Regenerated?

In the earlier chapters of my book on "The Hardshell Baptist Cult" I dealt much with what the bible, the Hardshells, and our Baptist forefathers taught about "regeneration."

The "Hybrid" or "Hardshell" or "Anti-Means" or "Reformed" or "Founder's Movement" or "Hyper Calvinistic" view of "regeneration" has been discussed, defined, and analyzed in those chapters; chapters on the Hardshell views on "faith" and "repentance" and on the change wrought in regeneration, including the view called the "Hollow Log" doctrine, which seems to be one of the kooky views of Hardshell founding father, Elder Daniel Parker (of whom I will have more to say in upcoming chapters).

In those chapters, I dealt with the question of whether "conviction of sin" PRECEDES or FOLLOWS "regeneration" and about some aspects of what is called "previenient grace."

I showed how the views of the Hardshells, like Elder Sarrels, who wrote a 20th century Hardshell "Systematic Theology," were ridiculous. His views, regarding the Hardshell description of what constitutes biblical regeneration and spiritual rebirth, is foreign to the scriptures, Baptist Confessions, and to the leading sentiments of our greatest Baptist theologians. Sarrels, in his book, cites much from Presbyterians Shedd and Hodge on what constitutes "regeneration."

I showed in those chapters how the Hardshells, together with Shedd, Berhof, Hodge, and others, all defined regeneration as something that was "on the sub-conscious level," and how it lacked repentance, godly sorrow, faith, knowledge of God or spiritual enlightment, and such things, and YET were "regenerated"!

I have shown that this is not a 32nd cousin to biblical regeneration! I showed how it was nothing but a bunch of nonsense, and how it makes "regeneration" nothing more than an "empty thing," a "Hollow Log" experience.

A man can be "regenerated" and not even know it! Well, then, he can lose it without missing it, as Brother Falwell once said!

By the Reformed view of "regeneration before faith," we have a man who does not fit the biblical description who is regenerated.

If biblical regeneration is defined by the cause only, and not with the effect included in the definition, then we must say

1) A man is "regenerated" (drawn) before he "comes."

2) A man is "regenerated" (given ears or ability to hear) before he "hears."

3) A man is "regenerated" (given eyes or ability to see) before he "sees."

4) A man is "regenerated" (moved upon by God) before he "comes" to God.

5) A man is "regenerated" (moved upon by God) before he is "born."

6) A man is "regenerated" (moved upon by God) before he is "saved."

7) A man is "regenerated" (moved upon by God) before he is "justified."

8) A man is "regenerated" (moved upon by God) before he is "alive."

9) A man is "regenerated" (moved upon by God) before he is "converted."

10) A man is "regenerated"(moved upon by God) before he is "called."

11) A man is "regenerated" (moved upon by God) before he has made a single spiritual movement.

I could not doubt add to this list, but this is sufficient enough to show how ridiculous is this "watered down" view of "regeneration."