Are you dying inside? (Part 2c8) 2

 in Bible

Dear Friends,

I ended up writing 7 posts in section 2c, all about the concept of being born again. Before we move on, it’s time for some Cliff’s notes!

Series Outline:

Part 2 Outline:

In a nutshell

The popular teaching today is that we decide when to get born again. Even though we are depraved by nature, there is some kind of divine persuading that allows us to make a decision for Christ. Once we make this decision, we become born again and receive a new nature and are no longer totally depraved. And we get to go to heaven. If we do not make this decision for Christ, then we go to hell. And babies and mentally handicapped and people who never heard the gospel and people in Old Testament times somehow have a chance to still get into heaven…there is some kind of alternate pathway for them to get in.

My theme throughout section 2c has been that this doctrine is deeply unbiblical. I have argued that before being regenerated, we are completely depraved, and regeneration (being born again) is completely on God’s timetable. It is also accomplished completely independently of the gospel. Therefore, all who are regenerated are regenerated in the same way. Doesn’t matter if they grew up in a Baptist church in Alabama, or if they were aborted, or if they were mentally handicapped, or if they lived and died in an Amazon jungle.

Here is a brief survey of the arguments I made in section 2c, including some of the key passages.

Part 2c2: Do you need a band-aid or a resurrection?

[Eph 2:5 KJV] 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

and

[Jhn 5:25 KJV] 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

tell us that getting born again is not something we choose….it just happens, like a resurrection.

Part 2c3: Were you consulted before the doctor gave your mother the Pitocin?

[Jhn 3:1-8 KJV] 1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

The very metaphor of “birth” fits much better with the idea that the spiritual process being talked about is not something we initiate. Natural and spiritual birth are not chosen by the person being born! Which one do you think fits better with the birth metaphor? Something you can decide you want to happen at any time, or something that just happens without any input from you?

By the way, this chapter also compares being born again to the blowing of the wind…which is another thing we have ZERO control over.

Part 2c4: Whoever drinks Starbucks has been born

[1Jo 5:1 KJV] 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ IS born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

This verse teaches that belief in Jesus Christ is a lagging indicator of being born again. Believing in Jesus Christ is not a way to get born again. Rather, believing in Jesus Christ is ironclad evidence that someone has already been born again.

Part 2c5: Let it go

[Jhn 1:13 KJV] 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, NOR OF THE WILL OF MAN, but of God.

It seems that John really wants to hammer home the point here. Man does not choose to get born again! Rather, God chooses whom to regenerate, and those he regenerates then have the ability to believe.

Part 2c6: This is going to be epic

[1Pe 1:23 KJV] 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Jesus Christ, the incorruptible, executive Word of God, that lives and abides forever, is the instrument of your being “born again”. Not my blog, not your grandmother, and not Billy Graham (God rest his soul).

Part 2c7: Everyone that loveth is born of God. Yes, everyone.

[1Jo 4:7 KJV] 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and EVERY ONE THAT LOVETH IS BORN OF GOD.

Yes, you may have been a tribesman living in a tiny village high up on Mount Kilimanjaro long before Jesus came. You may have been taught growing up that there are 500 gods. And maybe you lived your life simply assuming your parents and the local religious leader knew what they were talking about. But if you were someone who sincerely, albeit imperfectly, tried to love his neighbor, you were already born again. And you are in heaven now, praising your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

No small disputation

I’ve been accused during this blogging endeavor of bypassing Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins…but nothing could be further from the truth. There is actually a sense in which I am paying more homage to the crucifixion than many other Christians. In my beliefs, the crucifixion is enough to legally save sinners. It is sufficient and efficient and effective and decisive and definitive and every other adjective that indicates proper and intended and full functioning; it gets the job done. And regeneration is just an inevitable outworking of being represented by Jesus on the cross, and though it does wonderful things, it does not entail that its blessed objects will be Christians here on earth.

By contrast, many other Christians (this does not apply to all Christians who disagree with me, mind you) add belief in Jesus Christ and repentance from sins as essential requirements to be saved from hell. Which doctrine, ultimately, shows more respect to Christ’s death on the cross?

