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5. Origin of the Soul

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How is the soul transmitted to humans? In Genesis 5:3, it says that Adam had “a son in his own likeness, according to his image.” It is clear that this son’s physical body came through the natural procreation process of Adam and Eve, which led to him being in the “likeness” of his parents. However, what about his soul—the immaterial part of his being? How was that transmitted? Throughout history there has been three primary views on this: preexistence theory, creation theory, and traducian theory.

Preexistence Theory

In general, preexistence has never been held by orthodox Christians, with a few exceptions. It has been held by ancient Greeks, Hindus,1 and even Muslims have a form of this.2 This view teaches that God originally created a number of souls and some are joined to human bodies at conception. Obviously, there is no clear statement in Scripture that supports this view.3

Creation Theory

Creation theory teaches that the human body is transferred from the parents, but the soul, since it is immaterial, comes from God. At conception, God creates a soul and places that soul in the forming baby (Ps 139:13). Support for this is found in the fact that after creating Adam, God breathed life into his body—giving him a soul (Gen 2:7). Also, there are many Scriptures that demonstrate God’s continual work in the creation of humans, including their spirits. Consider the following,

The revelation of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord—he who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person

Zechariah 12:1

and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 (ESV)

Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:

Isaiah 42:5 (ESV)

Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13

Also, Hebrews 12:9 calls God “the Father of spirits,” and Numbers 16:22 calls him “the God of the spirits of all people.” Clearly, these texts point to God as the Creator of the immaterial part of humans. This view is held by Roman Catholics and some Reformed Christians.4

With that said, this theory has difficulties. How is the sin nature transferred if God gives everyone a spirit, apart from the parents? Does he give them spirits that are prone to sin from birth, unlike how he created Adam? Because this seems unlikely (cf. Jam 1:13), some reject this view.

Traducian Theory

Traducian theory teaches that both the body and soul come from the parents. It is argued that God’s direct creation—making things out of nothing—stopped on the sixth day of creation, as proved by the fact that God rested on the seventh day.5 Certainly, God is still involved with the creation of the body and the soul in humans, but he does that through secondary means—human parents.6

A strength of traducian theory is that it best explains human depravity. Paul Enns said it this way:

If the parents pass on the nonmaterial nature then it explains the propagation of the sin nature and the tendency, from birth, of every human being to sin. The sin nature cannot be explained if God creates each soul directly.7

In considering the transfer of the sin nature, Romans 5:12 says, “So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned.” Also, Psalm 51:5 says, “Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.”

One might ask, “What about Christ’s birth? How is it possible that Christ did not have a sin nature if he received his body and spirit through his mother?” The fact that he was kept from having a sin nature must be considered a miracle, wrought by the Holy Spirit, just as his physical birth was (Matt 1:18, Lk 1:35).

A further strength of the traducian theory is the hereditary factor—not only are we like our parents physically, but also commonly in personality, intelligence, and emotions. If God directly transmitted the soul, apart from the parents, these similarities would not be as prevalent.8

John MacArthur said this in support of the traducian theory:

While it is true that several verses speak of God making a person’s soul or spirit, that is also true for the body. David stated, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.… My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth” (Ps. 139:13, 15). These statements do not mean that the body is created directly by God apart from natural procreation. God is man’s Creator, but God also ordained human procreation for the filling of the earth (Gen. 1:28). God uses natural means for procreation, yet he is the Ultimate Cause of the process. As a complex unity of body and soul/spirit, our entire being, including the soul, is a result of the God-ordained procreation process.9

Also, J. O. Buswell said this in considering creation theory and traducian theory, as quoted by Charles Ryrie:

As between these two views, it does seem to me that there is a certain obvious fact which has been neglected in the historical discussion, and that is the perfect uniformity and regularity of the arrival of a soul whenever a human life begins to be. In our ordinary thinking when we observe such perfect uniformity and regularity in other matters, we usually ascribe the results to the secondary forces which God has created and which He maintains by His divine providence. For this reason, and for this reason only, I am inclined toward the traducian view, but I do not feel that it can be firmly established on the grounds of any explicit scriptural teaching.10

Conclusion

God is the Creator of humans. They were made in his image as a direct, special creation. God formed man from the dust and breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living soul (Gen 2:7). However, after God ceased his special creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them, he commonly creates now through secondary processes, which he developed in the original creation. Though the wild grass grows on its own through natural processes, Christ said God clothed it (Matt 6:30). And though birds feed themselves, Christ said God feeds them (Matt 6:26). Likewise, it seems that through the procreation process which God established and oversees, humans come from other humans, which includes both body and spirit. With all that said, since Scripture is not explicitly clear on this issue, we should hold our beliefs on it lightly.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most in the reading and why?
  2. What are the three views on how the human soul is transmitted?
  3. Which view do you believe has the most biblical support and why?
  4. What other questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology (p. 319). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

2 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 425). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

3 Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology (p. 319). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

4 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (p. 221). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

5 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (p. 425). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

6 Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology (p. 320). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

7 Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology (p. 320). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

8 Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology (p. 320). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

9 MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (pp. 425–426). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

10 Ryrie, C. C. (1999). Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (p. 222). Chicago, IL: Moody Press.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Man (Anthropology)

Appendix 1: Study Group Tips

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Leading a small group using the Bible Teacher’s Guide can be done in various ways. One format for leading a small group is the “study group” model, where each member prepares and shares in the teaching. This appendix will cover tips for facilitating a weekly study group.

