we know regeneration is necessary?

The necessity of regeneration is highlighted in passages such as Ephesians 2:1, which states that individuals are dead in their trespasses and sins. This spiritual death signifies a complete inability to respond to God or seek Him. The radical change required for salvation can only occur through regeneration—an act of divine grace wherein God imparts new life to the spiritually dead. Because of humanity's fallen state, it is clear that without this transformative work of the Holy Spirit, no individual can be reconciled to God or come to faith.

Regeneration produces a new heart that desires after God and recognizes the need for His grace. This change is not merely superficial but is a fundamental reorientation of one's entire being towards God. The believer’s subsequent life, marked by a pursuit of holiness and righteousness, is evidence of this transformative work. Therefore, slow moral improvement or mere behavioral modification is insufficient; there must be a new creation by God’s sovereign grace.