Faith in Christ is the most important thing you can ever have. Everything else in life is really just "noise". Sometimes it's loud noise, sometimes it's less noise ..... but in the end, on Judgement day, the "noise" doesn't mean anything.
God bless Johnny Mac for his invaluable teachings that bring us closer to Christ Jesus, for it is by His blood that we are saved. May God bless us all with wisdom, discernment and unwaivering steadfast Faith to recognize the truth in His many promises to us so that we may be more empowered to seek righteousness in the attempt to glorify His mighty name. In the Holy name of Jesus Christ I pray this prayer, Amen. 🙏 Hallelujah to the Lamb of God Praise be to our Heavenly Father
Present christianity should go through this valuable divine teaching before finishing the race of life IN FACT MILLIONS HAVE ALREADY SUFFERED THE SAD END OF THEIR RACE OF LIFE ALL BECAUSE OF THE DEVIL'S DECEPTIONS! WAKE UP ALL YEA DRIED BONES... GLORY TO GOD FOR HIS GRACE OF LIFE
The most moral person can come to the portals of heaven only as a filthy rag. I agree with you in this. A sinner may have fun and then increasing misery to the brink of death or despair at this his heart cries to God and God grant repentance and faith this is all Gods doing tobring the new birth. I got it this way... Psalm18 In my distress I cried He heard my cry..then the earth shook... this is God quickening us from death in sin... even our fear our distress our cry is from God..
Watched this and took notes through to the end. What I am shocked with is his lack of reading further into the text for clarity. He spends a lot of time talking about how we did not have the choice to be born physically so therefore the same goes for spiritual birth. As though that was the point Jesus was trying to make. As though He was signaling and winking at Nicodemus this hidden message of regeneration preceding faith. He says this numerous times after stopping his analysis at verse 12 as though it is the end of the story. He then criticizes Billy Graham's book on how to be saved. He never once mentions the condition required in the many verses following in this discourse with Nicodemus. What is the condition that man must do? Faith in Christ, "whoever believes". verse 17 "for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world MIGHT be saved through Him." How? verse 16"whoever believes", verse 18"whoever believes", verse 33"whoever believes in the Son has eternal life". How could anyone listen to this and not be amazed at the lack of biblical context this sermon demonstrates? This passage does not support regeneration preceding faith. It says the opposite.
But when the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30), they replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." "Believing on Jesus Christ" is _doing something_! It just doesn't constitute "a work."
@24:10 Mcarthur makes reference to Ezekiel 36:25 in support of pre-faith regeneration to a text that Nicodemus might be familiar with. Why not go back to GENESIS 15:6 6 AND HE BELIEVED IN THE LORD; AND HE COUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Notice the Order Salutis here? Or why didn’t he go further back in Ezekiel toEzekiel 11:18-20 and Ezekiel 18:27-32? ...According to Ezekiel 11:18-20 does God give them a new heart before or after they themselves take away their detestable things? Do they have the ability to come? EZEKIEL 11:18-20 18 And THEY SHALL COME THITHER, and THEY SHALL TAKE AWAY all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21 BUT AS FOR THEM WHOSE HEART WALKETH AFTER THE HEART OF THEIR detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD. ...According to Ezekiel 18:27 does a wicked man first have to be made alive first in order to believe or do wicked men have the ability to turn and consider their ways and live? Do wicked men have the ability to repent and turn THEMSELVES and cast away? EZEKIEL 18:27-32 27 Again, WHEN THE WICKED MAN TURNETH away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, HE SHALL SAVE HIS SOUL ALIVE. 28 BECAUSE HE CONSIDERETH, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, HE SHALL SURELY LIVE, he shall not die. 29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? 30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. REPENT, and TURN YOURSELVES from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31 CAST AWAY from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
It's this simple: does new birth derive from God or from man? Does a corrupt, deceived heart cobble together new revelation out of scraps? There's a close corollary to evolutionism. Did life cobble itself together, or was it derived from a Creator?