  1. Each week the members of the study group will read through a select chapter of the guide, answer the reflection questions (see Appendix 2), and come prepared to share in the group.
  2. Prior to each meeting, a different member can be selected to lead the group and share Question 1 of the reflection questions, which is to give a short summary of the chapter read. This section of the gathering could last from five to fifteen minutes. This way, each member can develop their gift of teaching. It also will make them study harder during the week. Or, each week the same person could share the summary.
  3. After the summary has been given, the leader for that week will facilitate discussions through the rest of the reflection questions and also ask select review questions from the chapter.
  4. After discussion, the group will share prayer requests and pray for one another.

The strength of the study group is the fact that the members will be required to prepare their responses before the meeting, which will allow for easier discussion. In addition, each member will be given the opportunity to teach, which will further equip their ministry skills. The study group model has distinct advantages.

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Appendix 2: Reflection Questions

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Writing is one of the best ways to learn. In class, we take notes and write papers, and these methods are used to help us learn and retain the material. The same is true with the Word of God. Obviously, all the authors of Scripture were writers. This helped them better learn the Scriptures and also enabled them to more effectively teach it. As you reflect on God’s Word, using the Bible Teacher’s Guide, take time to write so you can similarly grow both in your learning and teaching.

  1. How would you summarize the main points of the text/chapter? Write a brief summary.
  2. What stood out to you most in the reading? Did any of the contents trigger any memories or experiences? If so, please share them.
  3. What follow–up questions did you have about the reading? What parts did you not fully agree with?
  4. What applications did you take from the reading, and how do you plan to implement them into your life?
  5. Write several commitment statements: As a result of my time studying God’s Word, I will . . .
  6. What are some practical ways to pray as a result of studying the text? Spend some time ministering to the Lord through prayer.

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Related Topics: Christian Life, Man (Anthropology)

Appendix 3: Walking The Romans Road

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How can a person be saved? From what is he saved? How can someone have eternal life? Scripture teaches that after death each person will spend eternity either in heaven or hell. How can a person go to heaven?

Paul said this to Timothy:

You, however, must continue in the things you have learned and are confident about. You know who taught you and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 3:14-15

One of the reasons God gave us Scripture is to make us wise for salvation. This means that without it, nobody can know how to be saved.

Well then, how can a people be saved and what are they being saved from? A common method of sharing the good news of salvation is through the Romans Road. One of the great themes, not only of the Bible, but specifically of the book of Romans is salvation. In Romans, the author, Paul, clearly details the steps we must take in order to be saved.

How can we be saved? What steps must we take?

Step One: We Must Accept That We Are Sinners

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What does it mean to sin? The word sin means “to miss the mark.” The mark we missed is reflecting God’s image. When God created mankind in the Genesis narrative, he created man in the “image of God” (1:27). The “image of God” means many things, but probably, most importantly it means we were made to be holy just as he is holy. Man was made moral. We were meant to reflect God’s holiness in every way: the way we think, the way we talk, and the way we act. And any time we miss the mark in these areas, we commit sin.

Furthermore, we do not only sin when we commit a sinful act such as lying, stealing, or cheating. Again, we sin anytime we have a wrong heart motive. The greatest commandments in Scripture are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:36-40, paraphrase). Whenever we don’t love God supremely and love others as ourselves, we sin and fall short of the glory of God. For this reason, man is always in a state of sinning. Sadly, even if our actions are good, our heart is bad. I have never loved God with my whole heart, mind, and soul, and neither has anybody else. Therefore, we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We have all missed the mark of God’s holiness and we must accept this.

What’s the next step?

Step Two: We Must Understand We Are Under The Judgment Of God

Why are we under the judgment of God? It is because of our sins. Scripture teaches that God is not only a loving God, but he is also a just God. And his justice requires judgment for each of our sins. Romans 6:23 says, “For the payoff of sin is death.”

A payoff or wage is something we earn. Every time we sin, we earn the wage of death. What is death? Death really means separation. In physical death, the body is separated from the spirit, but in spiritual death, man is separated from God. Man currently lives in a state of spiritual death (cf. Eph 2:1-3). We do not love God, obey him, or know him as we should. Therefore, man is in a state of death.

Moreover, one day at our physical death, if we have not been saved, we will spend eternity separated from God in a very real hell. In hell, we will pay the wage for each of our sins. Therefore, in hell people will experience various degrees of punishment (cf. Lk 12:47-48). This places man in a very dangerous predicament—unholy and therefore under the judgment of God.

How should we respond to this? This leads us to our third step.

Step Three: We Must Recognize God Has Invited All To Accept His Free Gift Of Salvation

Romans 6:23 does not stop at the wages of sin being death. It says, “For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because God loved everybody on the earth, he offered the free gift of eternal life, which anyone can receive through Jesus Christ.

Because it is a gift, it cannot be earned. We cannot work for it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”

Going to church, being baptized, giving to the poor, or doing any other righteous work does not save. Salvation is a gift that must be received from God. It is a gift that has been prepared by his effort alone.

How do we receive this free gift?

Step Four: We Must Believe Jesus Christ Died For Our Sins And Rose From The Dead

If we are going to receive this free gift, we must believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Because God loved us, cared for us, and didn’t want us to be separated from him eternally, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Similarly, John 3:16 says, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God so loved us that he gave his only Son for our sins.

Jesus Christ was a real, historical person who lived 2,000 years ago. He was born of a virgin. He lived a perfect life. He was put to death by the Romans and the Jews. And after he was buried, he rose again on the third day. In his death, he took our sins and God’s wrath for them and gave us his perfect righteousness so we could be accepted by God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” God did all this so we could be saved from his wrath.

