One definition of the word grace is, God's loving mercy towards mankind. I will use this definition regarding the work of regeneration. 

The Law of the Gospel does all in its power to condemn, when it is finished it kills … for the wages of sin is death. Amazing grace on the other hand brings life … but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

I was made aware of my inward spiritual condition early in life during my teenage years. The Lord revealed my personal sin through an action of the Law of the Gospel. The work of the Law of the Gospel is to discover unrighteousness.

I was snared in some of the vices of this world and as a result lived a life in contradiction as to how God wanted me to live. The Law of the Gospel brought with it the conviction of sin upon my conscience. What the Psalmist of old said I knew to be true for myself … the sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

As a personal experience I was convicted of my own personal sin. This is to say, I was made aware of my own personal sin. The Holy God of heaven was calling. In the light of his holiness my sin was unbearable. My conscience could not bear the weight of the condemnation of the Law which appeared through the Ten Commandements.

Physically I was unable to stand and forced to my knees.  Due to the nature of my personal vices I thought that I was having a heart attack such was the nature of my conviction. Once I was helped to my feet I was taken to a hospital where a very important question was asked of me, "Do you really want to go in there?" 

The answer was, "No... It’s my soul that hurts!"  

A sudden realization of my condition of need came to me and I was brought to a house and given a bed. I was left on my own with the encouragement that Christ was the answer. To explain the hours of conviction in my soul that followed would be futile but be certain I was shown the brink of hell. There I stood, spiritually speaking, staring at my fate.

In the hours of despair and hopelessness of my conviction one voice came through the darkness of my sin ... Christ. It forced it's way through my darkness until it became a voice all of my own. I cried to the Lord in need. He is faithful. He answered with a peace that conquered all … and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. At that point I had been forgiven a lifetime of sin.

Although I did not know much at this point I knew enough, the Lord was mine and I was his. He had come to me in an hour of darkness an hour of desperation and an hour of shame. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, I had received something I had never known before… a personal Saviour.

I had been redeemed. As for my sin, the voice of Christ spoke of a beauty not my own. In the voice of redemption there was the word of life … awake to righteousness, and sin not, for some of you have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. Grace appeared the hour I first believed.  

What had happened? Well, my conscience had been seared and my memory had been cut off. God in his saving effectual grace had called me to repent. I did. I believed. My responsibility before God made me aware of what was required of me, that being, to believe. God gave me the means to believe, that being, faith. I was made willing. Grace made itself known. As she poured into my soul Christ's righteousness covered the filthy, vile, ignorant sinner.