Regeneration BEFORE Belief/Faith (Acts 16:14)

Arminians say that we believe FIRST, and then afterwards are regenerated. But the Bible says that we are REGENERATED first and THEN we believe.

Here are the verses which I used in this video:

ACTS 16:14...
"Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. THE LORD OPENED HER HEART to HEED the things spoken by Paul."

2 THESSALONIANS 2:13...
"God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through SANCTIFICATION BY THE SPIRIT and BELIEF IN THE TRUTH."

EZEKIEL 36:26-27...
"And I will give you A NEW HEART, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules."

1 CORINTHIANS 2:14...
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."

JOHN 8:47...
"Whoever is OF GOD hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not OF GOD."

JOHN 1:13...
"...who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but OF GOD".

JOHN 3:3...
"Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN he cannot SEE the kingdom of God."

EPHESIANS 2:1 & COLOSSIANS 2:13...
"And you, who were DEAD IN YOUR TRESPASSES AND SINS...GOD MADE ALIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM (Christ)"

JOHN 11:43-44...
"When Jesus had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The man who had DIED came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go.""

PSALM 58:3...
"[WE], the wicked, go astray FROM THE WOMB... FROM BIRTH"
PSALM 51:5...
"In sin did my mother conceive me"

EPHESIANS 4:18...
"They are DARKENED IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING/MINDS, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart."

JOHN 12:40...
"He has BLINDED THEIR EYES and HARDENED THEIR HEART lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them"

MATTHEW 22:14...
"For many are called, but few are chosen."

PSALM 65:4...
"Blessed is the man You CHOOSE, and CAUSE to approach You"

ISAIAH 55:1...
"so shall my Word be that goes out from my mouth;
it SHALL NOT return to me empty,
but it SHALL accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in THE THING FOR WHICH I SENT IT."

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Acts 16:14
• regeneration before faith
• election and predestination
• Arminianism and Calvinism
• Reformed theology
• atheism
• bible
• Jesus Christ
• God
• salvation
• eternal security
• election and reprobation

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// John 20:31, "But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing, you may have life in his name." ///

That verse doesnt prove regeneration after faith. For a spiritually dead person cannot believe. A man is "regenerated TO faith".

Also, a man cannot "heed" the things of God unless God previously "opens his heart".

Did God open Lydia's heart BEFORE or AFTER she heeded the things spoken to her by Paul????

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// You see? Belief comes first , that, believing, you may have life. Faith comes before regeneration. ///

A dead man cannot do anything, and likewise, a spiritually dead man cannot believe.

The Application of Redemption by the Holy Spirit is in many steps. Here they are...

"Effectual Calling & Regeneration, Faith & Repentance, Justification, Sanctification, Glorification".

My Ordo Salutis is more logical and Scriptural than yours.

I rest my case.

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// The New Creature IS inChrist and is godly ///

(1) The new creature - the product of regeneration, is certainly in Christ, for he was regenerated to faith and repentance.

(2) The only reason he walks in godliness is because the Spirit is working in him "both to will and to do", but however, he is still a sinner/ungodly man BY NATURE. He still has the sinful nature. He is not perfect. Hence the war between the flesh and the Spirit (GALATIANS 5:17)

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// But you are stuck with the obvious conclusion: If we are not "in" Christ untilwe are spiritually baptized, then the New Creature who was just created by regeneration is NOT in Christ ///

Again, the aim of Regeneration is faith and repentance.

A person is "regenerated TO" faith and repentance.

Therefore, a man who (in your words) was "just regenerated" is ALREADY SAVED and ALREADY "in Christ. For a man who is regenerated is a man with "faith and repentance".

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// Didn't the Prodigal Son repent BEFORE he came back to the Father? ///

The "coming back" is merely the FRUIT of repentance.

However, a spiritually dead man sees no need to repent. Indeed, he cannot. He needs to be regenerated.

For a person is regenerated TO faith/repentance.

The Roman Catholic Church is a vile whore - and so also are those who follow her.

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// Peter says "Baptism BEING OF THE LIKE FORM now saves you also..." ///

Again, if you read the WHOLE verse, it clearly states "NOT the putting away of the filth of the flesh" - aka, not the outward ceremony with water - "but as AN APPEAL TO GOD FOR A GOOD CONSCIENCE"

The latter is what "saves" - the "repentant" attitude - which is also accompanied hand in hand with FAITH. The ceremony is SUBSEQUENT

And as the Reformers say "A spiritually DEAD man cannot believe"

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// Peter says "Baptism BEING OF THE LIKE FORM now saves you also..." ///

That passage says that Baptism is SYMBOLIC or REPRESENTATIVE (hence "the LIKE FIGURE" in the KJV) of the real baptism that happened the moment we believe.

What I told you stands.

There is nothing "holy" about the ceremony. The ceremony is merely an OUTWARD WITNESS to what has happened to us inside.

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// But believing that Jesus came from the Father is a good thing ///

Where does it say in the Scripture that its a "good" thing? I want chapter and verse please.

The fact that they "knew He was from the Father" is actually GREATER CONDEMNATION. For they killed Him KNOWING He was from the Father.

/// As Jesus invites all to believe in Him, so I invite you to investigate the Catholic Church and join her. ///

You want me to investigate/join the Harlot? No thanks

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// But you need the verse to say, "He who is saved will believe." But it doesn't say that does it? ///

Straw Man. A man is not saved "before he believes", but upon faith. And person is "regenerated TO" faith.

[doctorh2005]

@deliveringit

/// So, why are you against the idea that He also gives the non-saving grace to unregenerated men that allows them to have faith ///

Again, this is deceit.

For the simple reason that God DOESN'T give any type of grace merely "ALLOWING" men to have faith. There is NO SUCH THING.

There is no "allowing" in saving grace - but always CAUSING.

God's saving grace - to the elect - is that which regenerates them to faith and repentance (aka, regenerates them to salvation)