Posted on 02/01/2002 5:26:40 AM PST by CCWoody
All men are by nature the children of wrath, and are under the power of darkness. In this state men are not the subjects of Christ's kingdom and have no fitness for heaven. From this terrible state they are unable to deliver themselves. (I John 5:19; Romans 5:6) Out of this state they must be supernaturally called.(I Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:13) This divine "call" or work of grace is called in Scriptures as: REGENERATION (Titus 3:5); TRANSFORMATION (II Cor.3:18); THE NEW BIRTH, ILLUMINATION (II Cor. 4:6); SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION (John 5:24). This inward call is attended with justification and adoption and conversion,(which includes faith and repentance). (Romans 8:30; Eph. 1:5; Eph.2:1-10) Thus leading us to the EFFECTS OF REGENERATION.
Jesus in John 3:8 tells us of this matter, speaking of the blowing of the wind. Man is unable to originate, order or regulate the wind. Man knows very little of the cause which controls the wind, yet the presence of the wind is unmistakable; and its EFFECTS are plainly evidenced, "SO IS EVERY ONE THAT IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT." BUT THE TRANSFORMING RESULTS BECOME PLAIN.
The illumination of the understanding Gen. 1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Then:" the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep." Next: "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters," and God said: "Let there be light."
So it is when God begins to restore fallen man: "For God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (II Cor. 4:6)
This Divine illumination is not by dreams, visions, or mere feelings, but the revelation of things to his mind and soul which have been all along in sacred Scriptures. Now the blessed Holy Spirit removes the blindfold from his eyes and opens his heart to receive the written Word. (Acts 16:14) Then He begins to powerfully apply to the mind and conscience some portion of it. The result is that the one renewed is able to say, "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see." (John 9:25)
To be more particular, The sinner is now enlightened in the knowledge of his own terrible condition. He may earlier have known many Bible facts, even doctrinal statements, received much instruction; BUT NOW, the solemn declarations of God's Word concerning his fallen state are brought home in piercing power to him. He no longer justifies himself by comparison with his fellow man, he measures himself by the law of God. He is now terribly convicted by his own uncleanness and wickedness before a thrice holy God. ( Isaiah 1:6; 64:6)
By this new spiritual light which God communicates in REGENERATION he now sees that the "wages" he has earned by sin deserve eternal death. That he has placed himself under the awful wrath of God. He now realizes that he has lived his whole life in utter independence of God, having no regard for His glory, what pleased and displeased a holy God. He is thus brought to cry out "WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?"
He now understands truly the awful malignity of sin, as being not only contrary to the whole law of God, but contrary to the true nature of God Himself. He is convinced of the absolute impossibility of contributing anything to obtain his own deliverance. He no longer has any confidence in himself; he has been brought to the end of himself. As Paul wrote "He is without Christ and without hope in this world." (Eph.2)
Thus his mouth is stopped and he confesses himself GUILTY BEFORE GOD, and justly liable to His awful vengeance, both because of the plague of his own heart and his numerous transgressions.
HE NOW SEES THE SUITABILITY OF CHRIST
By means of this illumination the renewed soul, under the Holy Spirit through the Word, now perceives (comprehends) how WELL SUITED Christ Jesus is to his poor wretched condition. The only hope he clings to is the prospect of obtaining deliverance from the "wrath to come" through the vicarious life and death of the Lord Jesus (i.e. Jesus Christ lived for and died right in the very place of a people). This keeps his soul from being overwhelmed with grief and from sinking into complete despondency because of the SIGHT of his sins.
As the Holy Spirit (through the Word) presents to him the infinite merits of Christ's obedience and righteousness, His tender compassion for repentant sinners, His great power to save, desires to share in that work now possess his heart. He is now resolved to look for salvation in no other. (person, working, or church) Under the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, the soul is drawn by such words as these: "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." or "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out,"and he is led to apply to Him for pardon, cleansing, peace, righteousness, strength.
