Why Regeneration Does Not Precede Faith

Christian Theology, Discipleship, Election, Evangelism, Free Grace, Hot Topics, Ministry, Salvation 8 Minutes

Introduction

Strict Calvinists teach that genuine saving faith necessarily produces a life of obedience and submission to Christ’s authority. According to this view, true faith cannot be separated from repentance—defined as turning from sin—and a willingness to follow Christ as both Savior and Lord. Because strict Calvinism holds that all humanity is spiritually dead and utterly incapable of responding to God on their own—often illustrated by the analogy of a lifeless corpse—God must first regenerate the elect, those He has sovereignly chosen to save. Only after this divine act of regeneration are they made spiritually alive. At that moment, God imparts a special kind of faith that not only enables them to believe in Christ for salvation but also transforms their desires, inclining them to seek God and live in obedience to Him. This faith, they argue, inevitably results in a life marked by perseverance, submission, and good works (Phil 1:6, 29; Jam 2:14-26). Therefore, if a professing believer does not demonstrate ongoing transformation, Reformed theology views this as evidence that true salvation never took place.

The Flawed View of Strict Calvinism

Total Depravity – In strict Calvinism, all humanity is spiritually dead and total depraved. Their understanding of total depravity means everyone is totally unwilling and incapable of responding to God. J. I. Packer states, “Total depravity entails total inability, that is, the state of not having it in oneself to respond to God and his Word in a sincere and wholehearted way (John 6:44; Rom 8:7-8).”[1] In other words, total inability suggests that humans, in their fallen state, lack the inherent ability to believe in Christ without divine intervention.

Monergistic Regeneration – Because of humanities’ total inability, God must flip the switch and cause His elect ones to receive spiritual life before they can exercise faith. When God regenerates one of His elect, they will turn from their sin and trust in Jesus as Savior. From their view, total depravity necessitates regeneration preceding faith in Christ. Sproul states, “Regeneration precedes faith…faith is the fruit of the regeneration God performs in our hearts.”[2] Demerest states, “regeneration precedes personal belief in the Gospel, repentance from sin, and wholehearted trust in Christ.”[3]

The Gift of Faith – Calvinists teach that God’s elect, in order to be saved, are given a special kind of faith that enables them to believe in Jesus as Savior. Reymond states, “Scripture makes it clear that faith in Jesus Christ is a spiritual gift traceable to divine grace.”[4] According to Lloyd-Jones, “God gives us the new birth; He gives us this power and faculty of faith and then He enables us to exercise it… He calls upon me to believe in Him, and He has given me, by the gift of faith, the power to believe.”[5] This gift, they argue, enables the new regenerated person to believe in Jesus.

Perseverance of the Saints – Calvinists, and Lordship Salvation advocates, teach that all God’s elect will persevere in faith and good works to the end of their lives. According to MacArthur, “lordship salvation is nothing other than the doctrine of perseverance!”[6] Grudem states, “The perseverance of the saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives, and that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again.”[7] According to Grenz, “The perseverance of the saints refers to the belief that those who are truly among the elect will remain faithful to the end.”[8] According to Calvinism, if someone fails to persevere in faith and good works, it proves that person was never truly saved.

The Biblical View

Total Depravity – Total depravity means that all people are born spiritually dead[9] (separated from God in time), meaning that sin has affected every part of human nature—mind, will, emotions, and body (Rom 3:10-12; Eph 2:1). However, total depravity does not mean total inability to believe. By God’s prevenient grace and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11), unbelievers are capable of understanding and responding to the gospel.[10] Faith is the non-meritorious response God requires for eternal life (John 3:16; Rom 1:16; 4:5), and it is not a work nor irresistibly given. Salvation remains entirely of grace, through faith alone in Christ alone. In short, people are not zombies dragged into faith against their will; they are image-bearers graciously persuaded by the Spirit through the Word (John 16:8-11), called to respond freely, and, when they do, they are instantaneously “made alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:5). That’s grace at work.

Regeneration – Regeneration, or the new birth, is the work of God whereby He imparts spiritual life to the believer (Tit 3:5). The word “regeneration” occurs only twice in the Bible (Matt 19:28 and Tit 3:5). In both places the Greek word used is παλιγγενεσία (paliggenesia), which means rebirth, new birth, new beginning. According to Enns, “Succinctly stated, to regenerate means ‘to impart life.’ Regeneration is the act whereby God imparts life to the one who believes.”[11] Biblically, faith precedes regeneration, or new life (John 3:15-16; Eph 1:13; cf. John 1:12-13; 6:47; Acts 16:31; Rom 1:16; 3:28; Gal 3:26; Eph 2:8-9).[12]

Faith in Jesus – Faith is personal trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Eph 2:8). This is not a special kind of faith, but the everyday faith we all have. Saving faith always has Jesus as its object, for “whoever believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 3:15). The biblical order is that faith precedes regeneration. Scripture states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Faith leads to life; it is not the product of regeneration. Paul wrote, “After listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13). The order is unmistakable: hearing the gospel → believing → being sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Perseverance of the Saints – The Bible teaches that all who trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life are eternally secure, kept by God’s power and promise (John 10:28-29; Rom 8:38-39). Justification is by grace alone through faith alone, apart from works, and does not guarantee a life of obedience or spiritual maturity (Eph 2:8-9; 1 Cor 3:1-3). Nevertheless, believers are clearly and repeatedly commanded to grow in grace, pursue holiness, and serve the Lord as faithful stewards (Rom 12:1-2; 2 Pet 3:18; 1 Cor 4:1-2). While not all believers will persevere, those who respond to the call of discipleship will be empowered by the Holy Spirit and rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ for their faithfulness (Gal 5:16; 1 Cor 3:12-15; 2 Tim 4:7-8). Salvation is free; reward is earned. Eternal life is a gift; discipleship is a costly, lifelong journey of obedience and spiritual growth.

Conclusion

In the final analysis, the framework of strict Calvinism—while seeking to uphold God’s sovereignty and holiness—ultimately confuses salvation with sanctification, collapsing the free gift of eternal life into the costly demands of discipleship. By insisting that regeneration precedes faith and that true salvation must manifest in a life of unwavering obedience and perseverance, it subtly replaces the gospel of grace with a system that tests faith by works. Scripture, however, makes a clear and liberating distinction: eternal life is received by faith alone in Christ alone, totally apart from works (Rom 4:4-5; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9), and is eternally secure the moment one believes (John 5:24; 10:28). Good works and spiritual growth are indeed God’s will for every believer, but they are not the measure or means of salvation—they are the response of the grateful, Spirit-empowered believer walking in fellowship with the Lord (Rom 12:1-2; Gal 5:16). As we proclaim the biblical gospel, we must be vigilant to protect its purity and clarity, declaring boldly that salvation is free, full, and forever—for all who simply believe in Jesus (John 3:16; 6:47).

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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[1] J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1993), 84.

[2] R. C. Sproul, What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?, vol. 6, The Crucial Questions Series (Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2010), 38.

[3] Bruce A. Demarest, The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation, Foundations of Evangelical Theology (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1997), 227.

[4] Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1998), 679.

[5] David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God the Holy Spirit (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1997), 176–178.

[6] John MacArthur, Jr., “Perseverance of the Saints”, The Master’s Journal, 4 (1993), 9.

[7] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 788.

[8] Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 90.

[9] There are different kinds of death mentioned in the Bible. Biblically, death means separation, not cessation. The three major kinds of death mentioned in Scripture include: 1) spiritual death, which is separation from God in time (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-7; Rom 5:12; Eph 2:1-2), 2) physical death, which is the separation of the human spirit from the body (Gen 35:18; Eccl 12:7; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23-24; 2 Tim 4:6; Jam 2:26), and 3) the second death (aka eternal death), which is the perpetuation of physical and spiritual separation from God for all eternity (Rev 20:11-15).

[10] The first instance of spiritual death occurred in the Garden of Eden when God warned Adam, “from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die” (Gen 2:17). This death was not physical but spiritual—separation from God in time. After their disobedience, Adam and Eve did experience this separation (Gen 3:1–7), yet they still sensed God’s presence and “heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden” (Gen 3:8). They could also hear His voice when He asked, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9). This shows that even in their spiritually dead state, they retained the ability to perceive and respond to God. Furthermore, by faith, they accepted God’s gracious provision when “the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Gen 3:21). Thus, Scripture reveals that faith is the instrument by which a person receives spiritual life—not the inevitable result of a prior regeneration.

[11] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 338.

[12] The Greek word ἀναγεννάω (anagennaō) can be added to the idea of regeneration as well. The word appears twice in Peter’s first epistle (1 Pet 1:3, 23). The basic meaning is, to begat again, and is translated born again in both instances and has the idea of imparting new life. The expression “born again” in John 3:3, 7 translates the Greek γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν (gennēthē anōthen), meaning “to be born from above,” underscoring that regeneration is a spiritual birth caused by God in response to faith in Christ, not by human effort, moral reform, or religious heritage (John 1:12-13; Tit 3:5).

Published by Dr. Steven R. Cook

Dr. Steven R. Cook is a Christian educator. He is protestant, conservative, and dispensational. Studies in the original languages of Scripture, ancient history, and systematic theology have been the foundation for Steven’s teaching and writing ministry. He has written several Christian books, dozens of articles on Christian theology, and recorded more than seven hundred hours of audio and video sermons. Steven currently serves as professor of Bible and Theology at Tyndale Theological Seminary, and hosts weekly Bible studies at his home in Texas. Steven’s ministry activity is entirely voluntary (articles, blogs, podcasts, and video lessons), as he works a full time job as a Case Manager for a local nonprofit agency that helps the elderly and disabled in the community.

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