By Grace Through Faith

I am amazed at those Calvinists who say that regeneration or quickening occurs before faith in their preaching on Ephesians chapter two. They will say that the salvation of that chapter is the quickening of verse one. In verse five when Paul says "even when we were dead in trespasses and sins he made us alive together with Christ (for by grace are you saved)," they cannot deny that the salvation of this text is the being made alive or regeneration. But, when they get to verse eight where Paul says "for by grace are you saved through faith" they will say the salvation of the chapter precedes faith. Huh?

Paul says the dead are quickened by grace through faith and that this quickening is a being "created in Christ Jesus" or being God's "workmanship" (verse 10) and says people are saved by grace through faith "UNTO good works." Why did he not say created in Christ Jesus "UNTO faith"? Is that not what those Hyper Calvinists who put regeneration before faith teach? Why does the text not say "for by grace are you saved unto faith"? Where in the Bible is there a single text that says people are saved before faith?

Some of these Hyper Calvinists, such as the Hardshell Primitive Baptists, say that being saved by faith is a case of being saved by works. But, that won't work, for in the text Paul says "through faith unto good works," clearly showing that faith is not a work, which is what he also said in Romans 4: 5.

Some of these Hyper Calvinists will argue that being created in Christ cannot be by faith because an uncreated non-existing person cannot choose to be created. However, did not David say to God -- "create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me"? (Psa. 51: 10)

I challenge any of the advocates for the born again before faith view, whether James White or anyone else, to come and debate whether Ephesians chapter two shows that regeneration precedes faith. I challenged White to debate this years ago, but he declined.

I have shown that the authors of the 1644 and 1689 London Baptist Confessions of Faith did not say that regeneration (effectual calling) occurred before faith. Their Catechism, approved in 1680 and attached to the 1689 confession, says:

Q. 34. How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?

A. The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.

I have numerous writings of many of the authors of both these old confessions where they affirm the same thing, men such as John Spilsbury, Hanserd Knollys, Hercules Collins, Benjamin Keach, William Kiffin, etc.