Aug 6, 2008

Justified By Faith?

One thing puzzles me about the "born again before faith" view of the Hardshells and Reformed Baptists and Hyper Calvinists and that concerns the relationship between that heretical view and of the bible doctrine of "justification by faith" (that is supposedly believed by many of the Hypers with the exception of the Hardshells).

For instance, the "Reformed" view, that says the new birth occurs prior to faith and repentance, will nevertheless, put "justification" and "pardon (or forgiveness) of sins" after faith and repentance.

Are we to believe that a man is born again but he has no faith nor a penitent heart? Are we to believe that a man is born again but not yet united to Christ by faith? And, not yet justified and forgiven of sins?

Such are the consequences of believing in the Reformed "ordo salutis." They have created a mess for themselves with it. The truth is this - when a man is born again, he is a believer and a penitent, and he is also justified, sealed, forgiven, and united to Christ. All these things do not happen in sequence but all simultaneously.

The Reformed camp say, out of one side of their mouths, that one is born again before faith, and then say out of the other side, that one is not joined to Christ, justified, and forgiven until after faith.

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