Can I ask why reformers think John 3:3 somehow proves pre-faith regeneration? They seem to be implying that no one can BELIEVE except they be born again. But that’s NOT what the text says at all, that’s just what they want it to say and that’s what they read on to the text. The text simply says one cannot SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Yes of course that’s we believe as well. And HOW do you see the Kingdom of God? Before you believe or AFTER you believe? *The only way this passage would support the reformed belief is if the text somehow said, “you can’t have faith unless you are born again”... but that’s NOT what the passage says at all.* So I’m confused as to why they think John 3:3 somehow proves reformed theology, when in fact if we dig deeper it actually overwhelmingly DISPROVES reformed theology. *What reformers actually mean by referencing John 3:3 is that you actually must be born again in order to see so you can then have the faith required to believe.* Reformers think you need to “see the Kingdom” before you believe but that’s NOT what the passage says. ...So let’s take a look at what the text actually SAYS and what it does NOT say and ask ourselves some very simple questions: JOHN 3:3 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. *Do you SEE the Kingdom before you believe?* Q: What do the scriptures say faith is? Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT SEEN: HEBREWS 11:1 1 Now FAITH IS the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT seen. You don’t see the Kingdom so that you can then believe. You BELIEVE so you can see the Kingdom. That’s exactly what faith is. *If you gotta see it first then it’s NOT faith.* Faith according to scriptures is the exact OPPOSITE to how a reformer twists John 3:3. You can’t have everlasting life prior to the Son, and you can’t be born again and still not have everlasting life. Once you’re born again you indeed have everlasting life because the born again process happens WITH Christ not before Him.
...According to John 3:36 if you haven’t yet believed on the Son you still haven’t seen life. This verse goes hand in hand with John 3:3 and is ironically in the very same chapter we just need to keep reading: JOHN 3:36 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son SHALL NOT SEE LIFE; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Q: According to John 3:36 do unbelievers see life? Does anyone see life before they believe? Yet reformers claim to twist John 3:3 to somehow say that they do see life (the Kingdom) before they believe which is in direct contradiction to verse 36. *You don’t see life in order to believe.* You BELIEVE in order to see life which is only IN Christ. You can’t see God’s glory until you believe. There’s no private pre-screenings to view it beforehand in order to believe. ... According to John 11:40 you believe FIRST in order to see God’s glory and not the other way around. Again this goes hand in hand with John 3:3, John 3:36 and Hebrews 11:1: JOHN 11:40 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, IF THOU WOULDEST BELIEVE, thou shouldest SEE the glory of God? Q: According to John 11:40 do you see the glory of God so that you can then believe or do you believe so that you can then see the glory of God? What’s the clear order in this verse? Do you have everlasting life when you’re born again or do you have everlasting life IN the Son? You can’t have everlasting life prior to the Son and you can’t be born again and still not have everlasting life. Once you’re born again you indeed have everlasting life because the born again process happens WITH Christ not before Him. So when a reformer is born again they still don’t have eternal life until they believe so there’s a period of time when they’re supposedly born again yet have no life??? Hmmm 🤔
@@apilkeyJust happened upon your comment. I am struggling trying to figure out what "Calvinism" teaches. I recently printed out an explanation that I plan to read and understand. Thankfully this comment helps.
Regeneration preceding faith is a novel product of modernity. It never existed prior to John Calvin, it is totally absent from the earliest Church Landscape. The Bible in Titus 3:5 clearly says that we are saved, that is we go from lost to saved through Regeneration. Because this is true, John MacArthur's doctrine has us getting saved prior to an expression of faith. We are Justified by faith in Christ. MacArthur has us being sealed with the Spirit prior to belief again, the opposite of Ephesians 1. This is the fatal flaw of Calvinistic soteriology. If we are going to say that the words of Scripture means anything, we must agree that we are saved through regeneration. This is something that Reformed theology unanimously denies. It is a house of cards that a serious rendering of Titus 3 absolutely destroys.