This is not an antinomian, hedonistic doctrine I am preaching. This is not a “live it up” doctrine. A coworker once joked with me about the idea of getting drunk over the weekend. He said “you are redeemed, right? you are going to heaven anyway!” I immediately responded “My kids know if they mess up, I will not throw them out of the house. But they also know there are unpleasant consequences for their misbehavior.”

If you’re not used to the doctrines I’m advancing, and you’re concerned this could encourage lackadaisical Christianity, I get it. But since God is our Father, I think we can resolve this concern by appealing to the relationship of the father with his child. Do I motivate them by threatening to throw them out of the house and permanently end our relationship if they don’t get their act together? No!!!!

I motivate my children by promising blessings for obedience, and, yes, chastening for disobedience. I don’t worry that by not threatening to end our relationship forever, I am going to encourage lawlessness in my household. So why should we worry about that when confronted with the true gospel of grace? Speaking of grace and obedience, check out this sweet passage:

[Tit 2:11-12 KJV] 11 For the GRACE of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY LUSTS, we should live SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, and GODLY, in this present world;

God’s not worried that his grace is going to encourage lawlessness. Quite the opposite. Let’s get on board with God’s view of grace, shall we?

Finally

This blog has nothing to do with getting people born again. If N number of people are going to heaven, the final score is going to be God: N and TheFormOfTheFourth: 0. I will get absolutely no credit, neither directly nor indirectly, for anybody making a decision that enabled them to go to heaven.

Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?

In other words: It is impossible for someone dead in trespasses and sins to make a decision for Christ. God has to do something first…and it’s called regeneration or making someone born again.

This blog is concerned, however, with feeding hungry sheep. Tending to wounded sheep. Guiding lost sheep back to safety. Maybe even sounding the alarm when the wolves come in. That’s my aim.

I will say it again to be clear: John 3:16 cannot mean that dead people are supposed to “believe” anything.

In short, John 3:16 cannot mean what you’ve been told.

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2 thoughts on “Are you dying inside? (Part 2c8)”

  • Reply ↓
    Phil

    “But if you were someone who sincerely, albeit imperfectly, tried to love his neighbor, you were born again”
    – The reason this bypasses Christ, is that you are saying a person does not have to have any knowledge of Christ to be saved. The Bible clearly states that (Romans 3:23) “all have sinned”, and (Romans 6:23) “the wages of sin is death”. This means that everyone who is born is destined for Hell by default. There is no alternate path to salvation apart from the knowledge of Christ. You cannot (for instance) believe in Allah, or Buddha, and “try to love your neighbor” and be saved. Those who do not worship Christ are by definition enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Being a good person is not a path to salvation. Christ clearly says that the only way to go to heaven is to be perfect (Matthew 5:48, Matthew 5:20, James 2:10).

    This is the false gospel of every religion on Earth but Christianity. The distinction of Christianity is that we believe there is no way to be saved apart from perfection. And perfection is only gained through Christ’s death on the cross as a free gift. All other religions believe you can be saved by works.

    It seems the belief you are explaining here is Inclusivism. Here is a good article explaining the difference betwen Inclusivism (people can be saved apart from knowing of Christ), and Exclusivism (people can only be saved if they know Christ). The article also brings up the example of Cornelius: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/what-happens-to-those-who-never-hear-gospel/

    • Reply ↓
      TFOTF Post author

      Thanks again for your willingness to spend time discussing this. I know you are busy and I really appreciate it!

      YOU:
      “But if you were someone who sincerely, albeit imperfectly, tried to love his neighbor, you were born again”
      – The reason this bypasses Christ, is that you are saying a person does not have to have any knowledge of Christ to be saved.
      ME:
      I have a hard time with your argument, because it seems like you are conflating Christ with the knowledge of Christ. Are we never allowed to distinguish those? I don’t know the underlying logical principle you are using. How many people who passed through LAX on December 31, 1999 know who Diana Dean is? She foiled a bombing plot targeting LAX for that very night. Yes, I know this is not a perfect analogy. But I’m just making the point that you cannot categorically claim that knowledge of a person is necessary in order to be saved in any way by that person. You can’t make that blanket statement.