REPENTANCE
Other acts besides turning to Christ, such as REPENTANCE, which is a godly sorrow for sin, a hating of sin as sin, and an earnest desire to forsake and be completely delivered from its pollution. In the light of God, the renewed soul now perceives the utter vanity of the world, and the worthlessness of those former worthless toys and perishing trifles which the godless strive so hard to acquire. He has been awakened from the dream-sleep of death, and things are now seen in their true nature. Time is precious, not to be frittered away. God in His awesome Majesty is an object of godly fear and reverence. His holy law is accepted as just and good. All of these perceptions (new sight, or new way of seeing what the Word has stated) and actions are included in that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. In some these actions are more vigorous than in others, and consequently, are more seen by the man himself. But the fruits of them are visible to others in external acts.
THE WILL FREED FROM BONDAGE
By nature,(the state into which all men are born), the will of man is free in only one direction: AWAY FROM GOD. Sin has enslaved the will, therefore, do we need to be "made free" (John 8:36). The two states are contrasted in Romans 6: "free from righteousness" v20 and "free from sin" v 18, when we have been made alive unto God. At the new birth the will is liberated from the "bondage of corruption" (Rom. 8:21 cf II Peter 2:19), and rendered conformable to the will of God (Psalm 119:97). In our unregenerate state the will was naturally rebellious, and its language was, "Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?" (Exodus 5:2) But the Father promised the Son, "Thy people shall BE WILLING in the day of thy power" (Ps.110:3), and this is accomplished when God "worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (Phil 2:13; Heb.13:21)
"A new heart, a new spirit...I will take out your stony heart...and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes." (Heb.8:10; Ezek.36:26-27) The regenerated freely consent to and gladly choose to walk in subjection to Christ, being anxious now to obey Him in all things, even though imperfectly. His authority is his only rule, His love the constraining power: "If a man love me, he WILL KEEP my words." (John 14:23)
The will is so emancipated from the power of sin to be enabled to answer the Divine Command.
ELEVATION OF THE HEART
Rightly does the Lord claim first place as Creator, Owner, and Redeemer. "My son give Me thine heart" (Prov.23:26) expresses God's claim. They "first gave their own selves to the Lord" (II Cor.8:5) is the response of the regenerate. For before they were born anew, by natural birth they are "lovers of their own selves" and "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" (II Tim.3:2,4). When a sinner is renewed, his affections are taken off his idols and fixed on his Lord (I Thess. 1:9). Hence it is written "with the HEART man believeth unto righteousness" (Rom.10:10).And hence, also it is written, "If any man LOVE NOT the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed" (I Cor.16:22).
In Deut. 30:6 we read: "And the Lord God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to LOVE the Lord thy God WITH ALL THY HEART." This is the renewing of the heart, severing its love from all illicit objects. None can truly love God supremely till this miracle of grace has been worked in him. Then, and only then, is it that the affections are refined and directed to their proper objects, He who once was despised by the soul, is now the "altogether lovely" One. He who was hated (John 15:18) is now loved above all others. "Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee." is now their joyous confession.
The love of God is now become the governing principle of their life. (II Cor.5:13) What before was drudgery is now a delight. The approval of His Saviour is now his concern. Gratitude moves his will to glad obedience. Then his heart goes out to members of Christ's family, no matter their nationality, social position, or church connections: "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (I John 3:14).
"A NEW HEART ALSO WILL I GIVE YOU..."
A CHANGE OF CONDUCT
A tree is known by its fruits. Faith is evidenced by works. The principle of holiness manifests itself in a godly walk. "If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him" (I John 2:29). The deep longing of every child of God is to please his heavenly Father in all things, and though this longing is never fully realized in this life-"NOT as though I had ALREADY attained, either were already perfect" (Phil.3:12)- nevertheless he continues "reaching forth unto those things which are before."
