Introduction: Over the past year, there has been much discussion regarding the article written by one Dr. Hartley on his interpretation of 2 Corinthians 4:4 as the “god of this world” being God and not Satan. It has been suggested that the idea of God actively causing sin in the unbeliever can lead to the symmetrical view of election/reprobation as held by Hypercalvinists per some discussion on various Reformed forums and e-mail lists.

However, before we go down the road of wondering whether Dr. Hartley and others like him are Hypercalvinists, let’s all take a look at a passage that I studied in some depth in a recent Greek exegesis class I took on Romans 9-11:

Romans 11:8 just as it is written, “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”

The word translated “gave” here is the Greek edoken (:edwken), which is the aorist ACTIVE indicative 3rd person singular of didomi (di,dwmi). No commentator I’m aware of has ever made the strange assertion that the “God” (qeo.j) of Romans 11:8 is a reference to Satan and I’m sure that all Christians would see such an interpretation as preposterous. As already mentioned, this aorist (past tense completed action) verb is in the ACTIVE voice, meaning that it was God who actively gave these unbelieving Jews their blinding stupor. It does not say that God “created fresh evil” in their hearts, for there is plenty of godless rebellion in every son of Adam to make them naturally hate God (Rom. 8:7-8). However, the text does say that God actively gave this stupor to the unbelieving Jews of Paul’s day. Since Dr. Hartley’s paper has become the subject of much discussion, you can rest assured there will be controversy surrounding his interpretation of 2 Corinthians 4:4, but I’m more convinced that most of us need to rethink the idea that God wasn’t and isn’t actively involved in the hardening of unbelievers in light of the clear context and exegesis of the “gave” in Romans 11:8.

Many Calvinists have typically made a distinction between God actively drawing the elect and then passively leaving the non-elect to their own devices to basically self-destruct. This is why election/predestination has been typically taught as asymmetrical, or uneven in the sense that God actively draws His people to Himself, but “passes over” the reprobate and leaves them to their own sins. It is indeed true that God withholds His saving mercies from the non-elect, but it does not follow that because God withholds salvation from men, that He isn’t just as intimately involved in developing the circumstances that cause them to hate Him more and accumulate more judgment to themselves. Incidentally, we see quite the contrary in the Scriptures:

Exodus 4:21: The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

Notice that the text says that God Himself will harden Pharoah’s heart. The Hebrew verb for “harden” is qZEåx;a], and it too, like the Greek version[1] that underlies this OT English passage, uses “harden” in the sense that God was actively doing the hardening.

Joshua 11:20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Notice that the verse above clearly says that the hardening of the pagan nations so as to cause them to come against Israel in battle was of the LORD. It was His desire to see these nations defeated and overcome by the nation of Israel without mercy (cf. Rom. 9:15).

Psalm 105:25 He turned their heart to hate His people, To deal craftily with His servants.

In the immediate context of Psalm 105, it is apparent that the ones who had their hearts turned by God to hate Israel were the Egyptians. There are many more passages that could be studied[2], but the above should suffice to make the point that God not only actively chooses to save some of the wicked from their sins, but He also chooses to harden the wicked in their sins as well.

However, as was stated earlier, this does not mean that God creates fresh evil in the hearts of sinners. On the contrary, what seems to occur based upon the biblical evidence is that God actively transforms the heart of the elect sinner into a God-lover while actively choosing to not do so to the heart of the non-elect sinner. God then actively and continually manipulates the heart of the non-elect sinner via secondary causation by setting up the circumstances for him to do what God wants him to so as to store up more wrath for himself wherein he will be eventually shown forth as a trophy of God’s judgment (cf. 2 Chronicles 18:19-22). In my view, this would be a more biblically accurate way to describe an assymetrical understanding of election and reprobation. In other words, it is indeed God’s active choice that the reprobate be born, blaspheme his name, have salvation withheld from them, be damned, and then be utilized as a great display of His justice in the courts of heaven (Rom. 9:17, 22) just as much as it is God’s active choice that the elect be born, glorify His name, be saved, and then be utilized as a great and glorious display of His mercy in the courts of heaven (Rom. 9:16, 18, 23). The difference in the two lies not in God actively choosing to save one versus passively rejecting the other, but instead in God actively choosing to transform one via primary causation (i.e., the drawing of the Holy Spirit unto Christ as rendered effectual by regeneration) and actively choosing to leave in sin and then subsequently harden the other for His own purposes via secondary causation. In conclusion, the idea that God does not actively cause the unbelief of the reprobate via secondary causes so as to ensure that they cannot “see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” for His own purposes does not appear to be founded in Scripture, but in the minds of men.