      YOU:
      The Bible clearly states that (Romans 3:23) “all have sinned”, and (Romans 6:23) “the wages of sin is death”.
      ME:
      Yes, the legal penalty for sin, any sin, no matter how minor it seems to us, is eternal hell. The only exception is if Jesus Christ pays the penalty. Agreed.

      YOU:
      This means that everyone who is born is destined for Hell by default.
      ME:
      This passage seems to contradict what you just said. Maybe I’m not understanding your point.

      [Eph 1:4-5 KJV] 4 According as he hath chosen us in him BEFORE the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having PREDESTINATED us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

      That tells me the destiny of the elect was NEVER hell. Even before the foundation of the world, God elected a people.

      YOU (emphasis mine):
      This means that EVERYONE WHO IS BORN is destined for Hell by default. There is NO alternate path to salvation apart from the knowledge of Christ. You cannot (for instance) believe in Allah, or Buddha, and “try to love your neighbor” and be saved.
      ME:
      And yet, in the article you linked, an alternate path for babies is proposed. Is there an alternate path or not? Contrast that with my beliefs, which is that everybody who is regenerated is regenerated in the same way. There is NO alternate path. God’s people, whether they are babies, street preachers, Old Testament Levite priests, or, yes, even Muslims, are all regenerated the same way. God breathes new spiritual life into all of his elect children in the same way, on his own timetable (and they are totally undeserving of it, and no preacher or tract is involved at all):

      [Jhn 3:8 KJV] 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit.

      YOU:
      Those who do not worship Christ are by definition enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Being a good person is not a path to salvation.
      ME:
      Right, being a good person is not a path to salvation from the lake of fire. Neither is believing that Jesus died for my sins. Neither is making a decision for Christ. Neither is repentance. My evidence: the very verse you quoted (plus one prior):
      [Rom 5:9-10 KJV] 9 Much more then, being now justified by HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through HIM. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the DEATH OF HIS SON, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

      YOU:
      Christ clearly says that the only way to go to heaven is to be perfect (Matthew 5:48, Matthew 5:20, James 2:10).
      ME:
      I’m not going to comment on these specific verses, because I have no issue with the general point that you are making. Yes, you have to have Christ’s perfect righteousness in order to go to heaven. We are not debating that point. We are debating the conditions under which said righteousness is applied to a sinner.

      YOU:
      This is the false gospel of every religion on Earth but Christianity. The distinction of Christianity is that we believe there is no way to be saved apart from perfection. And perfection is only gained through Christ’s death on the cross as a free gift. All other religions believe you can be saved by works.
      ME:
      By “this” I guess you mean the idea that being a good person is a path to salvation. Yes, I agree with you, that’s a false gospel. It has never been preached on this blog. What I have said many times on this blog is that being a good person is EVIDENCE that you are elect, that God has already regenerated you, and that he’s going to bring you home to glory some day. Why else would Jesus say:

      [Jhn 5:28-29 KJV] 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; THEY THAT HAVE DONE GOOD, unto the resurrection of life; and THEY THAT HAVE DONE EVIL, unto the resurrection of damnation.

      YOU:
      It seems the belief you are explaining here is Inclusivism. Here is a good article explaining the difference betwen Inclusivism (people can be saved apart from knowing of Christ), and Exclusivism (people can only be saved if they know Christ). The article also brings up the example of Cornelius:
      ME:
      I read the article and I disagree. However, I’m going to ask you to rephrase it in your own words, in a new comment, and I will respond to that. I’ve got a stash of links of my own that I could use, you know 🙂 For, now though, I will say that I doubt I’m an inclusivist….as I’ve said several times, I do NOT believe some guy on an island can earn or obtain salvation by saying, doing, or believing anything. He must be saved the same way everybody else (everybody else who is saved, that is) gets saved.

      Thanks, look forward to hearing from you!

      TFOTF