Kosta: in order for one to believe he or she must receive the Spirit (i.e. be spiritually baptized, be born from above), first, right?
Dr. E: That is correct. And while I suspect your advocacy of this correct Scriptural position is somewhat supercilious (a thousand pardons if that's not the case) the natural man, left on his own, is simply the son of his first father, Adam, fallen and incapable of righteousness or of pleasing God.
I am simply reiterating what I understand to be the reformed (possibly only Calvinist) view of this issue. In short, one must be alive before one can do anything. He who is dead can do nothing, even repent.
So, in order to repent one must be regenerated, i.e. spiritually re-animated into faith, so that one can repent. In order to repent one must realize his fall which cannot be realized without faith.
Baptism does nothing except serve as the outward manifsestation, or witness to that faith and repentance through faith.
But not all Bible-believing Christains see it that way. Thye argue that whenever repentance is mentioned in connection to toher factors, repentance is listed first. So, there is a serious theological split among Bible-believing Christians on that issue. I will admit that the Calvinist view makes more sense, but the opposite view is Biblically closer.
Half right.
Scripture is clear that regeneration precedes faith, repentance, obedience and any good work man might accomplish.
Can the natural man understand the things of God or must he be first born again?