A change will take place in the conduct of the most oral unconverted man as soon as he is born from above. Not only will he be far less eager in his pursuit of the world, more careful in his selections of companions, but he now realizes that the holy eye of God is ever upon him, marking not only his actions, but weighing his motives. He now bears the sacred name of Christ, and his deepest concern is to be kept from everything which would bring a reproach upon it. His aim is to let his light so shine before men that they may see his good works and glorify his Father which is in heaven. That which gives him concern and distress is not the sneers and taunts of the ungodly, but that he fails to measure up to the standard God has set before him, and that conformity to it after which he so yearns. BUT ought not the Christian to "grow in grace"? Yes, indeed. Yet it must be emphatically said that growing in grace most certainly does not mean an increasing satisfaction with myself. No, it is the very opposite. The more I walk in the light of God, the more plainly I see the vileness within me. The only relief from this distressing discovery and the only peace for the renewed heart is to look away from self to Christ and His perfect work for us. Faith empties of all self-complacency and gives an exalted estimate of God in Christ.
OCCUPIED WITH CHRIST
A growth in grace is defined, in great part, by the words that immediately follow: "...and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18). It is the GROWING realization of the perfect suitability of Christ to a poor sinner, the deepening conviction of His fitness to be the Saviour of such a vile wretch as the Spirit shows me I am. It is the apprehension of how much I need His precious blood to cleans me, His righteousness to clothe me, His arm to support me, His advocacy to answer me on high, His grace to deliver me from all my enemies, both inward and outward.
The more the heart is occupied with Christ, the more the mind is stayed on Him by trusting in Him (just camped right there, JCS) (Isaiah 26:3), the more will faith, hope, love, patience, meekness, and all spiritual graces be strengthened and drawn forth into exercise and action to the glory of God. The MANIFESTATION of growth in grace and in the knowledge of Christ is another thing. The actual process of growing is not perceptible either in the natural or in the spiritual sphere; but the results of it are, mainly so to others. The chief EVIDENCES of spiritual growth in the Christian are a deepening hatred of sin and a higher value put on spiritual things, a yearning after them, and a fuller recognition of our deep need and dependency on God to supply it.
"The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Ps.84:11). Grace and glory are not to be separated. Grace is glory begun. Glory is grace elevated to its perfection in the eternal state. In I John 3:2, we are told that we shall be like Him, reason? "WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS." The immediate vision of the Lord of glory will be a transforming one, the bright reflections of God's purity and holiness cast upon the glorified will make them perfectly holy and blessed. BUT there is to be a resemblance of that here in the lives of His people. And too comes from BEHOLDING HIM. (II Cor.3:18)
"But we all...beholding...the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
(Excerpts from A.W. Pink on Regeneration and the new birth)
What doctrines? What places? What is the central, specific disagreement?
Interesting how a thread about The Effects of Regeneration has turned into something of a political discussion....
However, once again, I'll bite. What does "regeneration" have to do with politics?
So now we have the "democratic" approach to eternal life?
It's not how many will find the path, but whether it is the path. - The Lord told us that few would find the way to eternal life, so you've simply proven his word.
Doctrine:
What C.H. Spurgeon called "the doctrines of grace", summarized by the acronym TULIP:
T - Total depravity of man
U - Unconditional election
L - Limited atonement
I - Irresistable grace
P - Perseverence of the saints
Places:
Well, most everywhere in protestantism. My experience, as a Baptist, has been the resurrgence of these doctrines as witnessed by the Founders's Movement.
Central specific disagreement:
Take any of the T, U, L, I, or P, and there are those who deny their veracity. Pink's sermon demonstrates that man is spiritually dead (not just sick), or "Totally depraved" and requires the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration prior to conversion.
1. Who, specifically, today is a Calvinist, and why?
2. What it the "one path" that you go on about?
3. How can you have a "democratic" religion?
An understanding of the nature and composition of man is essential to understanding man as a political being. The Founding Fathers (many of whom were Calvinists) understood the nature of man, and thus crafted our founding documents accordingly. There is a huge difference between those who realize just how rotten natural man is, and those who assume that man is basically good.
Democrats, by and large, believe that man is basically good, and that a change to his environment, etc. would bring out the best in him. As a result, they throw our dollars at any and every problem. We, on the other hand, know that man is rotten to the core, and requires different solutions to his problems. We believe that man needs, first of all, regeneration, and a new heart.