Christ’s death satisfied the just anger of God over our sins. When God looked at Jesus on the cross, he saw us and our sins and therefore judged Jesus. And now, when God sees those who are saved, he sees his righteous Son and accepts us. In salvation, we have become the righteousness of God.

If we are going to be saved, if we are going to receive this free gift of salvation, we must believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our sins (cf. 1 Cor 15:3-5, Rom 10:9-10). Do you believe?

Step Five: We Must Confess Christ As Lord Of Our Lives

Romans 10:9-10 says,

Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.

Not only must we believe, but we must confess Christ as Lord of our lives. It is one thing to believe in Christ but another to follow Christ. Simple belief does not save. Christ must be our Lord. James said this: “…Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear” (James 2:19), but the demons are not saved—Christ is not their Lord.

Another aspect of making Christ Lord is repentance. Repentance really means a change of mind that leads to a change of direction. Before we met Christ, we were living our own life and following our own sinful desires. But when we get saved, our mind and direction change. We start to follow Christ as Lord.

How do we make this commitment to the lordship of Christ so we can be saved? Paul said we must confess with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” as we believe in him. Romans 10:13 says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you admit that you are a sinner and understand you are under God’s wrath because of it; if you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died on the cross for your sins, and rose from the dead for your salvation; if you are ready to turn from your sin and cling to Christ as Lord, you can be saved.

If this is your heart, then you can pray this prayer and commit to following Christ as your Lord.

Dear heavenly Father, I confess I am a sinner and have fallen short of your glory, what you made me for. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and rose from the dead so I can have eternal life. I am turning away from my sin and accepting you as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and change me. Thank you for your gift of salvation.

Scripture teaches that if you truly accepted Christ as your Lord, then you are a new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come!” God has forgiven your sins (1 John 1:9), he has given you his Holy Spirit (Rom 8:15), and he is going to disciple you and make you into the image of his Son (cf. Rom 8:29). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb 13:5), and he will complete the work he has begun in your life (Phil 1:6). In heaven, angels and saints are rejoicing because of your commitment to Christ (Lk 15:7).

Praise God for his great salvation! May God keep you in his hand, empower you through the Holy Spirit, train you through mature believers, and use you to build his kingdom! “He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this” (1 Thess 5:24). God bless you!

Copyright © 2021 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.

Introduction

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But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation.

Hebrews 6:9 (NET)

What is salvation? Why do humans need it? And what is its process? The doctrine of salvation essentially teaches how humans are condemned to an eternal hell by a just and righteous God because of their sins. However, instead of condemning all of humanity without any hope of redemption, God provided a means of salvation, so that the condemned may become righteous and dwell eternally with him in a place of blessing.

Though an individual’s salvation happens instantaneously—at a moment in time—there is a traceable process to the experience. Theologians call this ordo salutis, which is Latin for the order of salvation.1 In Romans 8:30, Paul describes many aspects of this process. He says, “And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.” In this study, we will consider salvation by exploring some of the elements within the order of it, the gospel message, and theological issues associated with salvation such as, “Why does God elect people to salvation?” “How does a believer become more like Christ?” “Can a believer lose his salvation?” and “How does a person know if he or she is truly saved?” The intent behind studying these is that we’ll be able to know the true gospel in contrast with a false gospel, gain wisdom to grow in our sanctification, develop hope in our future glorification, and increase our sense of awe and joy in the great salvation that God planned for us. May God abundantly bless your study and give you transforming insight!

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Aaron, Daryl. Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day: How can I know God? Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

1. Election / Predestination

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Often when investigating salvation, people immediately consider the present aspect of salvation—how a person can be delivered from eternal judgment for his sins. However, each person’s salvation begins before time. This is known as the doctrine of election or predestination. Scripture teaches that before time, God chose some to salvation and passed over others. This is a very difficult doctrine, but it is taught throughout the New Testament. Consider some of the verses:

Ephesians 1:4-6 says:

For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love. He did this by predestining us to adoption as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will—to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son.

Paul taught that believers were chosen (or elected) before the foundation of the earth. They were predestined to become children of God. Likewise, in 2 Timothy 1:9, Paul said: “He is the one who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not based on our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” The basis of God’s choosing was not works that these people did, since God chose them before time. He chose them based on his own purpose and grace. In fact, in Acts, when people accepted Christ, Luke, the narrator, often pointed to their election before time. Acts 13:48 says, “When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice and praise the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life believed.” Furthermore, the apostle John, describes how in the end times, everybody will be deceived by the Antichrist except those whose names were written in the book of life before God created the earth—referring to the elect. Revelation 17:8 says:

The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded when they see that the beast was, and is not, but is to come.

Certainly, this is a challenging and potentially disturbing doctrine, but Scripture clearly teaches it.

Why Did God Elect Some to Salvation?

Though controversial, everybody believes in election, since it’s so clearly and repetitively taught in Scripture (cf. Eph 1:4, 2 Thess 2:13, 2 Tim 1:9, John 15:16, Col 3:12, etc.). However, not everybody agrees on why God elects (and some disagree about who God elects). Some believe that God elects based simply on his right as God, apart from any merit or future merit in those called. (This is the Reformed view often held by Presbyterians, Reformed Baptists, Reformed Church of America, etc.). Others believe God elects based on his foreknowing the fact that specific persons would accept Christ as their Lord and Savior in the future. (This is the Arminian view often held by Wesleyans, Methodists, Pentecostals, etc.). Those who believe this perspective point to verses like Romans 8:30 which says: “because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Also, 1 Peter 1:1-2 says: “…who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling with Jesus Christ’s blood.” Clearly, these texts say that God’s foreknowledge is the basis of election. However, those who disagree with the view that God elects based on his foreknowing that people would accept him, point out that this “foreknowledge” is not referring to knowing certain facts about a person, it is referring to knowing somebody intimately and experientially in a saving manner. This is how the word is used in 1 Corinthians 8:3. It says, But if someone loves God, he is known by God.” To be “known by God” here means to be known in a saving sense. Christ also uses “know” in this way. When talking about those who professed him as Lord in the end times but weren’t truly saved, Christ said to them, “I never knew you” (Matt 7:23).

