The Calvinism Debate - Way of Life Literature

the truth.’ Note that ‘sanctification of the Spirit’ comesbefore and makes possible ‘belief of the truth’” (p. 73).e chief passage on the New Birth is John 3. In verses 1-8Jesus teaches Nicodemus that he must be born again or hecannot see the kingdom of God. In verse 9, Nicodemus asksJesus how this can be. In verses 10-21, Jesus answers thisquestion and explains how a man is born again, and theanswer is that he is born again by believing (Jn. 3:14-16)! isis exactly what the Calvinist says the sinner cannot do. Howcan a dead man believe, he reasons? Well, if we are going totake the “dead man” analogy literally, a dead man can’t sineither. When the Bible says the sinner is dead in trespassesand sins it means that he is separated from God’s divine lifebecause of sin. To take this analogy beyond the actualteaching of the Bible and to give it other meanings, such as toreason that since the sinner is dead in trespasses and sins hemust not be able to believe, is to move from truth to heresy.Ephesians 1:13 also gives the order of salvation. “In whomye also trusted, aer that ye heard the word of truth, thegospel of your salvation: in whom also aer that ye believed,ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” First thesinner believes and then he receives the Holy Spirit.e order of salvation is made clear in Acts 16:30-31 in theconversion of the Philippian jailer. “And brought them out,and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said,Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, andthy house.” Note that the jailer was not born again when heasked what he must do to be saved, and Paul replied that hemust believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Obviously Paul knewthat the man could do exactly that and, that by believing hewould be born again.e order of salvation is also made clear in Ephesians2:8-9--“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that notof yourselves: it is the gi of God: Not of works, lest any manshould boast.” Faith is the means whereby we are saved; it isthe hand that reaches out to accept God’s Gi.18