Featured Calvin on Regeneration

I found this in my research......

Calvin on Regeneration from His Commentary on John

by John Calvin


John 1: 13. The will of the flesh and the will of man appear to me to mean the same thing; for I see no reason why flesh should be supposed to signify woman, as Augustine and many others explain it. On the contrary, the Evangelist repeats the same thing in a variety of words, in order to explain it more fully, and impress it more deeply on the minds of men. Though he refers directly to the Jews, who gloried in the flesh, yet from this passage a general doctrine may be obtained: that our being reckoned the sons of God does not belong to our nature, and does not proceed from us, but because God begat us willingly, (James 1:18,) that is, from undeserved love. Hence it follows, first, that faith does not proceed from ourselves, but is the fruit of spiritual regeneration; for the Evangelist affirms that no man can believe, unless he be begotten of God; and therefore faith is a heavenly gift. It follows, secondly, that faith is not bare or cold knowledge, since no man can believe who has not been renewed by the Spirit of God. http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/calvinregeneration.html

So according to John Calvin's own beliefs, he believed that regeneration had to precede faith. So if one adhers to Calvinism, then one must agree with the one who is responsible for Calvinism, otherwise they are not true Calvinist.

So my friend who believes he is a Calvinist must not really know where Calvinist stand on regeneration, for my friend says he believes as the scripture states that regeneration was not part of the OT saints lives, and that would bring into light a problem for Calvinist, between OT salvation and NT salvation, and we know that it must be the same, through faith, apart from the regeneration of the New Covenant which was implemented after Jesus Christ was glorified.

This clears things up a bit. I believe there are professing Calvinist who don't really understand that to be a true Calvinist one must believe as the founder of Calvinism believed, that the rebirth was part of the justification through faith in the OT saints as well as in the NT saints. Scripture is clear, this was not the case. Thus, Calvinism crumbles at the very foundation, for the strength of TULIP is in it's position on regeneration, which has all saints reborn unto salvation. We find this is not true, and thus, TULIP wilts and dies.

 

It seems George hasn't read Calvin's actual writings. Unless the site I found is made up. So who is lying here???

 

Everybody likes to use the "God in a box" argument. The scripture is quite clear on regeneration and when it was implemented.

Let me ask you.....what must I do to be saved?

 

No one accepts that God is bound by time, but God has chosen to bind Himself by His Word. God implements His decrees in His own time that He chooses.

I do remember something to that effect being spoken when the Apostles were asked the same question....

"And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, there is nothing you can do, it is up to God to save you if He chooses to do so, and then thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:30-31)

 

Actually, he did wake up one morning, but what woke him was the power of God shaking the jail to pieces. He realized that these men who have been preaching about God and salvation obviously have the power of God on their side.

So what does the jailer say? Does he say "Sirs, I believe Jesus is the Christ!!!!!". No, he says "Sirs, what must I do to be saved". And the Apostles (whom according to UE teaching should surely have known the answer is "you can do nothing") but that isn't the answer given, instead said "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved".

What must I do? Answer; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Paul in his letter to the Romans gives an example that we may look to, to give us encouragement and an example of who is justified by God and who is not. Speaking of Abraham, Paul writes;

"He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." (Ro 4)

So what can we learn from this passage?

Abraham was "strong in faith"

Abraham was "fully persuaded" that what God had promised, God was able to perform.

"And therefore it (Abraham's faith) was imputed to him for righteousness"

This is the unadultered message given in the scriptures. What must I do to be justified? Believe!!!

Now what must the UE camp say or do to this passage? They must say to Paul, "so what?" So what if Abraham had strong faith? So what if Abraham was persuaded in God's promises? Abraham had nothing to do with his faith, it was the gift of God, so why are you giving us an example Paul of a man's faith as if it should inspire us to have faith!!!

 

Brother, did I say there is something to "do" ? Or did the scripture say that?

 

"But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways.

So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. " (Heb 3)

Why all the warnings against unbelief? According to UE teaching all these warnings are meaningless.

"If we hold fast" ?

"Harden not your hearts" ?

"Take heed" against an unbelieving heart ?

So what? UE says there is nothing one can do, so why is this writer wasting so much time on warning people about unbelief???

 

Yes, according to the scriptures both OT saints and NT saints are saved by the New Covenant, which is "through faith". Where Calvin and TULIP believers error is when they teach that the OT saints were regenerated by the Holy Spirit prior to the glorification of Jesus Christ after His ressurrection. This is clearly unscriptural according to the gospel of John where we are specifically told that the Holy Spirit rebirth was not given until after Jesus' glorification. Jesus said the Comfortor would not come until He returned to the Father.

I believe the TULIP believers feel they need this regeneration pre-cross to be true or else the whole flower dies because TULIP teaches that God regenerates a person UNTO faith rather than what the scripture states which is THROUGH faith.

Remember, much of the NT writings are exhortations to BELIEVE and EXAMINE oneself if they are truly in Christ. What would be any reason for Paul or James or Peter to appeal to the BELIEVERS to examime themselves to make sure they are in the faith if it be true that no one can DO anything about it?! If TULIP be true, then much of the scripture would be meaningless.