For further support, the word “know” was also used of intimate relationships in the Old Testament and not simply knowing information about someone. For example, Genesis 4:1 (ESV) says, “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.” Knowing something intellectual about a person doesn’t create a baby; that happens by an act of intimacy. That understanding of “know” is what both Romans 8:30 and 1 Peter 1:1-2 convey. Before God created the earth, God knew certain people in a special way, and that way refers to a saving relationship. In addition, with Jeremiah, God said to him, “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you to be a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). “Chose” can also be translated “knew” (ESV, NIV, NASB). God wasn’t saying to Jeremiah that he knew specific information about him before he was born. God was saying that he knew Jeremiah intimately and called him for a special purpose—being a prophet.

Therefore, election is not God’s selection of those whom he foreknew would believe in him—a view often called conditional election. In that case, God would simply be confirming their future belief, and election would not involve God’s choice at all (cf. Eph 1:4). God’s election of some to salvation is unconditional—based simply on God’s choice. Because of this, Wayne Grudem defines election as, “an act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure.”1

Human Inability

Further evidence that God is not electing people because he foresees their future faith is found in what the Bible teaches about the sinful state of unbelievers. Scripture teaches something called human inability, also called total depravity. When sin entered the world, it affected people in such a way that they will not choose God apart from God choosing them. Consider the following verses: Romans 8:7-8 (ESV) says, “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Before salvation, people are naturally hostile to God and cannot submit to his laws. First Corinthians 2:14 says, “The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” It’s not that people don’t have free will to trust and follow Christ. They do! However, their nature has been so eroded by sin, they will always reject Christ. A lion will eat meat rather than grass 100 out of 100 times because it’s his nature. In the same way, people apart from God’s grace in salvation will reject God 100 out of 100 times because of their nature.

Then, how can God save anybody? He must elect some and give them faith to believe. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” Even the faith that a saved person professes is a gift from God. Likewise, Philippians 1:29 says, “For it has been granted to you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him.”

Therefore, in election we see the character of God. Because God is just, sinners will be condemned to hell to pay their sins. However, because God is merciful, he elects a remnant to save.

Based on God Not People

On what basis does God elect, then? Though no text ever points to a human’s decision as the basis of election2, Scripture gives various other reasons: (1) Ephesians 1:4 says God elects because of his “love.” (2) Ephesians 1:5 says “according to the pleasure of his will.” (3) Romans 9:19-24 simply argues that God elects because it’s his “right” as Creator. In discerning that some would view God’s election of certain individuals and passing over of others as unfair, Paul says:

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?” But who indeed are you—a mere human being—to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use? But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction? And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us, whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Paul simply says, God is God. He has the right to do what he wants, just like a potter making various vessels—some for honor and some for regular use.

Is Election Fair?

This brings up the fairness of election. When considering salvation, it must be remembered that the only fair result would be the condemnation of all. Scripture teaches that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). The fair wage for even a wrong thought is eternal separation from God. God would be just if he condemned all people to hell. Also, it must be remembered that before humanity fell into sin, there was a fall among the angels in heaven, of which God spared none. Second Peter 2:5 says, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment.” Therefore, election is God’s merciful intervention into humanity’s desperate state. And it is just because he paid the penalty for the elects’ sins through his Son’s death (cf. Eph 5:25, John 3:16).

In addition, it must be remembered that those who never had the chance to hear the gospel will not be condemned to hell because they rejected Christ. They will be condemned for disobeying the knowledge they had—not the knowledge they didn’t have. For example, Scripture teaches that every person is without excuse for believing in God because of the witness of creation. Romans 1:19-21 says:

because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.

If somebody sees a magnificent painting, nobody in his right mind will think the painting didn’t have a creator. The order and beauty of the painting convincingly argue for one. This is even more true when considering the complexity of a human cell—it is more complex than an airplane. People who don’t know the gospel will be judged for their rejection of the true God. Even the worship of false gods is a rejection of the true God. Romans 1:22-23 says: “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.”

Furthermore, humans will not only be condemned for rejecting God but also for breaking his known laws, which are written on their hearts, within their conscience. Romans 2:14-16 says,

For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves. They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, on the day when God will judge the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

Proof of the conscience is evident in how almost all societies—no matter what part of the world they are located—have identical laws: do not lie, do not steal, and do not kill, among others. This is proof that God’s laws are written on people’s hearts.

Therefore, God is just in condemning sinners, even if they never heard the gospel. They are condemned based on the knowledge they have about God and his laws. For this reason, those who are condemned will have differing punishments based on the knowledge they had and their obedience to it (Lk 12:42-28). Likewise, those in heaven will have different rewards based on their knowledge and obedience to it.