Can’t separate registration and faith .. but you must be regenerate to have saving faith and repentance... nothing in our sinful nature would chose God it takes a work of the Spirit to regenerate us to a saving faith ... so yes it proceeds faith although I would say it’s almost simultaneous
John Riegle than what would be your argument against that theology from scripture?? Are you saying we can muster our own saving faith apart from God granting it ??? Are we portrayed as dead in trespasses?? it is there something Good in us that we can believe apart from Gods importation of Faith personally ??? Please explain if the view of man being regenerated preceding saving faith is wrong .. it’s amazing how people Hate the idea that God is not allowed to be sovereign in the salvation of people
@@dannykeesee6849 From the tone of your message, I really don't want to banter. It does not appear to me you are genuinely trying to understand an opposing viewpoint. Kind regards. - sincerely, a former Calvinist
Matt 7 Ask, Seek, Knock 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. The Narrow and Wide Gates 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
seeker for gods heart, No, John MacArthur is not amazing by giving false teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He doesn't teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel means good news and if it isn't offered to all men, that is showing that God does not love all men, and His love for us is freely chosen by those who recognize their need for His forgiveness, and if not freely chosen by us as individuals, there is no good news given by John MacArthur because it shows no love for all of mankind by God and it shows no love by us if we don't freely choose to love God by our free choice. It has to be a free choice for it to be love. Jesus's Gospel means it is good news and it is good news because it is offered to all mankind. John MacArthur teaches that God loves some and chooses some and doesn't love all and passes over those who He doesn't choose and doesn't love. God is a God of love because He loves all of us and offers salvation to all of us. He draws us to Himself, then those of us who are convicted and realize our need for Him, freely choose to receive His free gift of forgiveness. That is our love for the Lord and He wants us to love Him and not just be regenerated without our knowledge and He doesn't choose to regenerate all. We are regenerated after we choose freely to receive Jesus's free gift of forgiveness. That's the only way love can happen between both God and mankind because God loves us first and then we love Him by freely choosing to love Him when we receive Jesus's free gift of forgiveness. God's nature is all loving. And this is how love occurs between first God to us, and then mankind's love back to God.
B/C he does not believe or teach dispensational truth...thus they never know where they are on God,s time line...thus...they never know what's written to whom & why????...ie...they constantly preach John,s Gospel of " Repent & be baptized for the KGDO.of HEAVEN is...@ hand"...( near) Mt.3:1-7 .. this message was designed to save Israel fm...JUDAISM.....that was passing off the scene...God was phasing them out....b/c in Mt 12:22-32...we can see the ultimate rejection of Christ as their Messiah....!!!.. yet all ya hear today is " repent" " repent" " repent".. that sets Christian's up for the performance syndrome..they can never know if & when they ve done enough..to either GET saved or to STAY saved...then ya got guys like that buffy John Piper...uses Christ,s Gospel in Mt.24:13,14..." but he that shall..ENDURE..to the end the same shall be ...saved"...( to the end of what???).. is never explained...!!! This Gospel message was designed to save Israel fm..the seven(7) yrs Tribulation..in order to enter that KGDOM of HEAVEN( Millenium).. John was talking about in Mt.3: 1-7... and so guys like piper are always yelling " ya gotta endure to the end to be saved".... never telling ya what that " END" is b/ c he doesnt know!! why??? NO Dispensational truth..and the ONLY Gospel message ya never hear of is Paul,s message that's designed to saved mankind fm... the world..in Acts 16:31.. " what must I DO to be....saved..??? Answer!!! Believe on the ( already) Lord Jesus Christ..& you WILL be...saved!!.. no " repent & be baptized " no " endure to the end".. hmmmm wonder ehy..??? simple really the book of Acts..is a 30 yr. history of how God has transitioned...fm.the nation of Israel...& the Age of Law..( fm..moses to Christ).. to the Ecclesia/ church & the Age of Grace..( fm.pentecost to the rapture).. so according to Johnny Mac, " Jesus never told Nicky by night HOW to be saved?? that's a lie...Jn3:15-18.. Question??? How do ya know when a LIAR is NOT Lying???..
