One of the most dramatic moments in my life for the shaping of my theology took place in a seminary classroom. One of my professors went to the blackboard and wrote these words in bold letters: "Regeneration Precedes Faith."
These words were a shock to my system. I had entered seminary believing that the key work of man to effect rebirth was faith. I thought that we first had to believe in Christ in order to be born again. I use the words in order here for a reason. I was thinking in terms of steps that must be taken in a certain sequence. I had put faith at the beginning. The order looked something like this:
"Faith - rebirth -justification."
I hadn�t thought that matter through very carefully. Nor had I listened carefully to Jesus� words to Nicodemus. I assumed that even though I was a sinner, a person born of the flesh and living in the flesh, I still had a little island of righteousness, a tiny deposit of spiritual power left within my soul to enable me to respond to the Gospel on my own. Perhaps I had been confused by the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Rome, and many other branches of Christendom, had taught that regeneration is gracious; it cannot happen apart from the help of God.
No man has the power to raise himself from spiritual death. Divine assistance is necessary. This grace, according to Rome, comes in the form of what is called prevenient grace. "Prevenient" means that which comes from something else. Rome adds to this prevenient grace the requirement that we must "cooperate with it and assent to it" before it can take hold in our hearts.
This concept of cooperation is at best a half-truth. Yes, the faith we exercise is our faith. God does not do the believing for us. When I respond to Christ, it is my response, my faith, my trust that is being exercised. The issue, however, goes deeper. The question still remains: "Do I cooperate with God's grace before I am born again, or does the cooperation occur after?" Another way of asking this question is to ask if regeneration is monergistic or synergistic. Is it operative or cooperative? Is it effectual or dependent? Some of these words are theological terms that require further explanation.
A monergistic work is a work produced singly, by one person. The prefix mono means one. The word erg refers to a unit of work. Words like energy are built upon this root. A synergistic work is one that involves cooperation between two or more persons or things. The prefix syn -
means "together with." I labor this distinction for a reason. The debate between Rome and Luther hung on this single point. At issue was this: Is regeneration a monergistic work of God or a synergistic work that requires cooperation between man and God? When my professor wrote "Regeneration precedes faith" on the blackboard, he was clearly siding with the monergistic answer. After a person is regenerated, that person cooperates by exercising faith and trust. But the first step is the work of God and of God alone.
The reason we do not cooperate with regenerating grace before it acts upon us and in us is because we can- not. We cannot because we are spiritually dead. We can no more assist the Holy Spirit in the quickening of our souls to spiritual life than Lazarus could help Jesus raise him for the dead.
When I began to wrestle with the Professor's argument, I was surprised to learn that his strange-sounding teaching was not novel. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield - even the great medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas taught this doctrine. Thomas Aquinas is the Doctor Angelicus of the Roman Catholic Church. For centuries his theological teaching was accepted as official dogma by most Catholics. So he was the last person I expected to hold such a view of regeneration. Yet Aquinas insisted that regenerating grace is operative grace, not cooperative grace. Aquinas spoke of prevenient grace, but he spoke of a grace that comes before faith, which is regeneration.
These giants of Christian history derived their view from Holy Scripture. The key phrase in Paul's Letter to the Ephesians is this: "...even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have you been saved)" (Eph. 2:5). Here Paul locates the time when regeneration occurs. It takes place 'when we were dead.' With one thunderbolt of apostolic revelation all attempts to give the initiative in regeneration to man are smashed. Again, dead men do not cooperate with grace. Unless regeneration takes place first, there is no possibility of faith.
This says nothing different from what Jesus said to Nicodemus. Unless a man is born again first, he cannot possibly see or enter the kingdom of God. If we believe that faith precedes regeneration, then we set our thinking and therefore ourselves in direct opposition not only to giants of Christian history but also to the teaching of Paul and of our Lord Himself.
(Excerpt from the book, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, by R.C. Sproul, Christian Focus
James, I have a question regarding your belief of salvation. In looking for a definition to try and help me to understand your belief, I came across this-
The following is a typical definition of Unconditional Election, the Second Point of Calvinism, written by one of the popular Calvinist authors.
Unconditional Election
"God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response of obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation."
