Does Regeneration Precede Faith?

Dr. Flowers, Director of Evangelism and Apologetics for Texas Baptists, answers RC Sproul's assertion that regeneration precedes faith by going through the scriptures.

[bigdogboos]

Even RC Sproul admitted in his book that he always though faith preceded "regeneration" (which is a term just to speak about being born again) until he went to "college" to learn what the bible said. There he saw it written on the chalkboard that regeneration proceeded faith. And that's when he started to believe that. Nobody when they read the bible alone with the Holy Spirit of God comes to the conclusion that God's up there skipping people and hating people from forever, and you cannot believe unless you are granted the ability first but then damned for not believing even though you can't. All these colleges just tell people what to believe and then use that view to interpret the entire bible. According to Jesus "YOUR faith has made you well/healed you", not God's faith in you.

[timothyhodges]

Leighton Flowers, wish there was a ♥️ button for this video!

[paulmann]

I get your frustration Leighton. I use your, as well as other non-calvinist teachers (Mike Winger), videos and teaching when I meet with friends to look at Scripture.

[rossjonesonlinemediagroup]

I feel free when I listen to you... The freedom and joy I felt when I first met and fell in love with Christ. Thanks for showing me the way back. Even your loving atitude is a witness in itself. Thanks. keep letting freedom ring! :)

[DRKSTxROS]

I just feel so complete knowing this truth. I’m hooked and learning so much. Thank you for this!

[pbuckets]

Ive been saved for 8 plus years left my church of 7 plus years because they started getting into name it claim it and cursed for not tithing speak it into existence teachings..well I had grown so much spiritually and mentally at that church I learned so much about the mind and life and God and was full of joy..

Well I ended up at a Calvinist church when I left not knowing what Calvinism was and from the start I knew something was off..so depressing and dark I finally found out about Calvinism after a friend told me I didn't have free will..I literally almost lost my mind researching it and rethinking everything God had used to transform my life ...I'm finally coming out of it.

Guys seriously I love y'all.

Be careful with Calvinism it is extremely dangerous..I'm dead serious.

[jesuslover]

You said it, “allow them an actual fair, balanced, objective, education” ... As a recent reborn again Christian, this also applies to us babies. I want nothing other than to stay in God’s truth!

[skytrooper]

It also seems that the verse you gave Ezekiel 18:31_32 destroys Determinism, why would God plead with Israel to repent and turn if they're doing what he wants them to do or determined them to do.

[davemitchell]

From the Calvinist worldview, Jesus obviously wasted his time with Nicodemus when He told him he must be born again and then spent 14 verses (Jn. 3: 5-18) explaining he had to have faith first to than be regenerated.

"To my Calvinist friends, as one who was in your camp for 24 years, I as, are you trusting in what Calvin wrote? Or the word of God?
'Thus says the Lord:
Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.' - Jeremiah 15:5 ESV"

[joecj]

I just can't believe that God will allow faith only to those that were predestined. It goes against what Jesus has proclaimed and I believe it goes against the very nature of God. To say that God will reject my efforts to have faith no matter what, if I was never elected from the beginning is so difficult to understand. What is the purpose? I can feel my faith gaining strength with each day but that's because I have made a decision to repent and turn from sin and walk in the path of God and believe in our savior Jesus Christ. Why is this so wrong?

[DRKSTxROS]

I would love to spread this truth too. I recently came across the TULIP system. I didn’t understand the message but when I researched it I became disturbed. I can’t really explain why but your page has helped me understand why I oppose the view.

[Searchgodstruthhomestead]

My husband is a hard core Calvinist and won't even talk to me about anything scriptural. And if he reads the bible at the dinner table I better not say anything or he'll get very angry! How do I reach my husband to the Lord if He's hardened his heart, not just to me but more frighteningly to the literal wording of Scriptures?

[samuelrosenbalm]

I would guess that God's Word regenerates the Christian as we both hear and believe. It basically happens simultaneously. We come alive as we hear His voice, we believe as we hear, we come alive as we believe. It's simultaneous.

[poppyozark]

I tried to become a Calvinist for the wrong reasons. I was raised Pentecostal and was running from that but doing it in the wrong way. I never received peace trying to accept Calvinism and always seemed that Calvinism was something you accepted to be in the good ole boys club. If you are chosen and the elect of God then you're in the club which is so opposed to biblical truth.

[bobfree]

As we further explore Pauls speech at athens, He further says to the athenians, Therefore having overlooked your ignorance, GOD is now Declaring to Men, that ALL people Everywhere should REPENT. Exactly what was originally said in ACTS 17-30 GOD Commands ALL men everywhere to REPENT. Twice said makes it impossible for even CALVANISTS to deny!! But they still do.

[timothyhodges]

This gnostic claim of Sproul against the word of God is what disturbs me almost to the point of coming unglued. And this THRILLS THE CALVINISTS!!!
In 1John 5:9-13 NKJV John writes these beautiful words under God's inspiration:
9 "...If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who has not believed God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may CONTINUE TO believe in name of the Son of God..."
Whether this shows the order of salvation or not, it clearly shows us that by believing in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we have the witness in us. Therefore, that closes any discussion on the matter. Any man attempting to question another's salvation by applying the"Easy Believism" concept, is actually asking the same question Satan asked Eve in the garden---"Hath God said?"

[JonahEby]

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; *the flesh is no help* at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, *This is why* I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." (John 6:60-65, ESV)

4 Truths that are abundantly clear:
1. Jesus words are Spirit and life
2. Some do not believe these words
3. Jesus said the reason for this is because the spirit gives life and the flesh is no help at all
4. Jesus reiterates the fact that since the flesh is no help that the Father must draw them in order that they may come

[toddhawk]

Even as someone that holds to the Doctrines of Grace, I hold that scripture does not teach that regeneration precedes faith. I have never understood how that can be lifted from any singular text or by the whole of scripture. Please understand that not all of us on the other side of this issue fit neatly into your prejudiced categories. I do not see non-Calvinists as enemies nor do I desire them to believe as I do. My desire is that Christ be glorified, even in our serious disagreements.

[JonahEby]

Leighton Flowers, thanks for being respectful to your brothers in Christ that happen to be "Calvinists". Would you be willing to answer a couple questions for me to help me better understand your views? I could give you my email or you could text me. I just want your perspective on a few passages that seem clear to me to teach things like total inability and irresistible grace.

[cameronbitzer]

Dr. Flowers, have you written any books that I could get ahold of on this or that you would recommend the present your perspective and the Calvinistic perspective well? Thank you!