INTELLIGENT DESIGN We are all given different talents and different types of intelligence which is good. For example as manual labor is the only life threatening work you can imagine, with life and limb kept safe only by slow and careful thought, the lower half of society being the laboring class has been given the highest quality of intelligence and without their slow and precise way of thinking, society would not be able to produce the wealth needed to survive. And from the educated middle forth of society that functions as the technician class, to the top forth of society known is upper-management, they have much too fast an intelligence to be given any control over government or religion. Government being the decider of who controls what and who owns what, surely government is pure religion in effect, in actuality and in the moral fabric of society. NEW LAW Any branch of government or place of worship, if those who do the talking and deciding are not of the laboring-class, it shall be abolished.
Daniel Lopez Jesus doesn’t make people sin we already do .. some are left in their sin and rebellion without the same grace others receive ... He has always had a particular people ... and why people hate the sovereignty of God in salvation i will never know ... but teaching is clear He has the right to do with His creation as He sees fit ..... we proclaim the Gospel faithfully to every one !! That is the command .. salvation is His department .. blessings
@@dannykeesee6849 You don't make sound arguments. It's as if the Sovereignty you apply to God causes Him to be "not free" to do anything else but obey His own Sovereignty. That's putting God in a box He can't get out of. You are limiting God of His free will to do anything He wants to, which takes away from His Sovereignty. You're stuck in this wrong meaning of Sovereignty. If God can do anything He pleases, then He is Sovereign to be free to offer mankind free will to receive Him. You are painting a picture of God that is not loving and just. If He isn't loving to all mankind, He isn't loving and just and scripture teaches so many times of His love and His justice. God is no respecter of persons. He loves all of us equally. He offers the free gift of forgiveness He paid for and we receive freely without paying for it. Calvinists make up their own Gospel, which means Good News. How is choosing some people and not choosing others "Good News" In Romans 10:13 it says, Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. In all due respect, what Calvinists teach isn't logical. It doesn't specifically say in the verses John MacArthur gives at the beginning of his sermon, that we can't do anything to be saved, but it doesn't mean it doesn't say it in other verses. He gave one of the verses at the end how Jesus teaches us how to receive His free gift of forgiveness. Receiving a free gift is not a work by mankind. Jesus paid for the gift, we receive it freely without paying anything for receiving His free gift of forgiveness. How do Calvinists know that they are saved? Did God somehow tell you something He didn't tell others? How do you know? Believing in Calvinism doesn't cause you to be saved. The word Calvinism isn't in God's word, nor is the concept of Calvinism taught in scripture. Calvinists squeeze their own meaning of salvation, ignoring the rest of scriptures that teach receiving Jesus's free gift of forgiveness, freely, by asking, not pleading. Pleading sounds very strenuous and it work when we plead. Receiving a gift isn't paid for by anyone, except the giver. The giver did the work and paid for the gift.
Thank you for the time you took in laying that out ... however I would say your understanding of Calvinism and mine are not the same ... if God sent Jesus to be a potential savior than he is not the savior of anyone ... we are painted as Dead in Trespasses and Sin and it is God who makes us alive ... my argument is simply that man because of Adams sin is incapable or unwilling to turn to God without God giving that person a new heart ... so if God does not initiate and control then how does He know the Elect before the foundation of the world?? how does He fulfill prophecy if left up trillions of freewill choices in the future ??? I’m not putting Him in a box either ... I believe that “ whosever believes in Him will never perish “ but who personally gives a person the capacity to believe ?? How does he make a definitive statement in John 6 that ALL the Father has given me will come to me ??? If it’s all up to us ?? How do you deal with Romans?? Not just some of the sovereignty chapters like the end of 8 through 9 but the majority of Romans ??? Just some questions to think about ... thanks for your response though ... blessings
