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Born Again in Calvinism
A
Biblical Response to their
misrepresentation
What does the term "born again" mean in the theology of Calvinism?
According to Calvinism being "born again" means that a person is first
"made alive or are regenerated" by the Spirit of God "in order" for them
to be able to believe and follow Jesus Christ. Does the Bible teach
a person "must" first be born again "in order" to believe in Jesus Christ?
The sources that will be used to demonstrate what Calvinism teaches on
being born again will be from the Canons of Dordt. The Canons of Dordt
are official statements of doctrine concerning what Calvinists believe.
The term "born again" is also called "regeneration" in the theology of
Calvinism. Below will be quotes on what Calvinism teaches on being born
again followed by what the Bible teaches in context.
What Calvinism teaches on born again:
"Therefore,
all people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath, unfit for
any saving good, inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin;
without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit they are neither willing
nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to
dispose themselves to such reform."
(Canons
of Dordt, III & IV, Article 3)
The Canons of Dordt indicate that a person is neither willing nor able to
return to God "without" the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. That means a
person can not believe without first being "born again", then they are
able to choose Christ.
Biblical response to a person "not being able to respond without
regeneration."
The Bible speaks on being born again in detail in the Gospel of John:
"1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know
that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs
that You do unless God is with him." 3
Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is
born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot
enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" 5 Jesus
answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the
Spirit he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God.
6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, `You
must be born again.'"
(John
3:1-7)
These Scriptures are the focus point on what the Bible teaches
concerning what being "born again" means. Nicodemus comes to Jesus
stating that he realizes Jesus is a teacher that has come from God and
that God is with Him. How could Nicodemus realize that Jesus has come
from God and is a teacher of God "without" being born again yet? How
could Nicodemus have a form of trust (belief) in Jesus as being from God
without being spiritually alive? Calvinism teaches that a person who is
not spiritually alive (born again) cannot understand spiritual things. (1
Corinthians 2:14-16)
Nicodemus was not born again yet as Jesus clearly says to him, "you must
be born again." Calvinism teaches a person has to be first born again to
be able to recognize spiritual things is wrong. The truth is that
Nicodemus had the ability to come to Jesus with a belief in his heart that
Jesus came from God and yet he was not born again yet.
The Bible teaches a person must be born again to "see" the kingdom of
God (John
3:3),
what does that mean? The word "see" can also be translated as "to
understand or perceive." The natural man who is not born again with the
Holy Spirit dwelling within them can not understand the spiritual things
of God, this is true. To "see" implies to have an understanding of God in
spiritual matters, but that does not mean that people will not be able to
recognize spiritual things concerning God. Jesus came to reveal the heart
of the Father and it was through Jesus that grace and truth were realized.
(John
1:14-18)
There were people who saw Jesus and heard Him, and it states there were
those who were believing in Him, but they were not born again. The
disciples of Jesus were not made alive or did not receive the Holy Spirit
before Jesus was crucified and resurrected. (John
20:22)
The disciples were believing in Jesus as the Messiah before they were born
again, but they did not understand these things correctly until they
received the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in
John 14-16
that the Holy Spirit was going to come and give them understanding and
guide them in all truth. Another point is that before Jesus came to this
earth to give His life there were many in the Old Testament that believed
in God, loved God, and desired to follow God. Clear Biblical theology on
being born again is a person who becomes a new creation, a new birth, and
a partaker of the divine nature. The question is, "how could all of those
in the Old Testament who were not partakers of the divine nature and those
who were not a new creation desire to know God and believe in God without
being born again?" The truth is they did choose to follow God without
being born again or regenerated as Calvinism teaches.
The Bible teaches a person must born again to "enter" the kingdom of
God (John
3:5),
what does that mean? The word "enter" means to go into. What separates
man from being able to enter into the presence of God in the heavenly
realm? Sin is what separates anyone from being able to enter into the
presence of God in the heavenly realm. Jesus came to give His life for
the world as John 3:16 clearly teaches. Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that
a person must be born again, a new birth or a new creation. Nicodemus was
missing what Jesus was saying (John
3:8-13)
concerning the spiritual birth and Jesus clarifies this in
John 3:14-18:
"14 "As
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man
be lifted up;
15
so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but
that the world might be saved through Him. 18 "He
who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son
of God."
