And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils. And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

Matthew 8:28-34

The most amazing thing that I see in this account is that the man is passive in everything. The devils are controlling him. He can do nothing to stop them. When Jesus removes the devils, Jesus does all the talking and it is a conversation with the devils not the man. No man could help the Gadarene, neither could he help himself. The man does not ask to be saved. In fact, he doesn’t speak at all! And so it is with our regeneration or new birth. It is not a cooperative effort between God and the believer that causes us to be born again. Neither is it an effort of God aided by the preacher to bring a man to spiritual life. The Bible abounds with proof that God works alone in regeneration without the aid, permission, or use of the means of men. Here are just a few:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

John 3:8

Even the example of birth teaches us of the sovereign work of God. We were not in control of our natural conception, neither do we control our spiritual one.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

John 5:25

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Ephesians 2:1

Both of these scriptures refer to man in his nature as spiritually dead, not just sick. A dead person cannot cooperate, assist, or have will.

who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Colossians 1:13

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:44

When Jesus speaks, we are changed.