"I Believe in 'Free-will' So I Can Boast Myself." (Regeneration Precedes Faith)

"I Believe in 'Free-will' So I Can Boast Myself."
("Common Grace" Refuted; Regeneration Precedes Faith)

Many of us have had the following exchange. You ask someone why they are saved and their neighbor down the street isn't. They say "free-will". You say, "Ok, so do you believe that people go to hell?" They reply, "Yes." Then you ask, "Ok, well do you believe that everyone has free will?" They reply, "Yes." Then you reply, "Ok, so if you believe that people are going to hell, you believe that everyone has free will, and you believe that the reason someone is saved is because of free will, how can you reconcile your contradictory position? How can everyone have free will which saves someone and still there be people going to hell? At this point, they usually say, "Well, it's because they didn't choose." Then you ask, "Well, why did you choose?" 95% of my experiences at this point involve the other party saying, "Well, it's because of free will." accompanied by an ad hominem about being prideful or something because I'm a Calvinist.

Folks, if you believe in free will theology, you have no answer to the question of Why do you believe and so and so doesn't? other than you are somehow inherently better than someone else whether that be you are more spiritually sensitive than them, you were smarter, you were better looking, you sing better, you attend church more regularly, you wear nicer clothes to church, you drive a better car, you use better toothpaste, you speak in tongues, you help old ladies, you like the Cosby Show, etc. If everyone has the same amount of grace, then what makes a man differ from another in terms of salvation is that man himself. That, folks, leaves the door wide open for a man to boast. There is no reason at that point for the man not to boast himself and believe he is better than someone else, because if common grace is true, we're all on the same playing field, and what makes one man differ from another is something that man did, then believing that you are better than someone else, in that system, is required for salvation. How could it not be if that part of you that was better than someone who is supposedly on the same level as you is the reason you're saved and they are not.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

However, the person who believes in free-will by necessity has to say, "Nuh-uh-uh... the reason I'm saved is because of my work (whether that be their sinner's prayer, trip down the aisle, raising hand when every head is bowed and every eye is shut... name whatever act of faith you'd like at this point)." The notions of free-will and common grace throw grace on it's head and exalts the pride of the creature by saying that the reason someone is saved is because of something they did thus faith preceding regeneration is justification by a work.


"The doctrine of justification itself, as preached by an Arminian, is nothing but the doctrine of salvation by works...

I do not serve the god of the Arminians at all; I have nothing to do with him, and I do not bow down before the Baal they have set up; he is not my God, nor shall he ever be; I fear him not, nor tremble at his presence...The God that saith today and denieth tomorrow, that justifieth today and condemns the next...is no relation to my God in the least degree. He may be a relation of Ashtaroth or Baal, but Jehovah never was or can be his name."

- C.H. Spurgeon


This is part of the DVD called How God Converts the Human Soul. I highly recommend it.
You can get it at http://www.crosstv.com and 1-877-CROSSTV.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• free
• will
• theology
• moral
• government
• arminianism
• pelagianism
• heresy
• regeneration
• precedes
• faith
• common
• grace

[hikarihikki]

I believe the title is biblically inaccurate. As it is written, "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."

Thus, faith precedes life, not the other way around.

[LaneCh]

No where in "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life." is there a chronological order. It's an indicative statement just saying that believers have eternal life. It doesn't say, "First the man believes, then, as a result of his act of faith, he then merits eternal life."

[hikarihikki]

I'll have to agree to disagree with you on that one. The Bible has many statements in the form of "he who X has Y" ("ho X exei Y"), which means that not only does X logically precede Y, but also, X is a condition for Y.

[LaneCh]

Show chronology in "he who X has Y", and provide one of those verses that you claim there are many of.

[aroyalpriest]

Just adding a thought I got from R C Sproul - The idea of the order of salvation is not so much that of order but that of basis. Regeneration is the basis of faith - to the Calvinist and to all others Faith is based on Divine Help. Either way faith is not based soley on free will. I am a Calvinist but that is not the issue here - Regeneration is the Work of God and wither it precedes or follows the fact is there is a recreation and man is changed. Read Ez 36 - God does the work not man.

[Optera34]

Your reading into the text I believe my friend. he is not daying that you have to believe as in some work you must perform to earn salvation but that it is a requirement. Like it is a requirement to have a ticket before you go to the show. but you do not create the ticket of your own but are given a ticket by the ticket master. We are all commanded to get a ticket (thats the great indightment of man) but none will go get one of their own or seek the one God gives but seek to make their own.

[poppinmoses1979]

That's what happened to me, praise God for saving me.

He took me out of the world.

[madenew000]

these calvinists really come across as tools of deception straight from satan, as they really try to confuse and make the way to heaven seem so hard and difficult. it is sooooooo simple, guys. simply Repent, Born Again, Live holy, do Holy works - all in faith and love. soooosimple, isn't it!

why are yu guys so hell-bent on trying to sound 'wise and complicated'? foolishness, i say. all foooooools!

[PRAYERWARRIORKING]

@LaneCh Paul's message regarding faith.

It is important to note that Paul reminds us that it is not in the

hearing but in the hearing, believing and acting that one is

justified. That does not suggest a work or merit base salvation but

that true faith acts on the Word of the Lord- which is the expression

of trust.- Romans 4

[k0smon]

Carlton Pearson's gospel of inclusion answers this problem, as well as any other theological query.

[jacksmack77]

I've never hated the gospel. And I also believe that God gives us a free will. God does all the saving. Ezekiel 36:29. John 3:17. Faith is not a work. The point of being elect is so that we can have assurance of our salvation. I'm am not boasting. God saved me. Titus 3:5. Free will is a mystery! Calvinists still haven't explained Revelation 22:17. Good ending. God bless.

[polopowers1]

There is no will for God to work on for all men do the will of God and all to the glory of God. But only few do the glory of Christ which are His elect.Why would God work on a will of man where would man achieve this power to have a will. This video speaks of so many wills I'm amazed at so much autonomous power suspending God's power. There is only ONE will God's

[vedinthorn]

Actually, having looked a bit further into the poster's views, he clearly doesn't understand Arminianism or any view other than Calvinism...which probably means he doesn't understand Calvinism either since it's primarily a rejection of Arminianism.

[vedinthorn]

Ya know, the funny thing here is that not a single person ever seems to actually think that since they actually get to choose to accept or reject Christ that they can boast about it. It would be as idiotic as boasting about getting Christmas presents..which also no one ever does.