You Must Be Born Again

Freedom of the Spirit
I recall sitting in Greek class in seminary, translating John 3.  Translating v. 8 was fascinating because of the grammatical construction, leading me to believe the Lord Jesus was using a fabulous play on words as He discussed the new birth with Nicodemus.

τὸ [the] πνεῦμα [spirit/wind] ὅπου [where] θέλει [he/it wills] πνεῖ [is blowing/moving], καὶ [and] τὴν [the] φωνὴν [sound/voice] αὐ [of] τοῦ [him/it] ἀκούεις [you hear], ἀλλ’ [but] οὐκ [not] οἶδας [you have perceived] πόθεν [where/which place] ἔρχεται [he/it is going/coming] καὶ [and] ποῦ [where] ὑπάγει: [he/it is going/leading] οὕτως [thus] ἐστὶν [it is] πᾶς [all/every] ὁ [one] γεγεννημένος [having been born again/regenerated] ἐκ [out] τοῦ [of the] πνεύματος. [spirit]

No human being controls the wind.  Likewise, no one controls the Holy Spirit. Like the wind, He blows where He wills.  Just as you can discern the wind by feeling the current in the air or observing the trees sway, you can discern the movement of the Spirit by the effects He produces.  Those who are born again (regenerated) have been acted upon, not as a matter of their wills, but as a matter of God’s will.  Many individuals, nonetheless, insist God must wait upon them to decide whether or not they will be born again.  Though they had nothing whatsoever to do with their physical births, they contend their spiritual births result ultimately from the action of their wills.

The contention surrounding this doctrine usually surrounds the affirmation of monergism – the view that the Holy Spirit is the sole, exclusive agent affecting regeneration (often prior to regeneration).  This view is typically held by those within the Reformed camp.  Non-Calvinists typically maintain regeneration is conditioned upon saving faith, and consequently the new birth is subsequent to rather than antecedent to, saving faith.  This view is often termed “decisional regeneration” by the Reformed, Lutherans, and Anglicans.  Some believe this is a derisive term, so perhaps the view that regeneration rests ultimately upon an individual decision to meet the condition of faith is better termed “conditional regeneration”.

Freedom of the Will
The fact of the matter is that the current debate over regeneration, which is inextricably linked to one’s view of free will, is nothing new.  As defined in the early Church by the premiere Latin theologian, Augustine, free will (liberum arbitrium) is the personal and active employment of volition and action.  He maintained individuals are not passive in the exercise of their wills, and fully responsible for all their decisions and actions.  The problem, as Augustine understood the Holy Scripture to teach, is that human beings are fallen creatures.  When Adam violated his Creator’s command, he plunged himself and his posterity into the depths of depravity.  Human beings no longer enjoy the liberty (libertas) which Adam enjoyed prior to his insolence.  Human nature is now fallen, enslaved in sin.  Every inclination turns away from God and towards finding satisfaction in material things.  People are not trapped passively against their wills.  Rather, they continue contentedly in sin by their own free wills.  The will is free in its wickedness because it takes pleasure in evil, but it is not at liberty to do good because it has not been liberated by God from its sinfulness.  An individual is unable to perform anything truly righteous unless he or she is made a new creation in Christ Jesus.

The Doctor of Grace contends that while an individual is responsible for personal rejection of Christ, it is only by God’s grace that a sinner will come to Christ through faith.  Fallen people have neither the desire nor the ability to lift themselves up to God.  God must reach down and give what is necessary for salvation.  Augustine asserts that, “it is by a secret, wonderful, and ineffable power operating within” that God “works in men’s hearts” and both reveals Himself and changes the inclination of the will.  Faith, from beginning to end, is a work of God’s antecedent grace (gratia antecedens).  Faith is a gift imparted to individuals divinely.  It is neither to be attributed to human free will nor to any anterior merits.  It is all of grace.  One of the biblical texts to which the Church Father points in his argument regarding this doctrine is John 3:8.

