In 1972 I was elated to find myself a first year undergraduate at London University’s Agricultural College in the very English village of Wye in Kent. I was embarking on a three year honours degree in Horticultural Science. The place was buzzing, famous for its long history of training farmers and scientists from all over the world, its research highly regarded by everyone associated with agriculture.
In my time at Wye, I was aware of two particular streams of excitement. First by the recent start of a new degree called Rural Environmental Sciences, one of the first environmental degrees in the UK.
The Wye Double Digger
The other major event was also significant – a research project headed up by the college’s agricultural engineers, to develop the Wye Double Digger – a special plough that replicated the traditional horticultural practice of deep double digging. These were two very different “projects” but both contributing towards a new practice that became known as “Sustainable Agriculture”. Today this practice, only in its infancy in the 1970s, has evolved into a new theory and practice called Regenerative Agriculture.
Regeneration defined.
Merriam-Webster give this definition of “regenerate”
1: formed or created again
2: spiritually reborn or converted
3: restored to a better, higher, or more worthy state
So what is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture is a holistic method of farming. It embraces restoring the health of the land, particularly the soil, as a reaction to the drastic depletion of the land and soil quality under “modern”agricultural methods. The big difference is that while sustainable agriculture focused on harm reduction, regenerative farming focuses on healing the earth.
In those early years of the 70s there was much excitement as new forms of farming were being discovered and developed under the slow realisation that “modern” methods were damaging both now and on into farming’s future.
But for me there was even more! At first, my time at Wye was sustainable – I was there and receiving a Civil Service Bursary – a comparatively well-off student compared to most!
But in the midst of all this 1970s excitement I went from “Sustained” to “Regenerated”! I became a Christian! We call what happened to me being “Born again” mostly. But regeneration is what it is.
Christian Regeneration – Nicodemus
So I’ve seen “Christian Regeneration” defined as “a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. He brings new spiritual life to that person and replaces their physical, sin-separated nature with a new nature that longs to repent, to trust in Christ, and to follow God.”
Do you know the story in the Bible about Nicodemus and his private visit to talk to Jesus and be told about being born again? (Why not read it again, it’s to be found in John 3:1-21).
Here’s how the story starts:
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemuswho was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:1-3)
What Nicodemus heard ( and later did!) was also true of me and, fictionally, of a young woman called Catriona Macpherson (Cat is the star of my latest story to go up on this Blog – the story is called “Reunited!”)
Where Regeneration Fits into the Salvation process
In Christianity, regeneration is a foundational part of a person’s salvation. Salvation includes:
- Regeneration: God changes your heart.
- Faith & Conversion: You actively believe in and turn to Christ.
- Justification: God legally declares you righteous based on Jesus’ sacrifice.
These three all happen immediately as we give our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. So whereas agricultural regeneration may not be completed even a decade after starting it, my regeneration to become a Christian was instantaneous.
May I finish by sharing two verses from the Bible. They are foundational!
The first, 2 Corinthians 5:17, reminds me I am a new creation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
The second, from Romans 8:1, tells me that my restoration to my heavenly Father is also complete: ”Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” .
Together, these verses mean that, as a born again Christian, my past mistakes no longer define me. Because of Jesus, I am viewed as completely forgiven, loved, and fully accepted by God. I am regenerated!
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All references are from the NKJV unless specified otherwise.
John Partis
bearing-kingdom-fruit.com
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