[1] The Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the OT often abbreviated as LXX. It was frequently quoted by Jesus and the apostles in the NT.

[2] I.e., Judges 9:23-24; 1 Sam. 16:14; 2 Sam. 16:10-11, 1 Kings 22:20-23; and 1 Chron. 10:4, 14.

Prologue: What follows are the notes recently used to teach the people of Shepherd’s Fellowship Baptist Church how God brings His elect unto salvation. This short summary of the Ordo Salutis will serve as a follow-up to what my fellow blog contributor Jim Bublitz has briefly discussed regarding regeneration logically (but not temporally) preceding faith per the exegesis of 1 John 5:1.

Question: “What is the Golden Chain of Redemption?”

Answer: The “Golden Chain of Redemption” is also known as “the order of salvation”[1] which deals with the steps or stages in the salvation of a believer (e.g. foreknowledge, predestination/election, effectual calling/regeneration, justification/sanctification, and glorification - Romans 8:29-30). Before our discussion, it might be helpful to provide some basic definitions[2] of many of the terms involved:

Foreknowledge: God’s knowing (in this sense) prior to salvation those who would be saved based upon His active choice to forelove them.

Predestination: The act of decreeing or foreordaining events; the decree of God by which he has, from eternity, unchangeably appointed or determined whatever comes to pass. It is used particularly in theology to denote the preordination of men to everlasting happiness or misery.

Election: In theology, divine choice; predetermination of God, by which persons are distinguished as objects of mercy, become subjects of grace, are sanctified and prepared for heaven.

Regeneration: The new birth by the grace of God; that change by which the will and natural enmity of man to God and his law are subdued, and a principle of supreme love to God and his law, or holy affections, are implanted in the heart.

Evangelism: The proclamation and propagation of the gospel.

Faith: Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, is the assent of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God’s testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God’s character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm belief of God’s testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation.

Conversion: A change of heart, or dispositions, in which the enmity of the heart to God and his law and the obstinacy of the will are subdued, and are succeeded by supreme love to God and his moral government, and a reformation of life.

Perseverance: Continuance in a state of grace to a state of glory; sometimes called final perseverance.

Repentance: One’s turning from sin to God. Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance, and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life. Repentance is a change of mind, or a conversion from sin to God. “Godly sorrow works repentance to salvation.” 2Cor. 7; Matt. 3. Repentance is the relinquishment of any practice, from conviction that it has offended God.

Justification: The pronouncement of “not guilty” on a sinner. More specifically, the forgiveness of sin and absolution from guilt and punishment; or an act of free grace by which God pardons the sinner and accepts him as righteous, on account of the atonement of Christ.

Sanctification: God’s separation of one from the lure or attraction of sin. More specifically, the act of God’s grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God. “God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” 2 Thess. 2; 1 Peter 1. (2) The act of consecrating or of setting apart for a sacred purpose; consecration.

Glorification: God’s final removal of all sin from the life and presence of the believer in the eternal state.

Introduction: The Locus Classicus of the Golden Chain of Redemption – Romans 8:29-30

One the best loved verses in all of the word of God is Romans 8:28. However, most believers do not realize that the foundation upon which this great verse rests is the verses that follow, verses that describe what has been called “The Golden Chain of Redemption.” When Paul declares that God works “all things,” without a single exception, together for his own glory and the good of his people, he is making quite a claim. One might think, “How can the Apostle Paul, how can you make such a sweeping and dogmatic statement?” The next verse begins with the word “for” and Paul’s reason for being so certain is laid out in five tremendous statements. These statements have well been called, “The Golden Chain of Redemption.” Let us examine them carefully:

Romans 8:29-30 For those whom (1) He FOREKNEW, He also (2) PREDESTINED to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; ³⁰ and these whom He predestined, He also (3) CALLED; and these whom He called, He also (4) JUSTIFIED; and these whom He justified, He also (5) GLORIFIED.