My question to you James, is how do you know YOU are one of the "elect" going by the above definition of "Unconditional Election"? Since it was not your choice to choose Christ, how do you know you are one of the particular sinners God chose?
James, I have a question regarding your belief of salvation. In looking for a definition to try and help me to understand your belief, I came across this-
The following is a typical definition of Unconditional Election, the Second Point of Calvinism, written by one of the popular Calvinist authors.
Unconditional Election
"God's choice of certain individuals unto salvation before the foundation of the world rested solely in His own sovereign will. His choice of particular sinners was not based on any foreseen response of obedience on their part, such as faith, repentance, etc. On the contrary, God gives faith and repentance to each individual whom He selected. These acts are the result, not the cause of God's choice. Election therefore was not determined by or conditioned upon any virtuous quality or act foreseen in man. Those whom God sovereignly elected He brings through the power of the Spirit to a willing acceptance of Christ. Thus God's choice of the sinner, not the sinner's choice of Christ, is the ultimate cause of salvation."
My question to you James, is how do you know YOU are one of the "elect" going by the above definition of "Unconditional Election"? Since it was not your choice to choose Christ, how do you know you are one of the particular sinners God chose?
James replies:
It was my choice to choose Christ! But the ONLY reason I chose Jesus, is because God put a new heart in me. The Holy Spirit, made me come alive spiritually, and then NATURALLY, I said,"I want to be a Christian".
You could just ask, "How do you know you are a christian?"
As Christians, from time to time we should ask ourselves,
"Am I truly born again?"
Paul says, "test yourself to see if you are in the faith"
(2 cor. 13:5)
Almost all Christians doubt their salvation from time to time.
The reason is, we still sin.
The tests for a Christian basically come down to holy living, and are we trusting in Christ ALONE for salvation?
If I am living my day to day life following God, attempting to obey His law (The ten commandments) and trusting in Jesus alone for my salvation, then, we can say, "Yes I am born again, and yes I DO belong to God"
We have to ask ourselves, do I hate my own sin? Do I wish to understand God better, and how he wants me to life my life?
Do I take the Lord's supper, and am I a member of the local church? Am I trusting ONLY in Jesus for my salvation?
If the answer is yes, then we can say, I AM saved!
We can say what Paul said in Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, I have peace with God."
No one knows for sure how all this works, or if it works the same for everyone ....this stuff is spirit stuff, you are in over your head, these things are to wonderful for you to know..They are fun to talk about and discuss, however if you teach it as doctrine you have gone beyond scripture claiming truth that is only a theory.
I think you need a intervention ....this is the second time you posted this!
No, but a drank a couple of beers last night. Does that count?
Twosparrows said:
No one knows for sure how all this works, or if it works the same for everyone ....this stuff is spirit stuff, you are in over your head, these things are to wonderful for you to know..They are fun to talk about and discuss, however if you teach it as doctrine you have gone beyond scripture claiming truth that is only a theory.
James replies:
I can see how you would think that, because you cannot even seem to understand basic statements in Scripture, like when Jesus tells Nicodemus that you have to be born again first in order to even see the kingdom of God, or enter it.
But the truth is, God expects us to study and understand His Word, and that is why He gave it to us in the first place.
And NONE of what I am saying is new. I can show quotes by the early Christians, and Christians throughout church history.
I am wondering if you listen to any Christian radio stations?
I enjoy listening to R.C.Sproul on the radio, and also J.Vernon McGee. Have you ever Heard John MacArthur? James D.Kennedy?
In Christ,
James
I think you need a intervention ....this is the second time you posted this!
How many times do I have to say "Just because Christians in the past believed something, doesn't make it true!.....it doesn't make it Scripture! The Catholic church believes church tradition (history) takes precedence over scripture, do you believe the same?
The Nicodemus question was so simple, yet you failed to answer it, and this is your answer? That I don't understand? Sheesh! Here it is again: How could Nicodemus be drawn to Jesus if he wasn't born again?
I know how, I also know this doesn't line up with your doctrine.
James lordship salvation is one thing but you know your friends you listed are ecumenical too right?
Do you know the ties between ecumenical and Catholicism the mother church? I seen what you wrote and can hardly believe you would fall inline with them guys.
Is it ok to post websits? I would like you to look at some things.
