Are you saying Regeneration is not needed for the Believer?
By the way when would Regeneration actually take place, and how?
No my friend, I'm saying that
faith doesn't require regeneration. In fact, if we look at the model of salvation by grace through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ - Abraham - we see that a specific sequence emerges.
Ephesians 1:13-14
In Him, you also, 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,
14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.
Acts 11:17
“Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ,who was I that I could stand in God's way?”
In both of these passages we see that the Holy Spirit's indwelling comes AFTER one believes, not before.
The Holy Spirit's indwelling is "circumcision of the heart." God testified regarding the covenant of faith with Abraham in the Torah so that we would have a model of salvation. God made that covenant of faith with Abraham 430 years before the law even existed... so the covenant of faith is truly apart from and outside of the law.
Gal 3:6-9 NASB
6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, [saying,] "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.
Gal 3:14-17 NASB 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is [only] a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as [referring] to many, but [rather] to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
God preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to Abraham, and when Abraham believed the gospel, he was credited as righteous. This is the righteousness of faith. It differs from the righteousness which is based on following the law of Moses.
Rom 4:9-13 NASB
9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Let me remind you of Ephesians 1:
Ephesians 1:13-14
In Him, you also, 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,
14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.
So in Abraham's case, circumcision is the seal of the righteousness of faith, and in the case of Ephesians, the Holy Spirit's indwelling is the seal of the righteousness of faith. They are, in fact, one in the same. Circumcision is an old testament shadow or representation of the Holy Spirit's indwelling.
Deu 30:6 NASB
6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
Col 2:11 NASB] 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
Rom 8:10 NASB] 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Rom 7:22-23 NASB] 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 2:28-29 NASB] 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
What better picture is there than circumcision where the dead, outer flesh being cut away to reveal the living, inner man? This is why circumcision was to be the symbol rather than something less invasive such as wearing a certain color robe or wearing a certain jewel or something.
Also note the function of the organ is reproduction. Abraham's descendants inherit the promise... Abraham's descendants are the ones who obtain righteousness.
Luk 19:9 NASB
9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.
Rom 8:15-17 NASB 1
5 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.]
Gup20 said:
↑
I don’t think
complete free will is Biblical. I think it’s clear that, as it pertains to Salvation, God gives human beings a distinct, binary choice. Choose life or choose death. It does nothing to damage the sovereignty of God to command humans to choose between two options.
Are you able to demonstrate this belief of yours? Chpt. Vs
Rom 10:5-10 NASB
5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: "DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or 'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." 8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
This passage from Romans 10 is drawing a distinction between the righteousness which comes by faith and the righteousness which comes by following the law. As its example of the righteousness of faith, it quotes heavily from Deuteronomy 30. Well Deuteronomy 30 says 3 times that life and death, the blessing and the curse are a choice God gives man. It is summed up in verse 19:
Deu 30:1, 6, 11-15, 19 NASB
1 "So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call [them] to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, ... 6 "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. ... 11 "For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' 13 "Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?' 14 "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. 15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; ... 19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,
See how this passage noting the distinct, binary choice is quoted by Paul above in Romans 10? Paul explicitly states this passage is in regards to the righteousness which comes by faith. He says this choice is "not in heaven" and that the choice is "not too difficult for us." This ruins the Calvinistic theory of Total Depravity. It says we do not need the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to hear the gospel (who will go up to heaven to get it for us
and make us hear it that we may observe it).
The passage says God placed before us a choice; life or death. And then in case we were uncertain He tells us, "Choose life." Note the parallels between Deuteronomy 30 and Romans 8:16 (which you can see above).
I call heaven and earth to witness...
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit...
So you have
heaven (the Spirit Himself) and
earth (our spirit) baring
witness (which means to testify) of the choice we make for ourselves between life and death. It is choice that is not too difficult for us, and it is a choice not made in heaven.