One the best loved verses in all of the word of God is Romans 8:28, but most believers do not realize that the foundation upon which this great verse rests is the verses that follow, verses that describe what has been called “The Golden Chain of Redemption.” When Paul declared that God works “all things,” without a single exception, together for his own glory and the good of his people, he was making quite a claim. One might ask, “Paul, how can you make such a sweeping and dogmatic statement?” The next verse begins with the word “for” and Paul’s reason for being so certain is laid out in five tremendous statements. These statements have well been called, “The Five Golden Links in the Chain of Sovereign Grace.” Let us examine them.

I. The first important thing to notice is the five things are linked together into one unbreakable chain. If one of them is true then they are all true. The word “for” in verse 29 begins the argument that proves beyond question that all things have to work together for good for the people of God. The Apostle lists five things that are certain to happen because of God’s sovereign purpose. God’s people are (1) all foreknown, (2) all predestined, (3) all called, (4) all justified, and (5) all glorified.

All five of these things are set forth as not only essential to God’s eternal purpose of salvation but also as absolutely certain of fulfillment. They summarize the salvation of sovereign grace that has it’s origins in eternity with God’s foreknowledge and ends in eternity with our full glorification. Each link grows out of the former link to form one unbreakable chain. Every sinner who is “foreknown” is going to eventually be totally “glorified.” Notice how all five links fit nicely together.

Romans 8:28 is the glorious declaration of that hope and assurance. We “know” something for certain, namely, that “God causes all things to work together” for a group of people described as “those who love God.” They are further described as those who “are called according to His purpose.” The second thing naturally follows after first thing. The first thing, loving God, describes the true character of a child of God. All true Christians sincerely love God. The second thing, “called according to his purpose,” gives us the cause that made the first thing possible. God purposed to have some people love Him and He sovereignly called these particular people by His power. We love him only because He first loved us. He called us on “purpose” according to his own plan. I am sure you realize that most people think God calls everyone in the same way and justifies only those who are willing to respond to the call in repentance and faith. This is, of course, half true but not true at all in the sense that Paul is talking about calling. It is impossible to fit that idea into this golden chain.

II. When verse 29 says, “For those whom He foreknew,” it must be referring to a specific identifiable people. They are the identical same people who in verse 28 “love God” and have been “called.” All of those who are “foreknown” are also “predestined to become conformed into the image of His Son.” The foreknown ones and the predestined are the same identical people. All those who are foreknown and then predestined are next “called.” Being effectually called is the first step taken to bring guilty sinners out of the graveyard of sin and death and ultimately glorify them in heaven in full redemption. The order of these things is important. It is especially important in the next step. All those who are called, because they have been foreknown and predestined, are also all “justified.” In other words, everyone, without a single exception that is effectually called by the Holy Spirit unto salvation will always be justified.

III. Four-point Arminian theology teaches that God calls all men without exception and those who, with their free will, decide to respond were then justified and predestined to be eternally secure. The predestining purpose of God always came after the sinner’s willingness to answer God’s call. It is obvious that this idea is not possible in this passage of Scripture. According to Paul, our calling unto salvation by the Holy Spirit comes after and grows out of our predestination and not vice versa. If that were not true, the text would say, “God calls all men, and justifies only those who are willing to believe.” However, the text puts the order exactly in the reverse order. We were not predestined to final glorification because we were willing to believe, but we were made willing to believe only because we had already been predestined. Calling is merely the first step towards the foreordained end of total glorification and all who have been foreordained to that end will be called and justified. The Holy Spirit clearly states that all without exception who are called are also justified. It is impossible to be called, in the sense that Paul is using the word “called,” without also being justified.

Obviously Paul is talking about effectual calling, or regeneration. The first result of being called is that we are justified, and the final climax of God’s work is total glorification. All those who are justified will most certainly be glorified. That fact is so certain that Paul speaks of it as already past, and so it is in the eternal purposes of God. This is the only place in Paul’s writings where he jumps from justification to glorification and skips sanctification. It is not because he quit believing that sanctification was essential, but in this argument he is talking about the “eternal purpose of God” and present and ultimate glorification are completely and absolutely certain for every foreknown, predestined, called, and justified person.

