TCR 583, 587 - beginnings

TCR 583
The natural births mentioned in the Word refer to spiritual births . . .
and these are the Lord's work . . .

TCR 587
. . . reformation takes place through the understanding
or through the truths the understanding receives.
For truths teach the person in whom and what he should believe,
and what he should do, so what he should will.
For anything a person does
is the result of the will acting in accordance with the understanding.
Since then a person's will is of itself evil from birth,
and because it is the understanding which teaches us
what is evil and what is good,
and it is possible to will the one and not will the other,
it follows that a person must be reformed through the understanding.
So long as anyone sees and mentally acknowledges
that evil is evil, and good is good,
thinking that good ought to be chosen,
for so long is his state called reformation.
But when his will is to shun evil and do good,
that is when his state of regeneration begins.