The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum true calvinism.......MJM please read

It's somewhat ironic you should ask this question, Thomas. Let's look at the text dealing with the new birth in John 3:

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God [as] a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above [or, born again], he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb, can he?"

Now, Nicodemus' confusion here is understandable. Jesus has just told him that he must be born from above. How on earth is it possible for a man once born to be born again? We can't exactly climb back into our mother's womb. And, of course, we didn't really choose to be born in the first place. Let's look at the next few verses, 5–8:

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born from above [or, born again].' The wind blows where is wished and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Now, at what point, exactly, does man's choice play a role in his new birth? At no point, as we can see from Jesus' answer. As our Lord illustrates, the new birth which comes by the Spirit is like the wind, which blows where it wishes, not where we wish. This squares with what John writes earlier in his gospel, 1:12,13:

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, [even] to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

To say that the new birth is dependent on our decision to believe in Christ—our will to believe on Him—is to nullify this truth entirely.

Now, looking at the Philippian jailer, what can we say? His new birth must occur in the same manner which Christ describes to Nicodemus. That is, the Spirit causes his new birth, which is not dependent on the jailer's decision. But the new birth is not the only aspect of conversion and salvation; as we see with the Paul and Silas' response to the jailer, the jailer must believe in Christ. So it is with all men: we must believe in Christ. Indeed, this belief is an act of our will.

However, this act of belief is impossible apart from the new birth! We are dead in our sins, wholly incapable of desiring the things of God, much less truly believing in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit must regenerate us, revive us, awaken us from our sleep of death before we can grasp the truth of our salvation through faith. And once we have been born again, it is impossible for us not to believe! If there were an actual possibility that we might choose not to believe in Christ once regenerated, how can it be said that we are regenerated? Our eyes and ears and hearts must yet be dead to the truth of the Gospel if we still reject Christ.

So, this is what we have: the Spirit of God regenerates a man, and as a result, he believes in Christ unto salvation.