@@dannykeesee6849 That's what Calvinists always claim. Your understand and our understand of Calvinism isn't the same. You put out your understanding of it, then you claim others don't understand it. If we don't understand it, then giving your understanding and trying to tell us your understanding and wanting us to believe your understanding, is fruitless. In all due respect, if we can't understand your understanding after you keep putting your understanding out there in posts, and we reply by your understanding of it, then you say we don't understand your meaning of Calvinism, it's going around in circles. Calvinists always throw that claim of us not understanding every time you don't have anymore reasons to give. You stress your point so much, then our replies to your understanding, you say we don't understand. Please relax and not be so stressed out about your understanding and our lack of understanding. Listen to God's teaching, not your own. You undercut everything everyone says with "We don't understand Calvinism the way you understand Calvinism." Calvinism isn't logical. That's why it can't be understood. Those of us who believe in God's free gift of forgiveness received freely, give you logic about God, and you don't understand that. If we have free will to choose to sin, we have free will to receive God's sacrificial gift of love, by faith that isn't a work. If we are responsible for our sin and can be condemned for all eternity by our responsibility of our sin, we have responsibility to receive forgiveness or there's not such thing as being responsible for sinning. I know what you think, we lack understanding but you don't. God favors you by forcing you to love Him and giving you understanding, but He doesn't favor anyone He doesn't choose. Your idea of God is unloving, unjust, unrighteous. How can God be righteous if He is unjust by giving some people salvation against their will and refusing to save others. Then you say we don't understand. May God have mercy on your soul because you haven't chosen to love Him, and that isn't being saved. You're denying God the glory He deserves by His great great love. If you're forced to love Him, then you aren't loving Him. I love my Savior God by choosing to love Him. I pray you choose to love God by freely receiving His free gift of forgiveness, freely by your own choice. That is how we love our Savior God.
Diz Esta very poor argumentation... we don’t choose to sin we are dead in sins ... who makes us alive ?? God !! How by regeneration of our spirit not forced love ?? Don’t think because some are left in their sins and some are shown mercy that God is unloving ... it’s a wonder He saves any .. would you agree ?? Does the potter have the right over His clay ?? It’s not that we don’t proclaim the same gospel to everyone .. it’s not that people holding a view of salvation that “ we “ make the decision uninfluenced by God granting faith and repentance are not saved ... I just believe scripture teaches it all starts and ends with God doing the work in whom He choses ... I do not believe God would reject any sinner that turns to Him and Faith and Repentance... so we proclaim that .. I just believe God controls salvation not us if the decision was left completely up to none would choose Him we would rather stay in bondage to our sin which we are slaves if
@5:55 Mcarthur says the analogy of physical birth and spiritual birth is that you played no part in your physical birth and you have no part in your spiritual birth. First off no one is arguing we play a part in our spiritual birth. 1) Freely believing is NOT part of our spiritual birth it happens BEFOREHAND and is required to be born again. 2) Second Jesus is NOT making that analogy at all He is simply describing the need to be born again spiritually. Reformers make it the analogy they need to support their man made doctrine. Where does this analogy stop according to them? What about the 3 stages of pregnancy; 1st, 2nd, 3rd Trimester? What about thinning (effacement) and opening (dilation) of the cervix? What about the 3 phases of the first stage of labor; early labour, active labour, transition to second phase of labour? What about the second phase of labour when the baby moves through the birth canal? What are the analogies reformers give to these? You see the analogy is forced upon scripture and scripture must bow down to their analogy. No one is arguing we don’t have any control over when we are born and to what parents and in which country and all of our PHYSICAL characteristics are determined by God. Acts 17:24-34 speaks of this and IRONICALLY God has determined these specific things for the VERY PURPOSE of us seeking and finding Him: ACTS 17:24-34 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing HE GIVETH TO ALL LIFE, AND BREATH, AND ALL THINGS; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and HATH DETERMINED THE TIMES BEFORE APPOINTED, AND THE BOUNDS OF THEIR HABITATION; 27 THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD, IF HAPLY THEY MIGHT FEEL AFTER HIM, AND FIND HIM, THOUGH HE BE NOT FAR FROM EVERY ONE OF US: God clearly says that He’s specifically determined the times before appointed and the bounds of our habitation and IRONICALLY its for the VERY PURPOSE that we should SEEK God and find Him as He’s NOT far from everyone! God makes no mention of determining every little detail. We have absolutely no control over WHEN or WHERE we are born or to what parents or to what race. All of our physical characteristics were predetermined but our FREE CHOICES WERE NOT. One would have to read that onto the text and ASSUME. FREELY believing in FAITH is not part of the born again process. It’s not party of the surgery. It’s a requirement that God in His Sovereignty has set forth in His Word. Will you shake your fist at God at argue with Him because you disagree with the way He’s chosen to run His universe?