Common Questions About Election

1. If unconditional election is true, doesn’t that make everybody robots—people without free will?

Though this may appear to be a logical conclusion, when considering Scripture’s teachings on God’s sovereignty (control over people and events) and human free will, it is evident that these somehow co-exist together. Scripture teaches that God is in control over every event happening on the earth, and yet, each of us freely makes decisions—some good, some bad, and some inconsequential. Ephesians 1:11 says God “accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will.” And yet, Scripture challenges us to love God, love others, to not lie, to not steal, and to repent and follow Christ, among other things. These exhortations prove that we can and must make choices. Therefore, the coexistence of God’s sovereignty, including the election of some and passing over of others, and humanity’s free will is a mystery. God is sovereign, and humans make free choices, for which they will be rewarded or condemned.

2. If unconditional election is true, doesn’t it remove the need for evangelism? Why evangelize if the elect will eventually be saved anyway?

The God who ordained those who would be saved, also ordained the means of salvation, which is the preaching of the gospel. In Romans 10:14, Paul says, “How are they to call on one they have not believed in? And how are they to believe in one they have not heard of? And how are they to hear without someone preaching to them?”

In addition, Paul shared that God’s election motivated him, instead of discouraging him, to preach the gospel. In 2 Timothy 2:10, Paul said, “So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory.” Often people are scared to preach the gospel because they know some will reject it. In that same sense, election is a motivation to evangelize because we know some will accept.

3. If unconditional election is true, doesn’t it mean God chose some for hell?

Scripture never uses the same language when talking about those who will go to hell. God does not need to choose people to go to hell, as everyone is on their way to hell because of their sins. God needs to choose to have mercy on some who are on their way to hell. In addition, election is always spoken about in a positive way, while the condemnation of the lost is not. Believers are often called “the elect” (1 Pet 1:1). Also, in speaking of God’s election—the hardening of some people’s hearts and consciences, while God has mercy on others (cf. Rom 11:7-11)—Paul boasts in “the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Rom 11:25-33). Election is something that should make us rejoice in God’s great wisdom, mercy, and grace. In contrast, Scripture always talks about those who will go to hell in a negative sense. For example, Ezekiel 33:11 says,

Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?’

God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked. Also, 2 Peter 3:9 says he desires that none should perish but that all would repent. Therefore, it is unbiblical to use language such as God electing some to hell. People go to hell as a just payment for their sins. People are elected to salvation because of God’s unmerited and undeserved favor on them. Scripture does not describe the two events as the same. One is deserved and the other is undeserved. One should lead us to sorrow and the other to joy.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most to you in the reading and why?
  2. What is election and why is it so controversial?
  3. What is the difference between the Reformed and Arminian view of election?
  4. Which view do you feel is most biblical and why?
  5. Why should we preach the gospel to unbelievers if God already elected some to salvation before time?
  6. What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 670). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

2 Aaron, Daryl. Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day. Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Soteriology (Salvation)

2. Effectual Call

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The next step in the salvation process is the effectual call. Romans 8:30 says, “And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.” It is clear that this was not just a hearing of the gospel, often referred to as the general call, but an effectual one because these people responded to the message and were justified—made as though they had never sinned. Wayne Grudem said this about the effectual call:

This kind of calling is a summons from the king of the universe; it is a summons that can’t be denied, and it brings about the desired response in people’s hearts. This calling is an act of God the Father, speaking through the human proclamation of the gospel, in which he summons people to himself in such a way that they respond in saving faith. Because it comes from God and always results in saving faith, it is sometimes referred to as effective calling.1

A great example of this is in the story of Paul preaching the gospel to Lydia in Acts, and God opening her heart to the message in such a way that she repented. Acts 16:14 says, “A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.” Likewise, when anyone is saved, it happens because a person hears the gospel and God opens his or her heart to it, so the person can be saved.

Irresistible Call

It must also be noted that the effectual call is irresistible, unlike the general call. When Paul describes it in Romans 8:30, he essentially says those who are called, will be justified and glorified. The chain is unbroken. Christ taught the same thing in John 6:37, “Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.” The ones that God has given Christ are the elect—those predestined to salvation before time (Eph 1:4). At some point, God will effectually call them, and they will respond. In John 6:44, Christ emphasized this, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Though the general call is often rejected; when God effectually calls the elect, they will respond—leading to justification and eventual glorification (Rom 8:30).

Matthew Barrett, author of 40 Questions About Salvation, summarized it this way:

While God has a gospel call for all people, he also has an effectual call that is only for his elect. Unlike the gospel call, which can be resisted, when God calls his elect he does so effectually, irresistibly, and unfailingly. Therefore, the success of God’s special call is not dependent upon anything in man or upon anything man does. God’s effectual call is according to his good purpose and grace alone, thereby ensuring that God receives all the glory in our salvation.2

Reflection

  1. What is the effectual call?
  2. Why is the effectual call irresistible?
  3. How did you experience the effectual call?
  4. What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Grudem, Wayne A. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know. Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

2 Barrett, Matthew. 40 Questions About Salvation (40 Questions & Answers Series). Kregel Academic. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Soteriology (Salvation)

3. Elements of the Gospel Message

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What are the elements of the gospel message? It must include both the information of the gospel and an invitation to respond to it. The fundamental aspects of these are represented below:

  1. Every person is a sinner, who has failed to live up to God’s holy standards. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
  2. Every person is under God’s judgment for his or her sins and, apart from salvation, will spend eternity separated from God’s blessing and grace in a place of torment called hell. Romans 6:23 says, “For the payoff of sin is death…” Revelation 20:15 says, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.”
  3. Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty of every person’s sin and rose from the dead, as God accepted his payment. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 10:9 says, “because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
  4. Every person must respond to the message with repentance for their sins and faith in Christ, so that they will be saved. Acts 20:21 says, “testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.”

Sometimes Scripture only mentions our need for faith or belief to be saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” John 3:16 says, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” But also, Scripture at times only mentions our need to repent in order to be saved. In Luke 24:46-47, Christ said this to his disciples after his resurrection,

… “Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Likewise, after Pentecost the apostles taught this in Acts: “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (2:38). Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (3:19-20a).

Both repentance and faith are needed for salvation; they are like two sides of the same coin. In order for a person to trust in Christ (faith), they must first commit to turn from their sin (repentance). It’s similar to a marriage where two people commit to each other for life. When they commit to each other, they are committing to each other alone and therefore turning away from other potential marriage partners. In that commitment, there is a form of repentance—a turning away from others so each person in the union can love the other without distraction. This is what happens when someone is truly converted and experiences salvation. They repent of their sins, including idols, and put their faith in Christ.

Repentance

What exactly does repentance entail? The primary Greek word used in the New Testament for repentance is metanoia, which means “to change one’s mind.”1 It is an intellectual act (similar to faith), which includes one’s mind, emotions, and will. When there is repentance, it includes (1) knowledge from God’s Word that our sins are wrong and worthy of judgment. In describing the work of the Holy Spirit, Christ said, “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). (2) Repentance includes sorrow or remorse for sin. In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, Paul said:

As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

(3) Repentance includes a commitment to turn away from sin. Hebrews 6:1 says, “Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God.” Repentance “from” dead works emphasizes that saving repentance is not just a change of mind about who Christ is but a commitment to turn away from sin. With that said, though biblical repentance includes a commitment to turn away from sin, it is not equivalent to the act of doing so.2 This would be the fruit of repentance. In Matthew 3:8, John the Baptist challenged the Jews to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” And he said, “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt 3:10). (4) Therefore, true saving repentance will eventually result in changed actions. For this reason, a good definition of biblical repentance is a change of mind which always results in a change of action.

Faith

What exactly does faith entail? It has been commonly said that faith has three elements. (1) To have faith, there must be knowledge. People must know and understand the doctrinal elements of the gospel—that they are sinners under God’s wrath and that Christ died for their sins and rose from the dead, so they could have eternal life. However, it must be understood that knowledge alone does not save. (2) To have faith, there must be assent. One must believe the gospel as true. But, knowledge of and assent to the gospel alone won’t save anyone. Even the demons have knowledge and belief in the gospel (Jam 2:19). They know it is true. (3) Finally, there must be trust in the gospel—a reliance and dependence on Christ, apart from anything else, for salvation. To have true faith, there must be knowledge, assent, and trust.

Repentance and faith are intellectual acts, which include the will. To be saved, one must resolve to turn from sin and commit, in faith, to following Christ. Conversion happens when true faith and repentance are present in response to hearing the gospel. Though repentance and faith are not works, for no one can be saved by works (Eph 2:8-9), righteous works will always follow as a proof of salvation. In Acts 26:20, Paul said to the Gentiles, “that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.” Also, James taught that faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 26). Furthermore, faith and repentance will always continue in the life of those who are truly saved. They will manifest in godly works like continuing to repent of sins and trust in Christ, despite trials, temptations, and tests.

Free Grace Theology Versus Lordship Salvation

With that said, some take a different view on repentance and faith. They would say repentance simply means to change one’s mind about who Christ is, and that it would not necessarily include a commitment to turn away from sin. In addition, a person can be truly saved and never demonstrate fruits of repentance, such as hating sin and seeking to turn away from it. They could live as carnal or worldly Christians throughout their lives, without growing at all. Likewise, faith would not necessarily include a commitment to follow Christ as Lord. For them, intellectual belief in the facts of the gospel is enough to save. One proponent of this view said this in describing saving faith: “Do you believe that George Washington was the first President of the United States? If you do, then you know what faith is from a Biblical perspective.”3 Some who take this position would go as far as teaching that one can take Christ as Savior and not necessarily as Lord. For them, lordship is the ideal next step after one’s salvation, but not a necessary step for a person to truly be saved. When Christ gave very demanding statements about the cost of discipleship, such as hating one’s family and even one’s own life, being willing to give up everything and take up one’s cross (cf. Lk 14:26-33), advocates of this view would say these are not referring to salvation. For them, being a disciple is a step that one makes after becoming a Christian. This position is often called Free Grace Theology. Opponents of it call it “Easy Believism.”

The position advocated in this writing is often called Lordship Salvation, which is the primary view held historically by the church.4 The apostle James taught that intellectual faith by itself is not enough to save, as even the demons believe in God and shudder (Jam 2:19). Also, Scripture teaches that there will always be good fruit in the life of somebody who is truly saved. The fruit is not perfect, but it will be present and progressive, since whoever is in Christ is a new creation—old things have passed away and the new has come (2 Cor 5:17). Faith that doesn’t produce good works is dead faith (cf. James 2:14-26, Eph 2:10). In view of this, John the Baptist said, “every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt 3:10). Furthermore, as far as the belief that discipleship is a second, optional step after salvation, every follower of Christ in the New Testament was immediately considered a disciple upon conversion. When Christ called people to follow him and gave them strenuous requirements, these requirements refer to true repentance—committing to turn away from sin, including ruling one’s own life—and true faith—believing in, trusting in, and following Christ as Lord. Unfortunately, there will be many who call Jesus, “Lord,” in the last days but are ultimately rejected because there was no genuine repentance and faith in their lives. In Matthew 7:21-23, Christ said:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