The clear indication of what Jesus is teaching is that a person must make
a decision on following Christ. Jesus spoke of Moses lifting up the
serpent as an example of teaching this spiritual truth. The Israelites
were being judged for their disobedience and God sent serpents to bite
them and many were dying. God then gave them a chance to be delivered
from the snakes by telling Moses to made a fiery serpent and Moses did so,
and all those who "choose to look to this serpent" would not die. (Numbers
21:6-9)
Jesus used this example of truth in reference to Himself as being lifted
up and all who look to Him will be saved. Jesus did not say, "a person
must first be made spiritually alive to believe in Him", but Jesus stated
that all those who believe in Him will receive eternal life. The clear
context of
John 3
has nothing to do with a person having to be regenerated first and then
they can choose to believe in Jesus, but rather this is the choice for
anyone (whosoever) to make.
Another quote from Canons of Dordt on a person first being regenerated in
order to believe in Jesus:
"And
this is the regeneration so highly celebrated in Scripture, and
denominated a new creation: a resurrection from the dead, a making alive,
which God works in us without our aid.
But this is in no wise effected merely by the external preaching of the
gospel, by moral suasion, or such a mode of operation,
that after God has performed his part, it still remains in the power of
man to be regenerated or not, to be converted, or to continue unconverted;
but it is evidently a supernatural work, most powerful, and at the same
time most delightful, astonishing, mysterious, and ineffable; not inferior
in efficacy to creation, or the resurrection from the dead, as the
Scripture inspired by the author of this work declares; so that all in
whose heart God works in this marvelous manner, are certainly, infallibly,
and effectually regenerated, and do actually believe. -
Whereupon the will thus renewed, is not only actuated and influenced by
God, but in consequence of this influence, becomes itself active.
Wherefore also, man is himself rightly said to believe and repent, by
virtue of that grace received."
(Canons
of Dordt, Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine, Article 12)
Three things stick out here from this quote. One, regeneration is
another term for "a new creation", and this regeneration is which makes a
person alive spiritually and is done by God without anyone's aid. Second,
within this quote it states a person after God doing His part has the
ability to be regenerated or not. How can a person have the ability to be
regenerated or not in Calvinism? That statement makes no sense at all
within Calvinism. Also that same sentence states a person has the ability
to be converted or unconverted, how can this be in Calvinism? Calvinism
teaches a person who is regenerated will choose Christ and that only those
who are of the "elect" can be regenerated. Calvinism teaches a doctrine
called "Irresistible Grace" which means a person who is chosen by God to
be saved does not have the ability to say no or reject God. Third, it is
by the Holy Spirit activating a person's will that they will believe and
repent. The clear context of John 3 shows a person does not have to be
"first" regenerated to be able to believe in Jesus, it is first believing
in Jesus and then that person becomes born again.
Old Testament Scriptures on people choosing and seeking God "without being
born again." This is just a few examples.
"But from there
you will seek the LORD your God,
and
you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your
soul."
(Deuteronomy
4:29)
"15 "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD,
choose for yourselves today whom you will serve:
whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or
the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD." 16 The people answered and said, "Far
be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for
the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land
of Egypt, from the house of , and who did these great signs in our sight
and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the
peoples through whose midst we passed. 18 "The LORD drove out from before
us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land.
We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God."
19 Then Joshua said to the people, "You will not be able to serve the
LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your
transgression or your sins. 20 "If
you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you
harm and consume you after He has done good to you."
21 The people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD." 22 Joshua
said to the people, "You
are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the
LORD, to serve Him."
And they said, "We are witnesses." (Joshua
24:15-22 NASB)
"5 "Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which
knows you not will run to you, Because of the LORD your God, even the Holy
One of Israel; For He has glorified you." 6 Seek the LORD while He may be
found; Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And
He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly
pardon." (Isaiah
55:5-7)
These Scriptures show that people were able to seek and choose God
without being born again, therefore the teachings of Calvinism on a person
not being able to seek God or choose God without being regenerated is
false. God gives us an "if" possibility to seek Him which shows there is a
condition upon man to search after the Lord.
This information is to give the clear Biblical understanding of what it
means to be born again. Calvinism teachings on what it means to be born
again is a misrepresentation of what the Bible clearly teaches on the new
birth. May God give us true spiritual understanding of what it means to
be born again.
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