Regeneration precedes faith

[Bubba]

After a careful examination of Ephesians 2:1-9, is not the concept of regeneration (being made alive) precede the gift of faith?
Beza

 

[MrVersatile48]

NO:WE'RE SAVED SAVED THRU FAITH

Thanks for raising such a vital point

It is clear - from both the English & the original Greek - that we are saved THRU faith - that is the gift of God, not of ourselves, SO THAT no-one can boast before Almighty God

That principle - of salvation by the sheer grace of God, thru faith in Christ's once-for-all atoning sacrifice - is conformed in Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, John 3, Romans 3 & Rom 10, Galatians 2-3, Hebrews 1-3...

Seems a good point to ask for prayer for the UK 7/7 bombings memorial service - on BBC1 @ 2.40

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/01112005/325/l ... rvice.html

God bless!

Ian

 

[Bubba]

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)

I believe it was R.C. Sproul who said that we like to think that God throws out a life line to all people, but we must grab a hold to assure our eternity. According to these verses, we are a corpse at the bottom of a body of water, rigor mortis has set in and dead people do not grab a hold of life lines, unless a miracle occurs. This would be the miracle of regeneration (spiritual life).
Beza

 

[JM]

The Gospel is the light which enables us to see our way and respond.

 

[PDoug]

After a careful examination of Ephesians 2:1-9, is not the concept of regeneration (being made alive) precede the gift of faith?
Beza

Everything related to salvation happens when someone has faith. Someone who has faith becomes born again, obeys God's laws, becomes sanctified, inherits resurrection, etc. There are not a million different works a person has to do in order to be saved. Rather, there a million things which happen to a person when that person is saved via the single act of having faith.

 

[follower of Christ]

For "whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear apart from a preacher?

And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Just as it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, of those preaching the gospel of good things!"
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Rom 10:15 EMTV)

 

[Bubba]

For "whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear apart from a preacher?

And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Just as it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, of those preaching the gospel of good things!"
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
(Rom 10:15 EMTV)



And who is it that will call on the Lord to be saved? Who is it that will believe? Who is it that will have ears to hear? It is those born from above; “who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.†John 1:13.

Beza

 

[follower of Christ]

And who is it that will call on the Lord to be saved? Who is it that will believe? Who is it that will have ears to hear? It is those born from above; “who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.†John 1:13.

Beza

Heres the rest of your passage...

But as many as received Him, He gave them the authority to become children of God, 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.
(Joh 1:12-13 EMTV)

The battle against the free will God gave man seems to be never-ending.

For "whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved."
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear apart from a preacher?

And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
Just as it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, of those preaching the gospel of good things!"
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(Rom 10:15 EMTV)



But as many as received Him, He gave them the authority to become children of God, 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.
(Joh 1:12-13 EMTV)

 

[Bubba]

“But as many as received Him, He gave them the authority to become children of God, 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.â€Â

Again according to Eph. 2:1-9, who is it that will receive Him, only those who God has made alive through regeneration, now they have new hearts that will say yes to Jesus. Remember they were dead in there sins prior to this act, and Ezek. 36:24-32 was but a hint of what He did with true Israel, that He now does with us.

Beza

 

[JM]

Phos = light (underived & absolute) used specially for God.

Phostismos = a lighting, illumination, shining

2 Cor. 4:4 "...this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the phostismos of the Glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

see also Rom. 3:11; Luke 14:17,18

peace

 

[Bubba]

First, what is will? I believe nothing more than the exclusion of other inclinations by one predominate one. JND


B.C., yes no one seeks after God (Rom.3:11) except after something supernatural happens, because the man who does not have the Spirit of God can not discern that which is Spiritual, because he is dead (to that which is truly Spiritual 1Cor. 2:12-14).

Beza

 

[JM]

Beza, as in Theodore Beza?

 

[Bubba]

Yes

 

[JM]

lol, I knew it! We are in agreement on matters of soteriology.