John 5: 40 & 6: 44-45 (Proof Text #5)
"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." (John 6: 44-45)
"But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." (John 5: 40)
These verses show that faith precedes regeneration. When I used to believe, as a Hardshell, that regeneration preceded faith, such verses caused me all kinds of cognitive dissonance.
Coming to Christ is in order to "have life." That is so clear that I cannot see how anyone can deny it. Life does not precede the coming. Further, since "coming" is a verb denoting action (active voice in Greek), and life follows coming, then life does not precede action. Thus, this text clearly goes against the regenerated before faith view.
Further, as all agree, and as the context shows, "coming" to Christ is a coming with the heart and mind, an act of faith, where the believing sinner "lays hold of eternal life." (I Tim. 6: 12) Where he "believes unto life everlasting." (I Tim. 1: 16) It is not "life unto believe."
Not only is the action of the sinner in coming and believing prior to obtaining regeneration life but so too is the action of God. His action takes precedence and is the cause of the action of the believing sinner. God's action is to "draw" and to "teach." Further, the drawing causes the coming and the teaching causes the learning. The drawing and teaching precede the coming and the learning; And, the learning and coming precede the quickening.
In many ways this drawing and teaching are preparations for regeneration, or preparations for coming to Christ for life. This is a kind of prevenient grace (not common grace), though not in exactly the way some Arminians present it.
Many Calvinists have disavowed a belief in prevenient grace because of its association with Arminianism. But, Spurgeon, and other Calvinists, did not "throw the baby out with the bath water," for they spoke of grace and work of God preceding regeneration. The grace that precedes regeneration is the drawing and teaching of the Father. The first Reformers and Calvinists, and others since, have not objected to prevenient grace in the sense of grace that precedes actual salvation, what are call "preparations." Many spoke of how the soil (heart) of the sinner needs to be ploughed up first (break up the fallow ground) by the law working conviction of sin before the seed of the gospel, the seed of God or of regeneration, were sown in the heart, being received by faith.
What later Reformers and Calvinists did was to redefine "regeneration" and make it equate with what the first Calvinists called preparation for regeneration, or a pre-regeneration. Conviction of sin was seen as a necessary precondition for regeneration and conversion.
Wrote the great John Owen (From Pneumatologia (Of the Holy Spirit as cited here):
"First, in reference to the work of regeneration itself, positively considered, we may observe that ordinarily there are certain previous and preparatory works, or workings in and upon the souls of men, that are antecedent and dispositive to regeneration. Yet regeneration does not consist in them, nor can it be educed out of them."
That the drawing and the teaching of God precede the coming (to Christ) of the sinner should be acceded to by both Arminians and Calvinists (and is actually the belief of many in both groups). Where the difference occurs are in these points:
1) What kind of teaching and drawing does the Father do in the sinner to bring about his coming to Christ?
2) Is this teaching and drawing done by the Spirit's use of gospel preaching?
3) Is this teaching and drawing done in all men? Or, in the elect alone?
4) Is this teaching and drawing of God always effectual (or irresistible)?
5) What is entailed in the words "all that the Father gives to me will come to me"?
6) What is meant by "if I be lifted up I will draw all unto me"?
As a Calvinist who believes in effectual calling or irresistible grace I believe the drawing and the teaching is effectual and unfailing and limited to God's elect. In other words, all who are drawn and taught come.
But, I am not a Hyper Calvinist. I believe God calls all to salvation through the gospel. I believe that the drawing and the teaching of the Father is what is his antecedent work in leading to faith (coming) and which brings regeneration and conversion, or spiritual life.
I believe that what God does for the elect involves special grace and more than ordinary operations of grace and of the Spirit. I believe that the doctrine of election answers the question of "why did I believe and others did not?" It is like D.L. Moody expressed it. "Whosoever will" is on the front door of heaven and "chosen by God" is on the other side. Election answers the question - "who made you to differ from another and what do you have that you did not receive?" (I Cor. 4: 7) Election explains why we are different as respects believing in Christ. It gives credit to God for the difference.
In conclusion I affirm that the above text overthrows the idea that life and regeneration precede coming to Christ by faith and I dare anyone to show where this is wrong thinking.
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