John 3:3.Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We cannot even see the kingdom of God much less turn to it apart from being born again. We must be born again (by God's sovereign choice) before we can repent and place our faith in Jesus Christ.

[Brother Tim]

These were challenged to turn:

Acts 14:15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

I did not say the Bible does not command men to turn. I said men cannot turn apart from regeneration. God commands me not to sin but I still sin. God can and does make demands that we cannot fulfill apart from His Grace!

[Brother Tim]

You are misreading Acts 14:15. There is no command from God. There is an appeal from preachers.

God or man - my statement as a whole still stands.

[Luke]

Why does it seem that every few months, some of those "Historical Reformed" baptists love to come on here and correct us wayward brethren.

Frankly, I am sick of the stupid arguments about regeneration before faith.

Spurgeon said

"If I am to preach the faith in Christ to a man who is regenerated, then the man, being regenerated, is saved already, and it is an unnecessary and ridiculous thing for me to preach Christ to him, and bid him to believe in order to be saved when he is saved already, being regenerate. Am I only to preach faith to those who have it? Absurd, indeed! Is not this waiting till the man is cured and then bringing him the medicine? This is preaching Christ to the righteous and not to sinners." [Sermon entitled The Warrant of Faith].

Even the great herald of the faith, that godly baptist calvinist Spurgeon, disagrees with the stupidity of regeneration before faith.

EDIT: I have not found Spurgeon ever attempting to correct D. L. Moody, who was not a calvinist at all.

[peopleoftheway]

Amen to that to Brother Luke im sick and tired of it also.

[Brother Tim]

Eric, I do appreciate you sending the Chick tracts. Though there is a saying, "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" (not KJB), I do want to ask you a couple of questions.

1 - If you do not agree with Chick anymore, why propagate his "error" by vicariously passing out the tracts? By sending them on to others (me and those with whom I share the tracts) rather than destroying them as unfit material, you are still complacent in the deed.
2 - Even if the source was not a problem, if the text of the tract presented (in your opinion) a false teaching, are you not participating in the spread of a false doctrine?

I told you that I would pay for the tracts. I do not want to be beholding to you. (somewhat like Abraham and the king, but not an exact parallel ) Since you do not want to receive anything (this is honorable), then be it known that when I am able to determine the general value of the tracts, I will forward a gift in your honor to BibleSender, who distributes Bibles, New Testaments, and tracts at no charge.

[Brother Tim]

GREAT quote, Luke!

[Josh]

Originally Posted by ericwgreene

...We cannot even see the kingdom of God much less turn to it apart from being born again. We must be born again (by God's sovereign choice) before we can repent and place our faith in Jesus Christ.

What??? Being born again happens when you place your faith in Christ. You're not born again, then place you faith in Christ. God gave mankind a free-will. All those who will come may. They put their trust in Christ and what He did and are saved. Repentance is a change of heart, turning from the sin of unbelief, to believing the Gospel.