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
For more on this topic see:
The New Genesis by R.C. Sproul
Monergism vs. Synergism by John Hendryx
A Defense of Monergistic Regeneration by Gannon Murphy
ARCH SAID: So Ella…That Thread Who Is Jesus Christ??...
Did you really write it…as you Alluded you might have?
ELLA SAYS: No Arch, I can see why you can't come into a clear understanding of God's word, because you tend to put what you read into your OWN thoughts and opinions and come into your OWN understanding of what you read.
No, I DID NOT ALLUDE NOR DID I IMLIE that I wrote Who Is Jesus Christ. I respnded to YOUR comment as you said "whoever wrote the piece took 13 sentences to say the same thing Jude had siad in one.
So read what I posted, I said something to efect that for ALL YOU KNOW I might be the whomever...etc. as I've told you many times you must learn to quote and comprehend what a person posts and what the word of God speaks for its self, before you go off in left field with our OWN INTERPRETATION, when its not what has been said...
AMEN Ella, but i also believe God is sovereign, he controls everything in heaven and earth. I did not choose him, he chose me, and out of thankfulness i will serve him till i draw my last breath.
I Peter 1:23-25: For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the Living and Enduring Word of God...and the Word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the Word that was preached to you."
John 1:12,13: To all who received Him {Jesus}..He gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, NOR of *HUMAN DECISION or of a husband's will, but BORN OF GOD."
John 15:16: Jesus says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last."
Matthew 13:23: Jesus says, "But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who HEARS the Word and UNDERSTANDS it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred {100},
sixty, {60} or thirty times what was sown."
Ephesians 2:8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this NOT FROM YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are GOD'S WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Romans 8:28-30: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son... And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified."
Jesus says, "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall LOSE NONE of all He has given Me, but raise them up on the Last Day...No one can come to Me *UNLESS* the Father who sent Me DRAWS HIM, and I will raise him up at the Last Day." {Of the Great Tribulation}
Ella Posted) �A person MUST first HEAR THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, HAVE FAITH TO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, AND THEN RECEIVE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHIRST, THEN REPNT FO THIER SINS, AND THE HOLY SPIRITUAL WILL ENTER IN TO SEAL THEM UNTIL THE DAY OF THEY LORD. I will use a simplest Bible I can find for your understanding The Common English Bible,�
What Ella (in her Spiritually Enlighten State) Fails to Discern is that
Man is Born UNABLE to Respond to God�s Word! Man is BORN DEAD in Sin!
Romans 5:12
New International Version (NIV)
Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned�
Psalm 51:5
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
My Question to you�Oh Spiritually Enlighten One�is how can Man Respond to God�s Word if they are Spiritually DEAD in SIN and have no Will to do Anything Else?
I Await your Answer�Oh Spiritually Enlighten One! Or maybe your Deflecting this Question and never ANSWERING it?
Be Careful what you Post on this Forum because it is There for All to See!
You Implied that you �might be the one who wrote that Article�.
(Your Words) �uh, Arch...what you fail to KNOW is that I just MIGHT be the 'WHOMEVER' as you stated, who wrote this.� (End)
That sure sounds like�no�it CLEARLY States that you �Might Be� the Author of that Article. My Mind is Sound. Perhaps you Might Need a �Fine Tuning� from The Holy Spirit that has �Enlighten� you?
You also Wrote
(Your Words) �I said something to efect that for ALL YOU KNOW I might be the whomever�� (End)
Again that IMPLYS that for all I know you MIGHT BE�
Ella�maybe English is your Second Language. That would Explain a lot of things�so�if it is�then I will take what you Post with that in Mind�otherwise I worry about the Soundness of your mind.
PS I Believe that you owe me an Apology for calling me a Hypocrite. I am sure that you do not understand the Term.
Arch, I have no idea why you decided to chnage the dialouge of this topic with such non-essentials of bring up another subject... But I do undersatnd distractions and reflection and how it operates. So I will post the comverstaion that took place about Who Is Jesus Christ between you and I, which has not one thing to do with this topic.
From the thread Who Is Jesus Christ...
Arch said: It Took Whomever Wrote that Article 13 Paragrahs to answer that Question. It took Jude One Sentence! "Who Was that Masked Man?"
Who Is Jesus Christ??...
Posted : 6 Sep, 2011 10:59 AM
Ella said in response: funny thing Arch, out of the 13 paragraphs, and Jude's one sentence, you still failed to says ONE WORD about who Jesus is to YOU.
Guess you musta got too overwhelmed with the counting of the paragraphs after realizing you COULD count to 13, and Jude's one sentence that you fail to express who JESUS IS TO YOU? you are such a first class hypocrite!... and you wear it well
Who Is Jesus Christ??...
Posted : 6 Sep, 2011 01:26 PM
Arch said: Ella,
What YOU fail to SEE is that neither have you!
Who Is Jesus Christ??...
Posted : 6 Sep, 2011 01:52 PM
Ella said in response: uh, Arch...what you fail to KNOW is that I just MIGHT be the 'WHOMEVER' as you stated, who wrote this. Plus, I must be in agreement with ALL it says otherwise, I would not have posted it...thank you very much!
Not only is Jesus Christ my personal Lord and Savior, but I can proclaim boldly that He is my EVERYTHING, my rock and my salvation therefore, I'm in total agreement with the piece and Jude...
Who Is Jesus Christ??...