IV. Let me paraphrase these verses and answer the question, “How can I be sure God will do what he promised in Romans 8:28.” I can be sure because “Those,” all of them and only them, who have been foreknown by God in electing grace, are certain of ultimate salvation (total glorification) because God has sovereignly purposed to conform them, all of them and only them, into the image of Christ. God’s first step in this gracious purpose is to effectually “call” them, the foreknown and predestined ones, all of them and only them, by the power of the Holy Spirit through the gospel. Those, all of them and only them, whom he calls he also “justifies” and applies to them the righteousness of Christ. It is impossible to be foreknown and predestined and not be called just as it is not possible to be called if you were not foreknown and predestined. Likewise it is not possible to be called without that calling producing justification. Those, all of them and only them, who are justified are already glorified in the sovereign purposes of God. In God’s mind it is what we would call a “done deal.”

To review what we have seen thus far, the biblical order of salvation is:

1. Foreknowledge = Foreordination that is based in God’s eternal decree.

2. Predestination/Election – God’s sovereign determination of who would be saved by His own good pleasure and not based upon anything in those who are chosen (Rom. 9:11).

3. Effectual Calling – the outward call of the gospel comes to the sinner through evangelism and the inward call of the Holy Spirit experienced in the heart of the person brings about spiritual regeneration (John 6:44). This inward call is the “call” of Romans 8:29-30. This effectual calling leads to (a) spiritual regeneration which logically leads to (b) Repentance unto life/faith in Jesus Christ. Regeneration, saving faith, and repentance all occur simultaneously in time but logically, regeneration comes before faith/regeneration (1 John 5:1; 2 Tim. 2:25).

4. Justification – the declaration of a sinner as righteous before God on the basis of Christ’s righteousness credited to them. The believer is also declared completely sanctified (holy) at the moment of justification but also continues to grow in holiness practically throughout life. Conversion immediately follows regeneration/repentance/faith and justification as expressed in an outward profession of faith and water baptism.

5. Glorification (sinless perfection that only occurs when in heaven).

Conclusion: It is important to realize that the “Golden Chain of Redemption”/Order of Salvation has as much to do with salvation stages as it does with the cause(s) of salvation itself. For example, the Reformed position has faith as an effect of regeneration rather than the cause of it (versus how the Arminians understand it). Thus, a person is regenerated by the Holy Spirit in order to be gifted with faith, but there is no such thing as a regenerated person that is walking about without saving faith. The two (regeneration and faith) go hand-in-hand and are assumed by the biblical writers to co-exist. So, what does this say about who is ultimately responsible for the believer’s faith? The Arminian position has the believer responsible for whether or not God saves him, and thus a person must persevere to the end before he can be assured of salvation. What does this say about a believer’s security? These and many other questions are dependent upon the “Golden Chain of Redemption” for their answers, and it is thus important that a believer understands from which perspective those answers are given.

If you hunt around on some of the online bookstores, you might find Billy Graham’s book entitled “How To Be Born Again”. Another book that’s out there is “Gaining Decisions for Christ: A How-To Manual” by Louis R Torres. These books are representative of the modern church mindset that imagines man as having power to “activate” or “trigger” his own New Birth.

The error of Decisional Regeneration has some similarities with another error that Charles Spurgeon battled against in the 19th century called Baptismal Regeneration; it imagines that human beings have the power to cause the New Birth through the waters of baptism. In the past we’ve talked about regeneration as being something that God controls, and something that his Holy Spirit does. I’m sure we’ll continue in examining the various scripture passages that we believe make this clear. For this post however, I’d like to share this short overview clip on Decisional Regeneration from a video series entitled How God Converts The Human Soul.

Click here to see the the video.

I would like to begin this post with the following assertion: Dr. Bruce A. Ware is no punk. (How’s that for the lesser judging the greater?) I want to make my position on this clear right up front because many within the blogosphere tend to focus on areas of disagreement so much that they simply dismiss anyone who does not share every facet of their beliefs. But far from being someone whom we should dismiss, Dr. Ware has been at the forefront of the battle against the heresy of Open Theism, not only showing the failings of this hyper-Arminian teaching, but also positively contributing to the discussion with soul-stirring writings exalting our Sovereign, Omniscient God. For this reason, it was thrilling news when Dr. Ware was elected as vice-president of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS), which means (through some arcane rules governing the leadership of ETS) that he will automatically serve as president in 2009. Due to his writings and to Dr. Ware’s passionate monergism, I developed such a respect for this teacher that he is truly one of the influences that helped me decide to move to Louisville, KY to attend the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS).

