Gifted with Regeneration
Regeneration simply means that we have been brought back to life: re-generated. Of course it can be made much more complicated than that by asking the obvious question: "Was I dead and didn't know it?" Yes, that's it! “But in what way dead? And how was I brought back to life? And why didn't I know it? And why don't I always feel more alive?” Now, that's too many questions!
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
All scripture citations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.
Reborn with “Eyes” of Faith
Let's start with the Biblical fact: We have been "born anew" or "born from above" in the words of Jesus.[1] The common phrase for this nowadays is being "born again." In speaking with 
Nicodemus, Jesus said that without this new birth, we would not be able to "see" or "enter" the kingdom of God and then He said that these were "earthly" things.[2] So the new birth brings us into a life on earth in which we can see something previously hidden from our eyes. Without the ability to see we cannot even enter this kingdom. What is He talking about?
The new birth gives us eyes of faith to see Jesus as both Savior and Lord.[3] For me this was the absolute first thing about it. I suddenly “knew” that Jesus was Lord, had always been Lord, and I was only now "seeing" the truth that had been there all along. I'm sure most, if not all, Christians can say with the formerly blind man at the Pool of Bethsaida, "I was blind, but now I see."[4]
Regenerated Vision
According to Paul, we were all blind from birth with our spiritual sight veiled from "seeing" the Lord of glory.[5] This was due to the Fall when our first father Adam lost the ability to hold an accurate Image of God in his heart.[6] Adam's blindness was passed on to all of us. With the new birth spiritual sight is restored! This is a major part of what brings us to life: We are now able to behold Him who is our life.[7]
John says that to know Jesus is eternal life.[8] To not know Jesus is, therefore, a form of "living death" from which we have now been delivered. The unveiling of our spiritual eyes enables us to see Jesus and that unites us to His eternal life. This is one aspect of what took place in the regeneration and it is likely the one with the most immediate and profound effect upon us.
Another side to regeneration is that until Christ came we were "dead" in our trespasses and sins.[9] Even our spirit—which we may not have known we had—was dead; it could not produce life in us. In seeking the salvation that God offers, we repented of our sins and asked to be forgiven. The Father then came mercifully to our rescue by forgiving us, justifying us (through faith and through the Blood of Christ), giving us a new heart, a new spirit and placing His own Holy Spirit with us. What a whirlwind of activity that is! All of this effectively brings us back to life. We are raised by grace as New Creations into a brand new life of faith.
Next "Free Gift" to Open
Gifted with New Relationships You may be thinking, "But I already have lots of people in my life—that's part of the problem!" We all have relationships with other people, but that's not what the new birth brings us. It doesn't bring us more of the same, it radically changes what we have had in every dimension. Here's how…
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Regeneration Scriptures
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13
Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'” John 3:3, 7
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. 1 Peter 1:22-23
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 1 John 5:1
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
Endnotes
[1] The words Jesus used can be translated “born again”, “born from above” or as here, “born anew”: Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' John 3:7 WEB
[2] Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:3-8
[3] Scripture explicitly speaks of our hearts having “eyes”—eyes by which we were intended to “see” spiritual realities: By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places]. Ephesians 1:18-20 AMP
[4] He answered, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." John 9:25
[5] And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God… For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, 6
[6] Adam was trying to hide from God because he could not longer “see” that God was loving and merciful. He was afraid of God: But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." Genesis 3:9-10
[7] And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
[8] And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3