August 19, 2024.
Which comes first? second? third? – repentance, faith, hearing, baptism, new birth, salvation, confession, preaching, receiving Jesus, or what? Well, that depends upon whom you listen to.
What Calvinism Says
According to the deceased Calvinist R. C. Sproul, “If there’s one phrase that captures the essence of reformed theology, it is the little phrase, regeneration precedes faith.”
“Regeneration” is a fancy word for “new birth.” Sproul said a person is born again before believing. The Calvinistic doctrine is that “rebirth” transforms a person from being unable to believe the gospel (total depravity) to being unable to resist the gospel (irresistible grace).
Intimately connected with this idea is the concept that salvation is the work of God alone – not a cooperation of man and God. They say that just as we had no part in our first (physical) birth, so we have no part in our second (spiritual) birth. Calvinism teaches that faith is a gift which God supernaturally gives only to the ones He has first supernaturally regenerated.
Source of New Birth
According to the Bible, what is the source of the new birth? Peter describes the source this way: “Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). Jesus taught the same in a parable: “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). God’s Word planted in a heart produces new life.
James taught the same truth: “Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth” (James 1:18). The new birth is not the result of some secret personal miracle of God. Rather, it is the result of God’s Word working in a person’s heart.
Paul told the Corinthian brethren: “For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:15). Yes, God causes the new birth, but in His sovereignty He predestined the preaching of the gospel to be the seed for the new birth. Paul was their father – he begot them – because he planted the seed of the gospel in their hearts.
Thus we see that Scripture uses two analogies when talking about the new birth, and both involve seed: you plant a seed to get a new plant; a child is begotten when the male plants the seed. In both cases when talking about the new birth, Scripture says that the gospel is the seed. That’s why Paul proclaimed to the Romans: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16). The power of God that leads to salvation is not a private miracle with no human agent. Quite the contrary, God’s power will work in us for salvation when we allow the seed to germinate and grow.
Source of Faith
Now let’s consider the source of faith. One of the clearest statements is from John telling why he wrote his Gospel: “These [Jesus’ signs] are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30-31). In simple terms for us today: God’s written word, the Bible, is the source of faith.
Paul gives us more details about how this process works: “‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher?… faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:13-17).
Calvinism quotes Ephesians 2:8-9: “saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” There it is. Faith is a gift. Or is it? Let’s get the context. Paul had been talking about the change from our lost estate to being saved. How? “By grace you have been saved” (2:5). Amen! Then, Paul repeats that truth and adds to it: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…” (2:8). What is God’s gift? Salvation by grace through faith.
Faith a Condition for New Birth
We have seen that the source of both new birth and faith is the Word of God. Now let’s see that the Bible does not teach that the new birth precedes faith (as Calvinism teaches). Rather, it teaches the exact opposite: that faith is a necessary precondition for new birth (regeneration) to take place. Let’s finish a previous incomplete quote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation [for whom?] for everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).
And completing another verse: “These [Jesus’ signs] are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God [why?], and that believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). Earlier I also quoted that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Just a few verses before that, it says, “For with the heart, one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation” (Rom. 10:10). Faith and confession are conditions that result in salvation.
Notice also these texts: “It was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save [whom?] those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). “For you are all children of God, [how?]through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). It’s clear. It is “through” (by means of) faith that people are born again, thus becoming children of God.
These verses are in full agreement with Jesus’ command before ascending into heaven: “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). As a result of believing, some will be baptized and be saved; as a result of not believing, some will be condemned.
It is true that when Jesus spoke of new birth in the beginning of John 3, He did not mention faith. But no single context ever says everything. And notice that in the same chapter we have one of the most famous verses in the Bible: “…that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (3:16).” In addition, just two chapters earlier, the Holy Spirit had this to say: “But as many as received him [Jesus], to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Nobody without God, of their own free will, can be born again – no matter how much they change their life on their own. New birth is God’s work. But the text says that the “right” to be born as God’s children is for those who receive and believe in Jesus. We cannot regenerate ourselves, but God requires our faith in Jesus before He will regenerate us.
Which Comes First?
Faith is not a supernatural mysterious thing that God implants in the mind and heart without a person’s desire. Yes, faith is from God – but via His Word. Any faith that is not based on God’s written Word is manmade, if not Satan-made.
None of us can cause ourselves to be born anew. But the right to be born again is for those who say to God, “Lord, I can’t give myself new birth. Rather, I believe you can do it through your grace and the blood of your Son Jesus.” Such faith not only precedes new birth – it is required for new birth.
The famous Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Did Paul respond, “There is nothing you can do; you must just wait and hope you are one of the elect; it’s all up to God”? No way! What Paul and Silas did respond to the “do” question was: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:30-31).
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NOTE: The purpose of this series is to biblically examine various aspects of the Calvinistic acrostic, TULIP: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints.