When will God become a Father to sinners? When will they become his sons and daughters? Answer: When they come out from among them, out from among the dead (Eph. 5: 14), and come to God through Christ.
These words of God are addressed to people who have not done so, who have not come out (nor come to), who are not separated, who had not yet been received by God. In other words, it was addressed to people who were not yet his sons and daughters, who had not yet been born of God. Becoming God's people requires being born of God. When will people become by birth the offspring of God? When they come out from the world and come to God, and when they are received by God.
Some of those who promote the born again before faith view might be tempted to say that becoming sons and daughters (of the text) is a reference to being adopted by God and not to becoming sons and daughters by spiritual birth. But, in that case, the address would be towards those who are already his children by birth to come and once again become his children by being adopted. But, as we have seen, the words are addressed to people who are not his people and so not born of God. It is addressed to people who are not yet separated from the world, from sinful society, and who have not come to God and who have not been received by God, who have not been called his sons and daughters.
One must first get a divorce from sin and the world (separate) before he becomes married to Christ. The call to come out and to be separate is a call to a divorce, in order that a marriage to Christ may be effected. (See Rom. 7: 4)
To be "received" (welcomed or accepted) by God and to become children of God is the result of coming to God, as we have already seen (John 5: 40; 20: 31). "You shall be my sons and daughters" is the result of coming to God by faith.
This text is saying essentially the same thing as Galatians 3: 26 - "for you are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus." It is also essentially saying the same thing as John 12: 36 - “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” Since separation from sin and the world, and coming to God, are involved in what it means to "believe," so the passage is saying "be converted and I will receive you and you shall be my sons and daughters."
To have a familial relationship with God one must leave his earthly connection with the world and with sin.
To be in agreement with God we must come to disagree with the ungodly world.
To be joined to God we must be disjoined to sin, self, and the world. In order to live unto God one must die to sin, self, and the world.
We must be divorced from idols and false gods.
This is all described when Paul says - "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household." (Eph. 2:19)
Separatism is implied in the very word “church,” which comes from the Greek word ekklesia meaning “a called-out assembly.” In other words, those born of God, though in the world, are not any longer of it. (John 15: 19; 17: 14; etc.) To become children of God (born of God) one must become separated from the world, from what it values, believes, and practices. That makes regeneration to be the same as conversion and upholds the thesis that faith precedes and is the catalyst for regeneration.
I argue very simply on this. The bible teaches, as Calvin himself taught, that so long as any sinner is not attached (or joined, connected, united with, etc.) to God and to Christ, he or she is spiritually dead. To be alive the dead must come in touch with Christ. How and when is a sinner joined to Christ? The scriptures everywhere testify that union with Christ is by faith. Ergo, spiritual life comes by union with Christ by faith.
What think ye?
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