Julie

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot

Faith Before Regeneration: Why the New Birth Comes Through Believing the Gospel Main Point: Regeneration is God’s work, but the Bible connects the new birth with receiving Christ and believing the gospel. Faith does not earn regeneration; faith receives Christ, and God regenerates the believer. Calvinism puts the new birth before faith to protect a system, but the KJV puts hearing, believing, receiving, and then new birth in their proper order. Introduction The question, “Which comes first, faith or regeneration?” sounds innocent until you realize what is usually hiding under the hood. A sincere Bible reader may ask it because he wants to understand the new birth, the work of the Holy Ghost, and how a dead sinner comes to life in Christ. That is a good question. But when a Calvinist asks it, he is often not asking it from the plain words of Scripture. He is asking it from inside a theological machine that already decided the answer before the Bible was opened. In that system, a lost man is so dead that he cannot believe the gospel unless he is first regenerated. So they place the new birth before faith. They say God must make the sinner alive first, and then, because he has been made alive, he believes. That sounds spiritual to many people because it magnifies man’s inability and God’s sovereignty. But when you compare it with the words of God, a serious problem appears. The Bible repeatedly connects life, sonship, sealing, and the new birth with hearing, believing, receiving, and trusting the gospel. Calvinism has to rearrange the order to protect the system. The King James Bible does not. The Bible does not teach that faith is a work that earns regeneration. That is the false setup Calvinists often use. They will say, “If you believe before regeneration, then faith becomes something you produced in the flesh, and that makes salvation partly of man.” That sounds clever, but it is a trick. Faith is not a meritorious work. Romans 4:5 says, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly.” Notice the contrast. Believing is put opposite working. The man who believes is the man who “worketh not.” Faith is not the sinner performing a deed that purchases the new birth. Faith is the sinner receiving Christ. It is the empty hand taking the gift. It is the guilty man believing the record God gave of His Son. It is the lost man trusting the finished work of Jesus Christ rather than himself. God does the saving. God does the regenerating. God does the begetting. God does the sealing. But the Bible says He does that in connection with the sinner believing the gospel, not before the sinner believes it. This matters because the Calvinist order creates a strange creature the Bible never presents: a regenerated unbeliever. Think about that. If regeneration comes before faith, then a man is born again before he believes on Christ, before he receives Christ, before he trusts the gospel, before he is justified by faith, before he is a child of God by faith, and before he is sealed after believing. That is not Bible order. That is system order. The Bible says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It says, “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” It says, “ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It says, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” It says we are begotten “with the word of truth” and born again “by the word of God.” That is not complicated unless a man has a theological system to defend. The Spirit convicts. The word is preached. The sinner hears. Faith comes by hearing. The sinner believes on Christ. God regenerates the believer. That is Bible. Chapter 1. Calvinism Creates the False Problem by Redefining Spiritual Death The Calvinist argument begins by defining spiritual death in a way the Bible itself does not require. They say a dead man cannot