Augustine’s view of grace was opposed vehemently by Pelagius, a British monk, and several of his associates.  The Pelagian conception of grace casts itself upon the natural endowments given to humanity at the time of creation.  Grace is conceived primarily as revelation and the ability to respond to it.  Revelation is essentially law—that of Moses, written on stone, and that of the conscience, written on the heart.  Individuals come to know about salvation through this revelation.  Christ brings the “final revelation” through His life, teachings, and commands.  These are also “law.”  The Holy Spirit works to “illumine” individuals by showing them the will of God.  This illumination is not a supernatural work.  It is the “grace” of having the existence of the law, or revelation, given by God and Christ.  Salvation is merited when the will is exercised to obey the law.  The cornerstone of Pelagianism is, therefore, unconditional free will.  Julian of Eclanum, the greatest defender of Pelagianism, alleges free will places human beings in a position of absolute autonomy – emancipated entirely from God’s control (a deo emancipatus homo est).  According to Julian, an individual has “his whole salvation in his power.”  Pelagianism and its adherents have been condemned by more church councils than any other heresy in Church history, including the Council of Ephesus (AD 431).  Those affirming the Lutheran, Reformed, and Anglican creeds and confessions are modern theological heirs of Augustine.  Many within the contemporary evangelical camp, influenced greatly by the theology of Charles G. Finney, are the modern theological heirs of Pelagius.

In the wake of the Pelagian Controversy, John Cassian, Vincent of Lérins, and Faustus of Riez became the leading spokesmen of the “semi-Pelagian” party.  Though they rejected Pelagianism, they refused to accept the doctrines of predestination and free will as expounded by Augustine.  Semi-Pelagianism views Adam’s disobedience as the introduction of sin into the world and maintains that since the Fall human beings have had a weakened free will (infirmitas liberi arbitrii).  Although infirm, the will has not been rendered impotent.

Grace is the foundation of salvation in that it brings the possibility of salvation to all, but it is the individual, not God, who commences the process.  Grace remains external, never interfering with the will.  Therefore, good resolve, good thoughts, and faith are, therefore, attributable ultimately to the power of one’s own will and initiative.  Those within Eastern Ortodoxy and much of contemporary evangelicalism fall within this belief system.

Another view, distinct from the positions already discussed, is that of Arminianism.  Named for Jacobus Arminius, a Dutch pastor and theologian, Arminianism was a Protestant revolt against Augustinianism.  In 1610, a year after Arminius died, two of his pupils – Simon Episcopius and John Uytenbogaert – drafted articles defining and defending their views.  Episcopius’ Remonstrance detailed Arminianism in five points.  The third point declares:

“That man does not posses saving grace of himself, nor of the energy of his free will, inasmuch as in his state of apostasy and sin he can of and by himself neither think, will, nor do any thing that is truly good (such as saving Faith eminently is); but that it is necessary that he be born again of God in Christ, through his Holy Spirit, and renewed in understanding, inclination, and will, and all his faculties, in order that he may rightly understand, think, will, and effect what is truly good, according to the Word of Christ, John 15:5, ‘Without me you can do nothing.’”

What is often called “Arminianism” in contemporary evangelicalism is far removed from historic Arminianism.  Contemporary Arminianism is generally nothing more than semi-Pelagianism at best, and Pelagianism at worst.  Historic Arminianism, on the other hand, bears resemblance to Reformed soteriology on several levels.  Distinct from both Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism, which view depravity as partial or non-existent, it could be termed “semi-Augustinianism” because it deems depravity as absolute.  Human beings, in their “natural state,” are spiritually dead, under divine condemnation, ignorant of their condition, and unable to change themselves.  God must take the initiative if individuals are to be convicted of their sin, repent, and exercise faith, because they have no resources within themselves.  God takes this initiative by providing prevenient grace to all humanity.  Prevenient grace disarms depravity to the extent individuals are enabled to receive further grace through divinely appointed means.  These means include the proclamation of the gospel and participation in the sacred ordinances.  These means are capable of awakening people to their spiritual state, enabling repentance and creating faith.  Therefore, during an evangelistic exhortation God is at work, drawing sinners to Himself and convincing people of the truth of the gospel.  Faith is created at such moments by God, but it is up to individuals to cooperate with Him so they may be transformed through the new birth.