Sadly, in part because there is so much confusion over the gospel and its elements, particularly faith and repentance, the church is heaping up many unconverted believers—those who call Christ, “Lord,” but are not truly living for him.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most to you in the reading and why?
  2. What are essential elements of the gospel message?
  3. What is saving faith and what are elements of it?
  4. What is repentance, in regard to salvation, and what are elements of it?
  5. What is the difference between free grace theology and lordship salvation? Which view do you think is most biblical and why?
  6. Why is there so much confusion in the church over the gospel message?
  7. What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Akin, Daniel L. A Theology for the Church (Kindle Locations 20953-20954). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

2 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 713). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

3 Accessed 3/24/20 from https://faithalone.org/grace-in-focus-articles/what-is-free-grace-theology/

4 Grudem, Wayne. “Free Grace” Theology. Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Soteriology (Salvation)

4. Regeneration

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There is considerable debate over the placement of regeneration in the order of salvation. Scripture describes unbelievers as dead in their sin and rebelling against God and his Word (Eph 2:1-6, Rom 8:7, 1 Cor 2:14). But when a person is regenerated, God raises the spiritually dead to life through the Spirit (John 3:5-8) and his or her hearing of the gospel (1 Pet 1:23, Jam 1:18). The Greek word translated “regeneration” or “new birth” is only used once in Scripture to refer to a believer’s salvation. Titus 3:5 says, “he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Though “regeneration” is only mentioned once, the concept is that of being “born again,” “reborn,” or “born of God,” which is mentioned many times (cf. 1 John 3:9, 4:7, 5:1, 4). In John 3:3 (ESV), Christ said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” First John 2:29 (NIV) says, “If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.”

The concept of regeneration is rooted in God’s Old Testament promise of a New Covenant with his people. In Ezekiel 36:25-27, God said:

I will sprinkle you with pure water and you will be clean from all your impurities. I will purify you from all your idols. I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations.

Because Israel had failed to obey God’s first covenant, he promised to make a New Covenant with them. In it, he committed to cleanse them, take away their heart of stone, give them a new heart, and put his Spirit in them. Through this work, God would enable them to obey his laws.

Likewise, believers have experienced this in the New Covenant (cf. Heb 9:15). When they are born again, he gives them a new nature and his Spirit. Where before, as unbelievers, they were in rebellion against God and incapable of understanding and obeying his Word, after regeneration, God, his Word, and obeying him are their daily bread (cf. Matt 4:4, John 4:34, Rom 8:15). Because of the new birth, they have holy affections—desires to pray, read Scripture, worship God, love him and others. These are proofs of true salvation. First John 3:10 says,

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

Views on Regeneration

There are two primary views on the placement of regeneration in the order of salvation.

1. Some believe regeneration happens before salvation, enabling a believer to have faith in God.

This view is most commonly held by believers in Reformed traditions such as Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist. They believe regeneration precedes faith for several reasons. (1) They focus on human inability. As mentioned, humans by nature cannot obey God or have faith in him. Romans 8:7-8 says, “the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Also, 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Logically, this means God must regenerate unbelievers by his Spirit for them to respond to the gospel in faith. (2) They focus on metaphors that appear to correspond with regeneration. When Scripture refers to “being born again” (John 3:3), the metaphor demonstrates how a person has nothing to do with regeneration. Who had anything to do with their human birth? Neither do believers have anything to do with their spiritual birth. God must choose to give us life. James 1:18 says, “By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” Also, Christ uses the metaphor of the wind in referring to being born again in John 3:8. He says, “The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” No human controls the wind. The metaphor seems to point to how a person contributes nothing to his or her regeneration. It is totally monergistic—a work God does by himself. God imparts a new nature and faith in the elect so they will respond to the gospel (cf. Eph 2:8-9, Phil 1:29). In addition, there is the metaphor of unbelievers being blinded by Satan until God removes their blindness by declaring, “Let light shine out of darkness,” enabling them to understand and accept the gospel (2 Cor 4:3-6). Furthermore, there is the metaphor of the spiritual resurrection. Scripture says that by nature we are dead in our sins (Eph 2:1), which again emphasizes human inability. Dead people can’t regenerate themselves or do anything spiritually good; God has to resurrect them and give them new life. Ephesians 2:4-6 says,

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!—and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

(3) Finally, a few verses seem to indicate that regeneration precedes faith. For example, 1 John 5:1 (NIV) says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” Since “believes” is present tense and “born of God” is in the perfect tense (meaning, it happened in the past with present effects), it seems to indicate order. John Stott explains, “The combination of the present tense and perfect tense is important. It shows clearly that believing is the consequence, not the cause, of the new birth.”1

For those who take this view, regeneration is a necessary work of God so people can be saved. Though conversion and regeneration, in real-time, appear to happen simultaneously, the logical order is that regeneration must happen first. It’s like flipping the light switch on in a house. When one flips the switch, the lights come on simultaneously; however, the flipped switch is the cause of the lights coming on. In the same way, it is argued that regeneration is the cause of salvation, as God equips a person to believe the gospel.

2. With all that said, most believe regeneration happens after faith.

This does not mean that humans can believe the gospel apart from God’s grace. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” Even a believer’s faith is a gift from God (cf. Phil 1:29).

