684. VI. The third purpose of baptism, which is its end in view, is a person's regeneration.

This is the real purpose behind baptism, and so the end with a view to which it was instituted. The reason is that one who is truly a Christian gets to know and acknowledge the Lord the Redeemer, Jesus Christ; and since He is the Redeemer, He is also the Regenerator. Redemption and regeneration are one; see section III [579-582] in the chapter on reformation and regeneration. Another reason is that a Christian possesses the Word, in which is available a description of the means of regeneration, and these are faith in the Lord and charity towards the neighbour. This is the same as when it is said of the Lord that He will baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8-11; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). The Holy Spirit means the Divine truth of faith, fire the Divine good of love or charity, both of these proceeding from the Lord. For the Holy Spirit meaning the Divine truth of faith, see in the chapter on the Holy Spirit; for fire meaning the Divine good of love, see Apocalypse Revealed 395, 468. These two are the means by which all regeneration is accomplished by the Lord.

The reason why the Lord Himself was baptised by John (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9; Luke 3:21-22) was not only to introduce the practice of baptism for the future and to lead the way by His example, but also because He glorified His Human and made this Divine, just as He regenerates a person and makes him spiritual.

579. III. Since all have been redeemed, everyone can be regenerated, in each case depending on the person's state.

To make this intelligible, something must first be said about redemption. The Lord had two chief ends in view in coming into the world, to distance hell from angels and men, and to glorify His Human. For before the Lord's coming, hell had grown so high as to molest the angels of heaven and, by standing between heaven and the world, to cut off communication by the Lord with people on earth. As a result no Divine truth and good could get through from the Lord to men. Consequently complete damnation threatened the whole human race, nor could the angels of heaven either have long survived unharmed.

[2] So the Lord came into the world to move hell further off and so remove that threat of damnation. He moved hell to a distance and brought it under control, thus opening the way to heaven, so that thereafter He could be present with people on earth and save those who lived in accordance with His commandments. Thus He came to regenerate and save them, for those who are regenerated are saved. This is what is meant by saying that since all have been redeemed, everyone can be regenerated, and because regeneration and salvation are one and the same, everyone can be saved. This teaching then of the church, that but for the Lord's coming no one could be saved, is to be understood as meaning that no one could be regenerated but for the Lord's coming.

[3] The other purpose for which the Lord came into the world, the glorification of His Human, was because He by this means became the Redeemer, Regenerator and Saviour for ever. For it must not be believed that by the single deed of redemption carried out in the world all thereafter were redeemed, but it should be believed that He unfailingly redeems those who believe in Him and do what He says. More on this subject can be found in the chapter on redemption.