To re-iterate again, freely believing in Christ to perform a Spiritual operation is NOT the same as the operation itself so why do you conflate the two? Faith happens BEFORE the operation not during. Faith is not part of the operation. Just like driving yourself to the hospital isn’t part of a physical operation or surgery. The surgeon doesn’t drive to your house and pick you up and then take you to the hospital to have your surgery as part of the operation itself. A pilot doesn’t drive to your house and pick you up and then take you to the airport to catch your flight as part of the actual flight itself. In no way does driving yourself to the hospital or to the airport take any credit away from the surgeon or from the pilot. You can’t now claim that you helped perform your own surgery because you drive yourself to the hospital. You can’t now claim that you helped fly the airplane because you drive yourself to the airport. See how foolish that kind of reasoning sounds! In the exact same way that the pilot and the surgeon would both laugh at you and think you’ve gone mentally crazy and belong in a psych ward if you were to claim that you participated in your own surgery and flight by simply driving yourself to the hospital/airport. ...so to God looks down at the same foolish argument on anyone to claim they saved themselves by freely believing.
No one is arguing that salvation is of God alone and that we are born again by the will of God. 100% God. 0% man. That does not negate the fact that mankind has to freely come to Christ and believe in Him to be saved. I marvel that reformers can’t grasp or understand that faith is not part of the spiritual operation of God, but that it happens BEFOREHAND and is the requirement to be saved and get the operation done which is then performed solely by our Surgeon the Lord Jesus Christ who spiritually circumcises our hearts and regenerates us with no assistance from us whatsoever. That’s how God’s designed it and it pleases Him to have Sovereignly chosen and decreed to save only those who BELIEVE. 1 CORINTHIANS 1:21 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that BELIEVE. Q: According to 1 Corinthians 1:21 does it please God to save those that believe or does it please Him to save people so that then they can then believe after they’re born again? *God has sovereignly decreed to choose for salvation, only those who would repent and put their faith in Christ.* Do you reject this passage of scripture? WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? *Notice this does NOT say “What must I do to save myself.”* That’s what reformers keep stumbling over they think it’s somehow saving themselves. ACTS 16:29-31 29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? 31 And they said, BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. The BIBLICAL answer to this question as clearly stated in this verse is simply BELIEVE. *The Reformer’s answer to this question is, “well actually sorry bro there’s actually nothing you can do you gotta be elected to believe first then God has to effectually call you and then He gives you the faith to believe.”* If it was unconditional the answer would’ve been, “NOTHING. YOU’VE EITHER BEEN ELECTED OR YOU HAVEN’T.” But what was the answer? There was a CONDITION. What was the condition? THEY HAD TO BELIEVE. The condition was FAITH in Jesus Christ.
John 3 does further goes on to say that you have to believe, and also later what damnation awaits if one fails to believe. You are mixing up the sovereignity of God and man's responsibility arguement with this sermon. This sermon just specifies what the doctrine of regeneration is, just how it happens. There are other sermons in which john macarthur clarifies more clearly the involvement of the necessary human element in salvation, which was not covered in this one due to the paucity of time. I do understand your point and it is valid and i agree to it, however to jihn macarthur's defense i have heard a sermon in which he covers the whole of john chapter 3 and that regeneration involves God's soveriegn grace and work and at the same time there is a human element of faith and he calls it a divine paradox that finite minds fail to understand.
rufus johnson It’s not a divine paradox that the finite mind fails to understand. It’s quite simple. Man freely beloved and then God saved him. John Mcarthur believes in pre-faith regeneration and uses John 3 to support that. Nowhere in John 3 is pre-faith regeneration even hinted at and if Mcarthur had more time he would just twist it further. As you said John 3 goes on to clearly show man’s responsibility. It’s not a mystery.
