Regeneration: Begotten By God

Those on this Forum who hold the doctrine of Freewillism which would presumably include Pelagians, sem-Pelagians, Arminians, and perhaps assorted others insist that they are the final arbiters of their salvation. Those who hold to the doctrine of the Sovereignty of GOD in salvation, called Calvinism by some, insist otherwise that GOD is the final arbiter of the salvation of HIS Chosen Ones.

In a recent OP I questioned whether those who hold the doctrine of Freewillism could definitively prove that their salvation was of their own free will or actually a super natural act of GOD which they failed to recognize. The OP elicited angry rebuttal from some and polite denial by others.

Consider what Scripture says about Regeneration, the theological term used fot the “New Birth”. We look at the following account of the meeting of the man, Nicodemus, with our Saviour, Jesus Christ, recorded only in the Gospel of the Apostle John.

John 3:1-12, KJV
1. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10. Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

I present the Scripture record of the entire encounter but will consider only four verses, 3, 5, 6, and 8.

In Verse 3 Jesus Christ tells Nicodemus that one must be born again or “begotten from above” [Thayer's] to enter the Kingdom of GOD.

In Verse 5 Jesus Christ tells Nicodemus that Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Many will argue about what is meant by born of water means but it seems to me that Jesus Christ answers that in Verse 6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh.

In Verse 6 Jesus Christ also tells Nicodemus that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. He then goes on to say in Verse 8: Nicodemus you really don’t understand what happens when you are born of the Spirit.

Now those who hold the doctrine of Freewillism insist that the exercise of faith is required for regeneration or to be “begotten from above”. However, if one exercises faith to be “begotten from above” would he not know it.? Jesus Christ states otherwise.

To understand further consider the teaching of our Saviour through the Apostle John in the introduction to his Gospel:

John 1:11-13, KJV
11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

In Verse 13 we learn who received the the power to become the sons of GOD: Those who were born or begotten of GOD.

In this passage Jesus Christ tells us:

1. They were born not of blood; that is it is not inherited.

2. They were born not of the will of the flesh; that is not by the will of the unregenerate man, because the natural or unregenerate man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him. [1 Corinthians 2:14]

3. They were born not of the will of any man. That is any other man whether he was regenerate or not.

4. They were born of GOD. That is all those who are born again, “begotten from above” are born solely through the act of GOD and certainly solely by the Grace of GOD. They are then given the gift of Faith through which the Gospel Call becomes the Effectual Call.

 

Am I mistaken in understanding that you believe that a person through his/her free will can accept or reject the offer of Salvation?

 

If one has the option to accept or reject the gracious offer of Salvation by GOD then he is the final arbiter! That being said that is not the point of the OP which is:

They were born of GOD. That is all those who are born again, “begotten from above” are born solely through the act of GOD and certainly solely by the Grace of GOD. They are then given the gift of Faith through which the Gospel Call becomes the Effectual Call.

 

Getting back to the OP:

They were born of GOD. That is all those who are born again, “begotten from above” are born solely through the act of GOD and certainly solely by the Grace of GOD. They are then given the gift of Faith through which the Gospel Call becomes the Effectual Call.

 

1. It is God the Father who foreknew and chose His people before the foundation of the world [Ephesians 1:4].

2. It is God the Father who predestinated that His people would be conformed to the image of His Son that they might be adopted as His children [Ephesians 1: 5] and become heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ [Romans 8: 16, 17].

3. It is God the Son who humbles Himself, take upon Himself the form of man, Jesus Christ, and sheds His blood on a Roman cross to pay the penalty for the sins of those whom the Father has chosen to salvation [John 17; Philippians 2:6-10].

4. It is God the Holy Spirit, who applies the work of the Jesus Christ to those chosen by God unto salvation so that none are lost [John 6: 37, 39, 40, 44].

5. It is God the Holy Spirit, who gives the gift of Faith to those He has regenerated so that the Gospel Call becomes the Effectual Call. [Ephesians 2:1-8]

6. It is the Triune God who, in time, will regenerate, call, justify, and glorify those whom He chose to Salvation before the foundation of the world, therefore, they can never fall away or lose that Salvation [Romans 8:28-30].

 

Verse 13 is a statement of who is responsible for the second birth, GOD alone.

 

Short, sweet, to the point, and best of all so very true. Thanks Dr. Bob!:godisgood: