Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him (1 John 5:1).
The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3b, 1 Corinthians 2:10-14 cf. Romans 6:20; ). One must be "born again", or more accurately one must have experienced the birth from above, before the natural man has the ability to wholeheartedly believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:3-8; 1 John 4:7; 5:1). From Scripture in John 1:12-13 we can see that those who receive Christ were born not of blood nor the will of man, but of God. This birth, quickening or regeneration, is a monergistic act of God alone; or how Wayne Grudem describes it:
Without this spiritual birth, this new heart, man cannot respond to the proclamation of the Gospel with repentance and faith.
The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3b, 1 Corinthians 2:10-14 cf. Romans 6:20; ). One must be "born again", or more accurately one must have experienced the birth from above, before the natural man has the ability to wholeheartedly believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:3-8; 1 John 4:7; 5:1). From Scripture in John 1:12-13 we can see that those who receive Christ were born not of blood nor the will of man, but of God. This birth, quickening or regeneration, is a monergistic act of God alone; or how Wayne Grudem describes it:
This spiritual birth is like being born as natural infants. Believers have not cooperated in their own conception or birth, nor chosen their Parent. (Ephesians 1:4-6; 1 John 4:19) This spiritual birth involves God giving a heart of flesh to man (Ezekiel 36:25-26; John 3:5; Titus 3:5), a heart that is inclined to forsake sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ savingly.
Without this spiritual birth, this new heart, man cannot respond to the proclamation of the Gospel with repentance and faith.