I believe I've come to a final conclusion on at least
one of those questions I asked you. Here's what I
believe about conversion/being born again:
Justification is obviously positional. But I believe
the Bible teaches that sanctification is also
positional and happens at the same time as
justification- It happens at the moment of true
conversion (when we accept Christ into our lives by
faith and with repentance/ a turning away from sin).
But sanctification is also a progressive work of the
Holy Spirit. So justification and sanctification both
happen at conversion but sanctification is also a
continued work of the Holy Spirit which forms us to be
more and more Christ-like.
We aren't saved by this progressive sanctification but
on the other hand even those who were once 'truly'
converted can turn away from Christ/wilfully practice
a lifestyle of certain sins, and lose their salvation.
Being born again is the same as conversion and is
something the Holy Spirit does at the point of both
faith and repentance when our spirits are made alive.
Being born again is not a gradual process- that
gradual process is sanctification- though again, we
are sanctified at the point of faith and repentance
(conversion/being born again).
In my last email I wasn't totally convinced that
either original sin or total depravity were true
teachings- Though I knew everyone sinned at some point
which brought about spiritual death and our sin nature
(Also, I knew Adam's sin brought about our physical
death). So obviously I knew that if spiritual death
and sinful nature didn't come with physical birth then
it still always happened at some point.
But now, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm thinking
that original sin and that one point of the Calvinism
tulip (total depravity) are probably both correct.
That's what I'll probably stick with believing anyway,
because eventhough there is some evidence against
those two beliefs, there's not enough of it to
convince me that they are false. Or I don't know,
maybe I'm just tired of thinking about that subject.
I believe that repentance, along with faith, is
necessary for conversion. And I believe in ministry
(in my case, counseling teens) it's important to make
people aware of what the Bible teaches/God expects
concerning repentance and conversion. When I was young
I used to focus a lot on confession, "easy believism".
But now I believe that 'truly' confessing Christ as
savior and Lord is not what saves but is a result of
faith and repentance.
And about the other question I asked. I'm still not
convinced that God initially draws the lost through
intercessory prayer only. I'm going to continue
seeking the answer to this to satisfy my own
curiosity. Though I know however way the lost are
initially drawn, it's the work of the Holy Spirit that
does it. Because even if preaching (for one example)
is involved in that initial work then it's through
God-given annointings that allows the Holy Spirit to
flow.
I felt like I needed to brush up on an old Bible
course I took in the past (
www.rogma.org). So here is
something from that website on the subject of God
drawing the lost. At some point I'm going to work on
typing those scriptures that I mentioned to you, the
ones I have marked in my Bible about this subject.
VI. THE METHOD: WHEN AND HOW DOES THE MIRACLE OF THE
NEW BIRTH TAKE PLACE IN A HUMAN HEART AND LIFE?
First, God acts to bring us to this condition. He
employs two agents:
THE HOLY SPIRIT. (Read carefully John 16:8; John
3:5-6,8; John 6:63; Romans 8:16 and Titus 3:5-6.)
The Holy Spirit plays a major role in our
regeneration.
He convicts us of our sin (John 16:8-9).
He reveals Christ as our only hope (John 16:13-14).
He causes us to repent (Acts 2:37-38).
THE WORD. (Read carefully Romans 10:17; James 1:18; 1
Peter 1:22-23; Hebrews 4:12; and
Mark 4:20.) It is through the WORD and primarily
through the preaching of the WORD, that the Holy
Spirit convicts of sin, reveals Christ, imparts life,
and assures of salvation (John 3:5;
Romans 8:16).
Take care,
Author