Do regeneration and conversion take place at the same time?

Do regeneration and conversion take place at the same instant? Can someone be born again for a time before becoming a believer in Christ? From one of our live events, Derek Thomas, W. Robert Godfrey, and Burk Parsons address these questions.

[jessyjonas]

“The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

[ranjohn]

The first speaker said something I often hear but find no scriptures to back up, "the sinners prayer". I'm in no way taking anything away from his explanation. The second speaker was spot on in what I believe that regeneration proceeds justification by faith.

[humbletheology]

It’s hard to keep justification and sanctification separate, distinct, yet both part of union with Christ.

[huydo]

It is important to note that regeneration precedes faith in a logical order, but many aspects of salvation usually happens co-terminus, at the same time. For instance, the moment you believe is the moment you are justified and is the very moment you are reconciled and adopted. Yet logically in order to be reconciled and adopted you must be legally declared righteous. An important distinction to make.

[rhondae]

The Sinner's prayer, as popularly known today, has roots in Protestant Christianity. Some affirm that it evolved, in some form or another, during the early days of the Protestant Reformation, as a reaction against the notion of justification by means of meritorious works; however, Thomas stated that he grew up in a church that taught the sinner's prayer.

[robmarshall]

Regeneration is part of what God does for us at the moment of salvation, along with sealing (Ephesians 1:14), adoption (Galatians 4:5), reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18–20), etc. Regeneration is God’s making a person spiritually alive, as a result of faith in Jesus Christ. Prior to salvation we were not God’s children (John 1:12–13); rather, we were children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3; Romans 5:18–20). Before salvation, we were degenerate; after salvation we are regenerated. The result of regeneration is peace with God (Romans 5:1), new life (Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17), and eternal sonship (John 1:12–13; Galatians 3:26). Regeneration begins the process of sanctification wherein we become the people God intends us to be (Romans 8:28–30). If we are regenerate we are instantly justified then progressively sanctified and upon death glorified.

[dannorris]

Sadly no one one expounded a single Bible passage.

[mikem]

I would question anyone’s conversion that ‘doesn’t remember any single day when they weren’t a Christian’…. Really? You never realized you were a sinner separated from God, in need of repentance?

[angloaust]

Saving Faith comes after regeneration!
Even the devils believe and tremble!
Many people are outwardly religous
But lack the inward power!
The people honour me with their lips
But their hearts are far from me Jesus said
A form of godliness but denying the power!

[denonjoka]

Hawayu Ligonier Ministries *& I Appreciate Pst. Derek Thomas, Pst. Burk Parsons & Pst. W. Robert Geodfrey 4 Answering This Powerful, Blessful, Deep Question on "Do Regeneration & Conversion Take Place at The Same Time ?"4 I Agree 💯% With Pst. Derek Thomas, Pst. Burk Parsons & Pst. W. Robert Geodfrey With Their Answers That Regeneration & Conversion Take Place at The Same Time 4 God's Word Says That Those Who Call Upon The Name of The LORD Will Be Saved 4 If We Confess With Our Mouths That Jesus Christ Is Lord & Believe With Our 💕 That God Raised Him From The Dead, We Will Be Saved & We've Been Saved By Grace Thru Faith & It's Not Our Own That We Should Boast 4 Salvation Is The Gift of God 4 We're The 🆕 Creation 4 The Old Things are Gone & Everything Have Become 🆕 Written In Romans 10:13, Romans 10:9, Ephesians 2:8 & 2nd Corinthians 5:17 Where Regeneration & Conversion Take Place at The Same Time Because When We're Saved Thru The Holy Spirit By Confessing That Jesus Christ Is Lord & Believing With Our 💕 That God Raised Him From The Dead, We Will Be Saved & Convert Instantly* & Happy 🆕 Year of 2023 2 Yu Ligonier Ministries Together With Pst. Derek Thomas, Pst. Burk Parsons & Pst. W. Robert Geodfrey & Hope Yu Ligonier Ministries Will Be a Blessing In 2023 Just Like In 2022.🙏🙏🕊️🕊️

[stuartjohnson]

Sproul said something similar about his wife. He could point to the exact day and time because he knew when he entered his bedroom unregnerate and when he came out regenerate. But his wife didn't have an exact moment.

I would just like to point out to those who think you have to have some dramatic conversion, expereience or you are not saved. only one of the Apostle had such an experience, . Saul later known as Paul. All the others Jesus just walked up and said "Follow me" and they did. The Hiiky Spirit had to have been preparing them for that moment. Paul needed to be struck blind before he could see

[maxaplin]

Faith leads to regeneration, not regeneration to faith. See how, for example, in John 3:16 believing/faith leads to having life. It isn't the other way round.

As far as Eph 2:1-4 is concerned, firstly this doesn't say that moving from death to life happens without faith. And secondly, there is no need to press the metaphor of death in this passage to mean complete spiritual inability, just as Paul in Romans 6 refers to Christians being dead to sin without connoting complete inability to sin.

[josemartinez]

The second person, very humble
Expressing: Christian are new people…. (No doubt about)

[mikem]

‘Dead in trespasses’ refers to your spirit separated from God, as a result of the fall. Man is a body, soul and spirit. Those that worship God must do so in spirit and in truth. You can’t know or worship God with a dead spirit. Believing is an act of the will given by faith and when this faith is exercised, you are regenerated (born again) onto new life. Those that suppress the truth in unrighteousness do not act on the knowledge of God that He has already revealed to all men.

[shakazulu]

We are "raised to new life in Christ" not before Christ as calvinism falsely teaches.
Colossians 2:12
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."

WITH Christ - NOT before Christ.

[carmenforsyth]

Some of us we're raised Catholic in a Dominican convent with nun's in a boarding school from 9 until 16 and never read the Bible 😎 Catechism

[rhondae]

It's amazing how Parson's expository teaching of regeneration and conversion is clear and biblical; yet, his teaching on church attendance is vague and unbiblical. 🤔

[elbuchito]

Romans 8:29-30
[29]For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
[30]and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

[papabear]

Cornelius is another story of a Roman centurion who belived in God and honored the jewish people and their God (Acts 10). He had a vision from an angel of God and told that his gifts of offerings reached up to God. He was told to send men to Joppa and look for Simon called Peter. Peter then went to see the centurion and Peter spoke to them about Jesus and while Peter was still speaking to them (verse 14) the Holy Spirit “fell on all those hearing the message”.
The gentiles received God’s Spirit even while hearing the message. While they were yet gentiles, God honored their memorial offerings. In fact God commanded Peter to not call unclean that which He made clean when Peter had the 3 visions.
This is another clear example that Calvin’s “regeneration precedes faith” is totally unscriptural but man made.
Cornelius’ memorial offering is an example of a freewill offering to the God of the jews before God recognize his offering and calls him set apart for Himself.

[ELishaJesus]

Regeneration is Monergistic. If it is synergism, that means God waits for humans to believe in Him first and they get all the credit. If a conversion also is regeneration then that could happen instantly or over some time, but a non-regenerative conversion is simply an unsaved person converting to any religion or belief system that has no supernatural component based on an experience of the one and only true God that exists.