The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Regeneration Study

And that is where I am having great difficulty reconciling his "illumination and calling" with the doctrine of Total Depravity. How can one be "illuminated" (given understanding of spiritual things?) if the intellect is utterly opposed to it because it is spiritually dead, i.e., a natural dominating rejection of it; the gospel)? And/or how can a spiritually dead sinner hear the "call" (that inward call of the Holy Spirit, aka: drawing due to the first work of the Spirit, i.e., conviction of sin) if the affections are predisposed to hating God and Christ? Thus, in either case, the will is in bondage in itself and without it being delivered from that bondage, no movement toward God can happen. Thus again, regeneration is absolutely necessary, as has been consistently maintained and taught by all Calvinists and which is what stands as the Confessional teaching of the Reformed Faith. Sorry, but his "illumination and calling" are much too similar to Arminianism's "prevenient grace" which somehow overcomes man's depravity without the actual imparting of new life (regeneration), which they too maintain follows faith.