A Panel at a Ligonier Conference (Dr. Steve Lawson, Dr. R. C. Sproul, and Dr. John MacArthur) answers (slight time delay between audio and video):
Here Dr. R. C. Sproul answers the question, “Why are the vast majority of Western Christians influenced by Arminian theology rather than Reformation theology?”
One is to be dedicated to Jesus Christ, NOT reformed theology. Reformed theology is nothing but Roman catholic lite and that theology lies about God’s, mercy, grace, love and longsuffering, and HE calls all men to repent, but only those who trust in HIM will be saved. Regeneration cannot precede faith in Jesus, PERIOD.
It is my dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ that caused me to embrace Reformed Theology for the simple reason that Jesus taught the doctrines now known as “Reformed Theology” very clearly. Of course man needs to repent and believe the gospel – but who will do so? Jesus tells us in John 6:37. So does Luke (Acts 13:48). It is Jesus Himself who made it clear that one has to be regenerated before they can enter or even see the kingdom of God. (John 3) You believe a man can enter the kingdom before regeneration… Jesus says the opposite. With all due respect Elizabeth, I believe Jesus has far more authority on the matter than yourself. I am with Him on this.
Hi John,
Where exactly within John 6:37 and Acts 13:48 specifically teach that people are regenerated prior to faith.
If you read my comment again you will see that I never made the claim that John 6:37 and Acts 13:48 teach regeneration before faith – they teach Divine election. Of course other verses teach regeneration precedes faith such as John 3:3 “Unless a man is born again (regeneration) he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (we enter by faith), and 1 John 5:1.
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.” – 1 John 5:1
In the original Greek, the verb tenses in this verse are very revealing. A literal translation reads as follows: “All the ones going on believing (pisteuon, a present tense, continuous action) that Jesus is the Christ has been born (gennesanta, perfect tense – an action already complete with abiding effects) of God.” The fact that someone is presently going on believing in Christ shows that they have first been born again. Faith is the evidence of regeneration, not the cause of it. Since both repentance and faith are possible only because of the work of God (regeneration), both are called the gift of God in scripture (Eph. 2:8, 9; Phil. 1:29; 2 Tim 2:24-26).
“Regeneration is the spiritual change wrought in the heart of man by the Holy Spirit in which a person’s inherently sinful nature is so radically impacted, his disposition so affected, his mind so illumined, his will so liberated that a person can and will respond to God in saving faith and willingly live in accord with the will of God.” – J. I. Packer
Hello John – I wanted to share with you that I was the person that asked the question that was answered in your first video taken from the 2012 conference held in Redmond Washington. The Christian animosity towards Reformed Theology is real. I have been a Christian for over 60 years and I wanted an answer to the question of why I became a Christian but my next door neighbor did not. I want to believe that Reformed Theology has provided my answer.