How Does God Draw People To Believe In Jesus?: A Biblical Analysis of Alternative Answers and Why It Matters by Robert Kerrey

Author:Robert Kerrey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: How Does God Draw People to Believe in Jesus?
Publisher: Grace Theology Press
Published: 2019-11-18T17:00:00+00:00

Again, it seems that Barrett is taking aim at the second premise, arguing that the indwelling of the Spirit is received at conversion, which follows regeneration in the ordo salutis. Admittedly, it seems faith-before-regeneration proponents assume the second premise rather than prove it. (Similarly, Barrett seems to merely assume that the Holy Spirit is received at conversion.)

Barrett argues that regeneration and the indwelling of the Spirit are distinct events and not synonymous, as evidenced by John 7:38-39.13 His point is well taken. Actually, the second premise of the above syllogism does not require that regeneration and the reception of the Spirit be the exact same event, only that they happen at the same time. Even so, to my knowledge, such concurrency has not been argued persuasively, at least not through the exegesis of specific biblical texts. Unless and until it is, the above texts do not present a strong argument for the faith-before-regeneration view.

Nevertheless, if the reception of the Spirit does indeed follow regeneration, it does raise some difficult questions. For example, Romans 8:9 tells us that anyone who does not have the Spirit does not belong to Christ. Does this mean that a person can temporarily be regenerate and not belong to Christ? Similarly, Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us that believers are sealed with the Spirit who is “the guarantee of our inheritance.” Does this mean that a person can temporarily be regenerate and have no such guarantee? Likewise, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 tells us that believers are baptized into the body of Christ through the Spirit. Does this mean that a person can temporarily be regenerate and not be a member of the body of Christ?

Perhaps it is questions like these that prompt faith-after-regeneration proponents such as Sproul to say that, “regeneration precedes faith,” but only, “with respect to logical priority, not temporal priority.”14 But, as pointed out in the introduction, this seems unhelpful and illogical.

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