United Methodist doctrine, for example, maintains the following in regard to free will:

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us [i.e., prevenient grace], that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

John Wesley described this position when he stated, “Any man may believe if he will, though not when he will.  If he seeks faith in the appointed ways, sooner or later the power of the Lord will be present whereby…man believes.”  This is how Wesley understood his Aldersgate experience, where he felt his heart “strangely warmed.”  Wesley did not view faith so much as an action he committed as much as he understood it as a divine action taking place within him, creating personal trust in Christ.  Though Wesley debated fiercely with George Whitefield over the doctrines of predestination and election, they agreed wholeheartedly upon the doctrines of original sin, the necessity of the new birth and its divine initiation, and justification by grace alone through faith alone on account of Jesus Christ alone.  If one monitors the preaching and public statements of many pastors and denominational statesmen within contemporary evangelicalism, it is evident a great deal of understanding regarding the new birth is not even Augustinian (Calvinistic) or semi-Augustinian (Arminian), but semi-Pelagian or Pelagian.

Mystery of the New Birth
The problem with many Augustinians (Calvinists) who stress monergism (i.e., regeneration preceding faith) is that they tend to over-emphasize chronology.  This sounds, in many respects, cold and technical.  I don’t believe this is the desire intended, but it is often the consequence in many respects.  “John was just sitting there at the moment God determined to regenerate him, and – BAM – he was born again and believed.”  Wesley speaking of his heart being “strangely warmed” as he heard Luther expound Romans is much to be preferred, in my opinion.

The Holy Spirit is indeed sovereign in His work of regeneration, but He always employs His Word in the process of regeneration and conversion.  It was as St. Paul proclaimed the gospel to Lydia that “the Lord opened her heart to pay attention” (Acts 16:14).  The same God who proclaimed at the beginning, “Let there be light!” brought light to Lydia’s heart “to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”  (2 Corinthians 4:6)  The power was neither within her nor in the messengers, but in God.  (2 Cor 4:7)  God caused her to be born again through His will, not hers, through the instrument of His Word.  This is what He has done with all believers (James 1:18).  At that moment she “received the Spirit of adoption as children, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15)

Did Lydia exercise faith?  Most certainly!  God did not believe for her, but He did open her heart and granted her faith to believe (Philippians 1:29).  No one is saved (justified) apart from believing (Acts 16:31).  The new birth does not take place apart from the presence of faith.  It involves faith, and faith always comes through hearing the Word of God.  (Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23)  If you are a believer, you were born again, not as a result of your will or the will of another human being, but because of the will of God.  (John 1:12-13)  Saving faith was awakened as a result of the new birth. (1 John 5:1)  I believe, without reservation, your belief was due to God’s simultaneous work of quickening.  Which comes first, the flame or the light?  Is there heat apart from the fire?  Light doesn’t exist without the flame, and heat doesn’t exist apart from the heat.  They exist simultaneously, but the flaming fire is the cause for the light and heat.  Even so, God is the cause of the new birth.  Is there a bit of mystery in trying to understand this?  Certainly.  So rather than trying to explain it beyond what is revealed, may we simply receive what God has declared in Holy Scripture.

Now What?
If you have not experienced the new birth, then you are still estranged from God.  You have broken God’s laws and stand condemned.  God commands you right now to believe upon Jesus Christ – who is God and became a Man, died upon the cross for rebels, and rose from the dead.  Turn away from your sin, selfishness, and self-destructive ways.  God invites you at this very moment to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and to be reconciled with Him.

If you have experienced the new birth, then God calls you to live out that reality by walking in newness of life.  Love God, love your fellow believers, and love those in the world.