Some might criticize you for putting that up there, saying this is a political, not a religious site. But actually the ideas you posted are very relevant to the current war on terrorism. What you posted is the epitome of the Christian view of humanity and salvation. The human being cannot save himself. Human works cannot bring in the Kingdom of God; the "wrath of man works not the righteousness of God". In Islam, by contrast, the "wrath of man" does work the righteousness of God. People can attain righteousness, as far as we know it, by their works and bring in the God's will on earth through their enforcement of God's law. In Islam sin is only about outward acts and so sin can be eliminated by forcing people to conform to God's law. Hence, if a source of sin can be eliminated by a terrorist act, that is a good thing.Furthermore, no system can be sustained without an underlying appeal to a transcendental authority. Hence, the reason that there is a move in this country to try to strip us of our Reformed roots. Change the source of our appeal and you fundamentally change the nature of our system.3 posted on 2/1/02 6:37 AM Pacific by jamits
Those of us who are regenerated know that we must constantly reveal the Source of our moral foundation and fight to defend it from those who would tear it down. Our country was founded by a moral religious people for a moral religious people. This is why among the first freedoms listed in the Bill of Rights is religious freedom. This is why Communism first supresses the peoples free press and religious freedom. Our founding fathers has a specific reason to list things the way that they did.
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. - Jesus, as recorded in Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 7, verses 13 & 14.
No, I didn't realize that I had.
"1. Who, specifically, today is a Calvinist, and why?"
Perhaps it is the term 'Calvinist' that is tripping you up? - The name is not necessary.
The idea is salvation by Grace through Faith, which faith is not of us, but is it's self a gift from God. - How do you believe that you are to be saved?
"2. What is the "one path" that you go on about? "
That is exactly what is being discussed here, that you seem to think is inappropriate for discussion here.
"3. How can you have a "democratic" religion?"
You can't. - Your comment seemed to indicate that you believed that the majority opinion was automatically correct.
This is a complete strawman. - Where do you get this bizarre belief?
Agreed. We all sin. But then, most Christian groups teach this, do they not? Certainly the ones a I am familiar with do - Baptist, Assembly of God, Church of Christ, etc ...
Everybody will one day die. We simply happen to know the Lord Jesus, Almighty God and Creator of all, personally and have His promise that after our flesh dies we will be renewed perfect in His likeness and will live forever with Him on the [new] earth after all corruption has been purged from it.
We have been regenerated in our spirits and believe from the depths of our hearts that HE IS and is the rewarder of those who dilligently seek Him. We have the Living God within, which is the Seal of the Promise He has made to us who seek our delight and our passion and our purpose in Him. We know the joy inexpressible and surpassing value of knowing Him personally.
What do you think will happen when you die?
Every church teaches this. How does your "regeneration" differ from others?
What if God is right:
Genesis 2:15-17 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."Man is born spiritually dead; he needs to be reborn.
U - Unconditional election
L - Limited atonement
I - Irresistable grace
P - Perseverence of the saints
Places: Well, most everywhere in protestantism. My experience, as a Baptist, has been the resurrgence of these doctrines as witnessed by the Founders's Movement.
Hey Race - go figure - didnt you try to tell me there was no such thing as a Calvinistic Baptist a week or two ago? I think your exact words were "Baptists are not Calvinists"
Wesleyan Arminian bump & blessings to my Calvin brethren
You would be surprised to find that there are many churches that find it appalling that anyone would preach against sin. Most often these are mainline churches who have abandoned their foundational doctrines and replaced them with a humanistic relativism that states that there are no bad people, only bad decisions.
There is a need to remind people of the true message of Christianity, and of its impact upon our political institutions. If not FR, then where?
It doesn't
I believe that you too are a 'Calvinist' in all liklihood, but were just not familar with the term. - It is not universally used; some avoid the use of labels because they tend to be self-limiting.
Race should learn that all of the founders of the SBC were Calvinists, and that Baptists are returning, by the droves, to these foundational doctrines.
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