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Pilgrim
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#55459 Mon Mar 18, 2019 12:51 PM
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Tom Online Content OP
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In Loraine Boettner's book 'The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination' page 101, he says the following: "A man is not saved because he believes in Christ; he believes in Christ because he is saved."
I and quite a few other Calvinists are trying to understand what Boettner meant by this.
It seems like he is saying that regeneration equals salvation.
I have read the context around the sentence and it does not seem to help understand what he means.
Any thoughts?

Tom

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Yeh, strange for Boettner to write that statement. It does appear to me as well, that he is equating regeneration with salvation, which I would definitely voice my disagreement. Of course, sometimes the decree/predestination/election are seen as synonymous with salvation, which at best is confusing. Admittedly, if God decrees something, it is as good as done. There are those, as you well know, who confuse the difference between what God determines will be with when it is brought to pass. The certainty of something is not synonymous with the historical event itself. The most well known error of this type of thinking is that which is held by those who hold to "eternal justification". The justification of the elect is certain because God from eternity predestined that they would be justified. But they are not actually justified until they repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Christ. John Murray dealt with this error and most thoroughly explained the biblical truth of the matter in his book, Redemption Accomplished and Applied. Too bad Mr. Boettner isn't around to explain what he wrote. sigh


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Tom Online Content OP
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Thanks Pilgrim
Most of the context of what he wrote is in keeping with Reformed soteriology. He was speaking concerning the fact that Arminian soteriology, it makes faith meritorious.
Here is another quote from the same page.
"Paul often says that we are saved "through faith" (that is the instrumental cause). But never once does he say we are saved "on account of faith" (that is, as the meritorious cause)."
Tom

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yep semi-Pelagianism, Roman Catholicism, Arminianism, etc. all teach synergistic salvation in one form or another. Some don't even try to hide the fact while others go at great length to disguise the fact that one is saved ultimately by a combination of Christ's work and their own contributory work, e.g., decisional regeneration, free-will and yes, as Boettner rightly wrote; even faith itself. Faith for most, if not all, originates in oneself and is vehemently denied to be a fruit of regeneration of the Spirit... a gift of God to the elect sinner.

Joel Beeke's article here: Justification by Faith Alone (The Relation of Faith to Justification) is an incredibly valuable resource to one's understanding of what faith is and what place it occupies in a sinner's salvation BY GRACE ALONE, through FAITH ALONE, in CHRIST ALONE. My own meager attempt to expose the Devil's lie in the false gospel of those opposed to the biblical truth of this matter, which we humbly identify with historic Calvinism can be found here: By Grace Alone!.


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