Since it is a Calvinist doctrine of salvation and it is growing, I have decided to cover this topic. I write to learn.

Regeneration means “rebirth” or being “born again.” Does it come before we put our faith in Christ? Or does our faith in Christ precede regeneration?

Let’s look into these questions.

I use the NIV in this post. If you would like to see other translations, please click on this link: biblegateway.com.

Calvinists use verses in the Gospel of John, John’s first epistle, and Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians to support their belief. In each section, I explain it and then reply to it.

I like to number my points for clarity and conciseness.

Let’s begin.

1.. The Gospel of John

Calvinists appeal to the Gospel of John to teach that regeneration precedes faith.

Here is a verse in John 3, which, they say, supports their belief that regeneration precedes faith in Christ:

 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3)

Entering the kingdom = conversion to Christ = faith in Christ, but note that the person has to be born again, first.  So regeneration precedes faith in Christ and entering the kingdom.

Now let’s reply to their interpretation.

In reply, believing in Christ leading to salvation is a major theme / truth of the Gospel of John. The whole of the Gospel follows this truth / theme, as laid out in these verses in the very first chapter:

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13, NIV, emphasis added)

Then, in John 20:31 we read this verse near the end of the Gospel:

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)

So from John 1 to 20 and many verses in between, it is faith in the Messiah, the Son of God, which brings eternal life and by which we become his children. Those verses form an theological inclusio or bookends. We need to interpret the entire Gospel in light of it.

Furthermore, in John 3, where rebirth is taught, these two verses appear:

[…] that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. (John 3:15)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Having eternal life means entering into the kingdom. They fit within the inclusio and explain rebirth more fully. Faith preceded regeneration, not the other way around.

2.. John’s First Epistle.

Calvinists also appeal to this epistle.

1 John 5:1 says:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. (1 John 5:1, NIV)

The verb tense in the NIV’s translation is not exactly clear. It could be translated as “Everyone who believes [present tense participle] has been born of God [perfect tense verb] […]. So this verse seems like regeneration (“born of God”) precedes faith.

In reply, we have to go back to the Gospel of John to find relevant verb tenses. John 3:18 says:

 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe [present participle] stands condemned [perfect tense verb] already […] (John 3:18, NIV)

The perfect tense verb condemns the man before he does not believe. So there is a problem with depending too heavily on verb and participle tenses. Some grammarians argue that the verb-participle combinations are equivalent in time when the tenses formally vary.

Another verse in reply, this time from John’s first epistle:

Whoever does not believe [present tense participle] God has made [perfect tense verb] him out to be a liar (1 John 5:10, NIV)

The perfect tense verb comes before the present tense participle, which means that making God a liar comes before the man’s unbelief. This makes no sense.

The truth is that in John’s first epistle he is answering this question: what are the signs or spiritual proofs in a man’s life that he is born of God? He practices righteousness (2:29). He does not practice sin (3:9; 5:18). He loves the brothers and sisters (4:7). He believe  that Jesus is the Messiah (5:1). He overcomes the world (5:4).

And so, John is teaching about the life of the believer in contrast to the practitioner of an early form of Gnosticism. So, this epistle is not about initial salvation and sequencing its steps with the so-called “order of salvation.”

3.. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians

For Calvinists, Ephesians 2:1 is decisive. It reads: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins” […]. So people cannot awaken from their spiritual and moral death until God works in them. Evidently Calvinists call this work “regeneration,” even though the word does not appear in this context.

In reply, traditionalists (like me) believe in God’s work of grace in the heart so that I can exercise saving faith in the Son of God. Grace works in our hearts and enables us to place our faith in Christ. So for traditionalists grace precedes faith.

This is called prevenient grace. The word prevenient comes from  pre- (before) and veni- (come). So it means grace that comes before our saving faith. This grace prepares our heart for conversion, which happens when we genuinely place our faith in Christ.

Let’s further reply to their interpretation with Ephesians

⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Eph. 2:4-5).

God is the one who makes us alive, but how? By his grace. I see no regeneration here.

Ephesians 2:8-9 explains Paul’s line of thinking more fully:

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

The entire plan of salvation comes from God (“this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”). Faith is the conduit or channel through which salvation comes to us. Grace initiates our saving faith. We do not work for it (v. 9). It is a free gift. Grace is sufficient to spark our response of saving faith. In those verses there is no mention of regeneration preceding saving faith.

Next, think of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He was living a debauched life, but note how he comes to his senses in v. 17, even though he was dead (v. 24). Best of all, his father accepts him back, running out to hug and kiss him.

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

[…] ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:17-21, 24)

After he comes to his senses, he confesses his sin and trusts that his father would accept him back. That’s how it is with our salvation. We confess our sins and trust that the heavenly Father would accept us. The son’s father ran out to meet him and hugged him. The Father in heaven also runs out to meet us where we are and hugs us. Then he leads us back to his household.

In this passage, there is no regeneration that precedes faith. To insert this doctrine into the story is eisegesis (reading ideas into a text), not exegesis (extracting truths out of the text). Exegesis is better than eisegesis.

4.. Summary

In contrast to Calvinism, in other verses we can spot a sequence–what comes first. God’s grace initiates it. Then we respond in faith. Here is Ephesians 2:8 again, since it is so critical.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8)

God initiates salvation by grace. Faith is the instrument or channel or conduit of grace. None of the work of salvation is of ourselves but faith is our response when we hear the gospel of grace. The gospel of grace is so powerful–so sufficient in itself–that it produces saving faith in the hearer.

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Rom. 10:14-15, quoting Is. 52:7)

The “order of salvation” works out like this (the arrow mean “leads to”):

Preaching good news (gospel) → Hearing good news → Faith in good news and in Christ.

Regeneration does not need to precede faith because faith ≠ works throughout Paul’s theology.

From a different angle and a little fuller, It works out like this:

Preaching gospel of grace → repentance and faith in Christ →  Spirit causes regeneration (new birth) = salvation

Here’s the fuller explanation. The gospel of grace is so powerful that it can spark in people repentance and faith in Christ. God initiates his salvation for people with his grace. Grace is built into the gospel. We respond with repentance and faith in his Son. Then God’s Spirit causes the repentant and trusting person to be born again. The sequence can happen instantly and simultaneously, so the sequence is more logical than chronological. The arrows are just a visual device to help us understand. The whole sequence adds up to salvation. The sequence is what salvation is.

And so, regeneration does not precede faith, biblically speaking. Saving grace and saving faith precede rebirth or regeneration.

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