There are several reasons why many believe regeneration happens after faith. (1) When Christ describes the need for Nicodemus to be born again to enter into the kingdom of God in John 3:1-8, as mentioned, he uses metaphors, such as being born again and the wind, which seem to preclude any human participation. However, soon after, Christ challenges Nicodemus to believe so he might have eternal life. In John 3:16, he said, “For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” It would seem natural for Nicodemus to equate being born again to enter the kingdom with his believing to have eternal life—that he needed to believe in Christ to be born again. (2) Some verses seem to indicate that being born again happens as a result of faith. For example, John 1:12 says, “But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children.” Being born again seems to correspond with becoming a child of God. When people believe in Christ, they are born again—adopted into the family of God (Rom 8:15-17). Also, though dead people can do nothing to resurrect themselves (which those who believe the first view point out), Paul teaches that the believer’s spiritual resurrection happens because of his faith in God. Colossians 2:12 says, “Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him ‘through your faith’ in the power of God who raised him from the dead.” In John 5:24, Christ seems to say the same thing: “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.” Crossing from death to life refers to one’s spiritual resurrection, which happened as a consequence of believing. (3) Finally, in teaching Nicodemus about the need to be born again, Christ said it happened by God’s Spirit (John 3:5-6), and many verses point to God’s Spirit being given after faith. For example, Acts 2:38 says, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Since a person is born again by God’s Spirit, and the Spirit is given to the believer after faith, most regard regeneration as happening after a person is converted.

Whatever view one takes on the order of regeneration, the results of regeneration are unmistakable. Those who were dead in their sin and rebelling against God (Eph 2:1, Rom 8:7), now love and obey him. (1) The apostle John says the results of regeneration will be demonstrated in various ways, including patterns of righteousness. First John 2:29 (ESV) says, “If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.” (2) Likewise, in the regenerate, there will be a continual decrease in sinning—though not reaching perfection in this life (cf. 1 John 1:8). First John 3:9 (ESV) says, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (3) There will be fruits of loving other believers—no doubt demonstrated in continually gathering to worship together and serving one another. First John 3:14 says, “We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death.” This is why those who profess Christ but demonstrate no positive change in their lives may not be born again. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Paul said:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

In regeneration, believers are radically changed, and the fruits will be evident (2 Cor 5:17, Matt 7:17-20). They will stumble and fail God, but God will not fail them. He will complete the work he began in them until the day of Christ (Phil 1:6).

Though regenerated, believers still have a sin nature that must be battled. But, because of Christ’s victory over it on the cross (Rom 6:6, 11) and God’s imparting of a new nature and the Spirit, believers are new creations (2 Cor 5:17), with the ability to daily conquer sin and walk in holiness. In Galatians 5:16-17, Paul said:

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

In conclusion, regeneration is a work by which God imparts a new nature into the spiritually dead and transforms them by his Spirit into new creations in Christ. Whether it happens before or after saving faith, it is nonetheless the beginning of how God progressively sanctifies believers—making them more and more Christlike.

Reflection

  1. What stood out most to you in the reading and why?
  2. What are the two views of regeneration and which view seems more biblical to you and why?
  3. What are fruits of regeneration in the life of someone who is truly born again?
  4. If a person lacks the fruits of regeneration, what does that say about his or her faith?
  5. What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Barrett, Matthew. 40 Questions About Salvation (40 Questions & Answers Series). Kregel Academic. Kindle Edition.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Soteriology (Salvation)

5. Justification

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Justification simply means “to declare righteous.”1 This, like regeneration, happens at the moment of a person’s conversion. An easy way to remember justification is “God makes us ‘just’ as though we never sinned.” There are two parts to justification. (1) It includes God forgiving our sins because of Christ’s death on the cross to pay the penalty for them. (2) It includes God declaring us as righteous based on Christ’s righteous life. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.” On the cross, Christ was our substitute. God declared that our sins were his and punished him in accordance with them. By Christ’s death, he appeased God’s just wrath for the sins of the world. In the same way, God looks at Christ’s righteous life and declares it as ours. Christ never lied, stole, or sinned in his heart. Also, he always did God’s will. God now looks at us as having the righteousness of his perfect Son.

Practically, justification means that we will never be condemned for our sins because Christ was condemned for us. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:33-34 says:

Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.

God declares us righteous because of Christ’s work (his righteous life and death for our sins) and our response in faith to it. Many verses teach this: Romans 3:26 (ESV) says, “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Galatians 2:16 says:

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Because of our faith in Christ, apart from any merit of our own, God justifies us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

In Contrast with Roman Catholic Doctrine

With that said, though Scripture clearly teaches that we are justified by faith alone, apart from works, some believe that people must have faith plus works to be saved. This is the major difference between Protestants and Catholics, which led to the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s. Catholics believe that our faith must be accompanied by works, such as practicing the sacraments, including taking the Lord’s Supper, being baptized and later confirmed, and doing penance. Wayne Grudem’s description of the difference between Catholic and Protestant doctrine is helpful:

The Protestant doctrine of justification says that we are fully justified by God the instant we believe, for “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). The Roman Catholic doctrine says that we are not fully justified until our lives are completely cleansed from sin, which will not be until after we die and we have been purified in purgatory (Protestants say there is no purgatory). These differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics about justification have continued to this day.2

Understanding justification by faith alone is extremely important, because it is often the dividing line between the true gospel and the many false gospels.3 God saves people despite their sins and based on no merit of their own. He saves them based on the merit of Christ, as they put their faith in him and him alone. Romans 4:4-8 says,

Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness. So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin.”

Reflection

  1. What stood out most to you in the reading and why?
  2. What does justification mean and what happens when a person is justified?
  3. What is the difference between the Roman Catholic and Protestant views of justification?
  4. In what ways have you seen or experienced false gospels, which have crept into the church, that add works to faith as a means of salvation?
  5. What questions or applications did you take from the reading?

Copyright © 2020 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 723). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

2 Grudem, Wayne A. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know. Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

3 Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 722). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Soteriology (Salvation)

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