Posted : 6 Sep, 2011 08:25 PM
Arch said: Ella, Why do yhou allude to having Written this Article. You know you did not.
Also I RESENT you calling me a Hypocrite. There was no call for it. I would have expected better from you.
Ella says: Arch, Now, you figure out if what I spoke alluded to me saying that I wrote this article... I said what YOU FAIL to know is that I just MIGHT be the WOMEVER, this does not say that I wrote it or imply or allude to me saying that i wrote the article... for all YOU KNOW I just might be the whomever... if this is your interpretation so be it... Plus, I see no cause for me to answer to you, so what's your point of purpose and intent of bringing it up on this thread? You speak as if I'm SUPPOSE to answer your questions...WROOOONG!
And as far as YOU RESENTING ME CALLING YOU A HYPOCRITE... I'm very sure you have many resentments, so get over it. You shouldn't expect more out of me, because if I find a person to be a hypocrite I will call it as I see them... I'm sure the people expected more out of Paul, and the Pharisees expected more out of Jesus as well when they called them hypocrites,aaaannnd, so get a grip and keep it movin... its not the first time you've been called a hypocrite nor will it be your last. neeeexxxxt!...:rocknroll::zzzz:
Well, after 29 replies and 137 views, I would like say something.
Thanks for all the replies that agreed with Scripture that God has to make a person alive spiritually before they will ever repent and trust in Jesus.
You guys provided scripture, and made good points.
Now for those who disagreed, I noticed you ignored the scriptures given in the article.
Jesus TOLD Nicodemus that a man could NOT "see or enter" the Kingdom of God UNLESS they are ALREADY BORN AGAIN.
How about you who say you can make yourself born again by making a decision DEAL WITH what Jesus told Nicodemus?????
Here is another scripture that PINPOINTS WHEN we Christians were regenerated:
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive [quickened us] with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions � it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5
Got that? "WHEN we were dead..."
What about this one:
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.
1 John 5:1
Got that? "HAS BEEN" that is past tense people!
When you FIRST believed in Jesus you were ALREADY BORN AGAIN.
What about this one:
"And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live...Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD." - Ezekiel 37:14
Notice the ORDER.....
God puts His Spirit in the person, and THEN.....they know the Lord!
What about when Jesus said:
�It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.� (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, �This is why I told you that no one can come to me [i.e. believe in me] unless it is granted him by the Father.�
John 6:63-65
Notice AGAIN, the Spirit "gives life" and THEN.... the person CAN come to believe in Jesus.
I have read all the responses against from ET to PhillipJohn and NONE of them dealt with the Scriptures.
DEAL WITH THE VERSES ABOVE PLEASE!
If salvation is the implantation of a new, infinite life in the soul, it must be a work of God. Self-caused effects can never rise above the character or qualities of their cause. "Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit," Jesus told Nicodemus. This saving grace cannot be caused by the creature, it can only come from God.
James here it is this simple either you think every else is deaf or dumb or you are which is, we understand taking a part of scripture out of context, to make it say what you want.
James, sweetheart, all the half scriptures that you and the others have given out, have been dealt with, even Sprugeon delat in full with Faith and Regeneration in his sermon according to what God says.
The problem lies in the fact that you guys do not readily understand the meaning of the word regenration spiritually, and are not spiritually understanding that God makes us alive AFTER we have HEARD THE WORD AND THE WORD OF GOD HAS CONVICTED US OF OUR SINS, AND WE HAVE FAITH TO BELIEVE that Jesus died on the cross for the remission of our sins, then we REPENTED OF OUR SIN, and ONLY THEN does the Holy Spirit come into our hearts and seals us until Jesus returns... this DOES NOT happen BEFORE these other things have taken place, THIS is the Holy Spirit makes us ALIVE/QUICKENS to HEAR Gods word of truth when we believe, this is the work of the Holy Spirit.
God's WORDS are of POWER there fore hearing the word of God has power sharper than any twoedge sword that can peirce the heart fo even a physically dead person and when God speaks that person will rise. Jesus proved this when he raised the dead during His earthly ministry, so did the apostles when they spoke in the name of Jesus because the power of the Holy Spirit was working in them, and they had the same power as Jesus.
God's Spirit CONVICTS US OF OUR SINS, but does not enter us UNTIL AFTER we have acknowledge Jesus Christ by faith, and repented of our sins. The Bible says throughout the Book of Acts, when they HEARD the word of God, they BELIEVED, and were THEN filled (REGENERATED) with the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is a process that continues until we all die or when Jesus comes, He changes us into the image of Christ, washes us from the inside out, making changes so thatin the end we are born again from above with a new life and as new creators in Christ.
This topic has been discussed a zillion time on this forum and all it does is go around in circles over and over because you guys are dull of HEARING as to how the Spirit of the Lord works... so I think I will decrease so that God might increase and open all your spiritual eyes into understandings into how He works.
But I would like to ask you and the others a few questions, according to your spiritual knowledge of what you think scripture says about regeneration, which again, means to be born again through the works of the Holy Spirit...and a sinner cannot be born again until he repents of his sins and have faith to believe in the finished works of Jesu Christ on the cross...
Maybe you can explain the questions
(1) How is a sinner regenerated by the Holy Spirit, how does all this work and/or happen?
(2) How does GOD draw a sinner to Himself God?
(3) How did GOD draw you to Himself so that you might become a born again Christian? In other words, What's your born again testimony of your salvation experience?... nothing JUST happens... so what was your born again experience?...thanks.
