Does Regeneration Cause Faith?

Dr. Flowers explains a common error made by our Calvinistic friends regarding the cause/effect relationship between our faith and our being born again. Join us for a LIVE DISCUSSION!

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[michaelferguson]

The verse that keeps ringing in my head every time I hear or meet some professing Calvanist leader is this: professing to be wise they became fools.

[JerichoLeon]

As I'm watching this, the verse of the day popped up: Ephesians 2:8-9
8. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9. not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

[paulmann]

Thank you Leighton. All this stuff is generally just accepted growing up as a Christian because it is Scripture. You have to be taught by a Calvinist to muddle it up because their perspective is from Jon Calvin, it is not the natural reading of Scripture.

[corinneperegrini]

Thank you for your very good BIBLICAL explanation, it sures help to make the difference clearer between what the calvinist doctrine beleives and what the bible says.

[tyronebunyon]

You really are making a big difference Dr. Flowers. Thanks. And praise God.

[CodyANeal]

Thank you, Dr. Flowers for your work. The clarity you provide here is extremely helpful. The obligation v.s. character distinction in terms of God’s grace was especially helpful. Furthermore, despite how hard Reformed folks try to argue it, the Bible shows that faith is not a work!

[TheMidnightModder]

My faith in God preceded my salvation. This is my anecdote. But I will say, after my salvation, I did get a huge boost of faith, akin to an injection of adrenaline. And through the process of sanctification, it's continued to grow.

[MainframeSupertasker]

Hello and welcome back to Soteriology101!

[VeryBasicBible]

This video (the first 33 minutes) is a great basic overview, from a provisionist, of the way a provisionist and a calvinist sees this issue or regeneration and faith. As Dr Flowers said, 101. Tis' truly a great resource!

[marshill]

There's even 2 types of descriptions for the blood of Christ in Calvinism: Sufficient for all, efficient for the elect. You make a great point about all the dualistic theological containers calvinism creates in order to explain away any contrary scriptures to their neatly packaged system.

[oterosocram]

God certainly gives a measure of faith to every single human being and without exception.This is enough to understand that they; the sinner, its in a fallen state and they need a Savior and respond to the call; the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ alone, by Grace alone through faith alone.

[ruthvansandt]

👏 👏👏 amen! The balance is needed. When I left the Kenneth Copeland camp, I thought Calvinism was the only alternative!! I was scared for a minute but then found your channel and I thank God for it. :)

[carolwilliams]

I know that I was not saved when I first came to faith. I came to full understanding of my sin and need for salvation before I humbled myself to recieve Christ.

[carrieahicks]

Amen Dr. Flowers!!! Amen. God bless you for your work and for speaking the truth about how unbiblical Calvinism is.

[brianmerkel]

Systematics must be set aside in light of scripture, not the other way around!

[SpielbergMichael]

The Bible is SO CLEAR that faith precedes regeneration - it is stunning and shocking and appalling that anyone can believe the exact opposite.

[jonathandavid]

RC at St Peters Gate pre-check-in:
St Peter: You did well son
RC: I did my best
St Peter: But your Ordo Salutis was wrong
RC: Drat, let me go back and fix it
St Peter: Nahhh, we'll let Leighton take care of it 😃

[fletchermoorman]

Awesome material! Thanks professor!

Calvinism is confusing.

I’ve heard of the “Law of First Mention”. If understood correctly, interpretation is best served by where a text is first mentioned in scripture is used to come to a correct conclusion.

If so, Genesis 2:16-17 is the 1st mention that man will die if they ate the fruit. Genesis 3:1-5 is first mention of the discussion between Eve and Satan about what happens if you eat of the fruit in the midst of the garden. Genesis 3:6-7 is first mention of the First Couple eating the fruit and it says they knew they were naked and sewed fig leaves to cover it. In Genesis 3:8 is first mention of how they heard God walking in the midst of the Garden. It also says they hid themselves from Him. Genesis 3:9-13 is first mention of God talking to them about this new situation and them listening to Him. Crickets from Augustinianism.

So...how is it there’s no first mention in this text of God opening their ears to hear Him walking in the garden? Or first mention of God opening their eyes to see their nakedness? Of first mention of God regenerating them to know they were to hide from Him? If they are dead, how can this be? If anything, all of mankind is more aware of God’s presence more now than ever due to the fall!! How can they hate Him as the Calvinist would say if they can’t “know” Him in deadness?

This is free of charge:
How is it if you look at the Bible big picture you see God creating man. No mention of man’s inability. That first couple made a costly decision on their own. God intervened to make good of a bad situation-a miracle. Same thing happens to the first family He chose, Abraham and Sarah. They started out right but chose to do wrong. Again God intervened to bring about good-another miracle. Then we get Jesus! The church was the new blessing to all the earth but we see she’s not perfect yet either. God is going to intervene again-the miracle of all time!!! But if I’m not mistaken, aren’t those in the Battle of Armageddon actually those who will know who they are fighting(actually Him they are fighting. We’ll just come dressed up in battle array to look purdy)? Like the angels in Heaven, man will try to defy and defeat God one last time?

When I look at all scripture, I see this ebb and flow of man doing bad and God taking those bad decisions and turning them into good conclusions.

If this is all predetermined, wouldn’t God be guilty of deception in the majority of scripture? I mean He makes it looks like we’re free to choose but we’re actually not free to choose. I could see the title on Time magazine: The Deception of God!!

[a.k.]

Two wills, loves, calls, etc. seems obvious that one is Biblical and the other is not. Too simplistic?

[massieldelrosario]

Calvinists flip the following verse, John 20:31 “and by believing you may have life through his name”. It seems like twisting Scripture.