Nov 8, 2025

Spurgeon on the Ordo Salutis



The following is another proof that Charles Spurgeon did not believe, at least in his older and more mature years, that people were regenerated, or had spiritual life, before they believed. In his sermon "Life in Christ" (December 31, 1870; See here) he said:

"It is a distinguishing mark of a true follower of Jesus that he sees his Lord and Master when he is not to be seen by the bodily eye; he sees him intelligently and spiritually; he knows his Lord, discerns his character, apprehends him by faith, gazes upon him with admiration as our first sight of Christ brought us into spiritual life, for we looked unto him and were saved, so it is by the continuance of this spiritual sight of Christ that our spiritual life is consciously maintained. We lived by looking, we live still by looking. Faith is still the medium by which life comes to us from the life-giving Lord."

"As surely as I have this day eternal life by reason of faith in Christ Jesus, so surely shall I reach its fullness when Christ who is my life shall appear."

Many think that Calvinists all believe that regeneration precedes faith. But, this is an error. I have numerous articles in this blog and in the Baptist Gadfly blog which shows that many Calvinists as Spurgeon did not believe it, contending rather that sinners are born again, or obtain spiritual life, by faith. This was even the view of John Calvin.