As much as I have learned from Dr. Ware from his writings and lectures I have heard on-line (I haven’t yet had the opportunity to take any of his classes), there is one major disagreement I have with his theology. Namely, Dr. Ware has self-identified as a “four-point Calvinist,” and he is probably the ablest defender of this theological position today. Dr. Ware has influenced many students and faculty at SBTS with his views in this regard. Last November during the ETS conference, Dr. Ware was gracious enough to allow himself to be scrutinized by Pastors Mark Dever and John Piper concerning his belief in universal redemption. [A recording of this encounter can be heard HERE.] (more…)

A while back I made this statement to someone who had visited my blog and was questioning the belief in regeneration leading to faith: “You won’t find a bible verse that says ‘believe and you will be born again’”. The person responded by saying: “Is 1 John no longer a part of Scripture? ‘Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God’“. Although this is not the only verse that I would cite to support my position, in this post we’ll examine that verse, 1 John 5:1.

Depending upon which English bible translation you are looking at, this verse might appear to support the assertion that faith precedes regeneration, or it may appear to support just the opposite in other translations. For example, here are some translations that some might cite in favor of the view opposite of mine:

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ IS BORN of God”, NASB
“Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ IS BORN of God”, KJV
“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ IS BORN of God”, NKV
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ IS BORN…”, NIV

However, in these translations, it appears that the opposite is the case - that people who believe have been (past tense) born again.

“Everyone who believes … HAS BEEN born of God”, ESV
“Everyone who believes … HAS BEEN born of God”, NRSV
“…believing that Jesus is the Christ… HATH BEEN begotten”, YLT
“…believes that Jesus is the Christ… HAS BEEN born” WUEST

And so we can see that, so far as our English translations are concerned, there is room for some controversy. In order for us to get to the bottom of this, I’d like to cite an excerpt from page 287 of The Potter’s Freedom, as it does an excellent job of drilling down in this passage:

Generally such a passage would be understood to present the following order of events: 1) Believe that Jesus is the Christ, and 2) you are born of God. Yet, the original readers of this text would not jump to such a conclusion. In reality, the most literal rendering would be, “Every one believing (present tense participle, emphasizing both the on-going action as well as the individuality of saving faith, “each believing person”) that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God (a perfect passive verb, “has been born by the agency of God”). In John, “the one believing” is very common, and it is no accident the the emphasis falls upon the on-going action of faith. The one believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. If a person is now believing that Jesus is the Christ in a true and saving fashion, they are doing so because, as a completed action in the past, they were born again through the work and agency of God. The verb “to be born” is passive: they were caused to be born by another, that being God. They did not cause their own spiritual birth. And what is the inevitable result of being born of God? belief that Jesus is the Christ. Just as all those who are given by the Father to the Son come to the Son (John 6:37), so too all who are spiritually reborn through the work of God have as the object of their faith the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some Arminian exegetes might object to this interpretation. A means of testing the consistency of the exegesis offered of this passage would be to ask how such a person interprets these words from John:

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. (1 John 2:29)

Every consistent protestant would say, “the reason one practices righteousness is because they have already been born of Him. We do not practice righteousness so as to be born, but instead the birth give rise to the practice of righteousness”. And such is quite true. But, this means that in 1 John 5:1 the belief in Jesus as the Christ is the result of being born of Him. The verbal parallel is exact: in 1 John 2:29 “the one practicing righteousness” is a present participle; in 1 John 5:1 “the one believing” is a present participle. In both passages the exact same verb in the exact same form is used. Therefore, sheer consistency leads one to the conclusion that divine birth precedes and is the grounds of both faith in Christ as well as good works.

There is some further discussion of value about this passage in various systematic theologies that are available. If I remember correctly, Wayne Grudem addresses this passage, and perhaps Robert Reymond as well. Feel free to cite any others, if you have them handy; I’m interested in hearing from some other sources on this passage.