The Bible teaches total depravity, and I believed in total depravity. I believed that man is totally depraved. I believed in depravity of a sinful man. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-3, 120. Total depravity simply means that there is nothing good in man to earn or deserve salvation. The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."

But Extreme Calvinists distorted the doctrine of man’s total depravity on which they were led to their wrong understanding of man’s total inability. By total inability Calvin meant that a lost sinner cannot come to Jesus Christ and trust Him as Saviour, unless he is foreordained to come to Christ. By total inability he meant that no man has the ability to come to Christ. And unless God overpowers him and gives him that ability, he will never come to Christ. The Bible never hints that people are lost because they have no ability to come to Christ. Jesus said John 5:40 "Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” It is not a matter of whether or not you can come to Christ; it is a matter of whether or not you will come to Christ.

We read in Acts 16:30 “what must I do to be saved?” the Philippian jailer had an exact and clear question how a man could be saved? The context of Acts 16:30-31 is the account of the conversion of a Roman jailer. now during that time the two early followers of Jesus, namely Paul and Silas had been imprisoned in Philippi for preaching the Gospel. Despite being beaten and thrown into the inner prison, Paul and Silas continued to worship and praise God. Suddenly, an earthquake shook the foundation of the prison, breaking open the doors and loosening the prisoners' chains. Fearing that the prisoners had escaped, the jailer was about to take his own life when Paul stopped him, assuring him that all the prisoners were still present. The jailer, recognizing the power and presence of God, asked Paul and Silas what he needed to do to be saved. The response to his question, captured in Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”, reveals the heart of the Christian message: salvation is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ.

But of course, if the Philippians jailer would ask some extreme Calvinists with the same question “what must I do to be saved?”, the extreme Calvinist would answer, “Nothing you have to do!” “Absolutely you have to do nothing! You are spiritually dead and you are to be regenerated first because without regeneration you are totally unable to respond to God.”

Extreme Calvinists teach that a person must be born again before he is able to believe. In other words, they believe that regeneration comes first before faith. The extreme Calvinists is saying that a person must have spiritual life by being regenerated before that person can believe, because their logically reasoned out that a person dead in sins or spiritual dead is unable to believe. So, a person cannot believe unless a person is alive spiritually. And to be spiritually alive, a person must be regenerated or born again before able to believe. So, doctrinally reformed extreme Calvinist teach that regeneration comes first before faith because according to them faith is impossible apart from regeneration. That is the unbiblical, logical and unreasonable theological view these extreme Calvinists have adopted. But what said the Scriptures. The Bible is our final authority! We preach what the Bible teaches!

Concerning the extreme Calvinists statement that man cannot believe the Gospel, and that man cannot believe until his is born again. The Calvinist are saying that man’s free will to believe comes after salvation but no free will before salvation.

John 6:40 “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may

We see the concept of faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Jesus states that the will of the Father is for every person who sees the Son and believes in him to have everlasting life. This affirms that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus states that those who believe in him will receive eternal life. This act of faith is symbolized by the image of receiving everlasting life and being raised up on the last day, which represents the hope of salvation and the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan for humanity Jesus' promise to raise up those who believe in him on the last day is a source of reassurance for believers, as it signifies the victory of life over death and the fulfillment of God's promises. Believing or having faith in Christ in order to have life is the will of God. So, it is wrong to say that we should have life first before believing. Regeneration doesn’t precede faith.

John 6:47 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”

By stating that "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life," Jesus is making a bold claim about the impact of faith in him. Faith brings spiritual life. Belief in Jesus is not merely an intellectual contrary to the reformed theology that unsaved sinner to be regenerated by hearing the word of God without believing; but believeth here is a deep and abiding trust in him as Savior and Lord. This type of belief leads to a transformed life and the promise of everlasting life in the presence of God. The idea of believing in Jesus as the path to everlasting life is symbolized by the bread that Jesus has been talking about.

John 7:39 “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.

This verse highlights the importance of the Spirit in the lives of believers. The Holy Spirit is seen as the presence of God This verse serves as a reminder of the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers and the importance of receiving this gift through faith in Jesus Christ.

The context of this, Jesus was speaking to his disciples during the Feast of Tabernacles, a significant Jewish festival. During this time, there was much debate and discussion about who Jesus was and whether He was the Messiah. In the preceding verses, Jesus had claimed to be the living water and the light of the world, further stirring up controversy and causing division among the people. In the midst of this backdrop, Jesus speaks about the coming of the Holy Spirit, addressing the future role of the Spirit in the lives of believers. So, it is clear to have the Spirit, or to have spiritual life, a person must believe on Christ.

John 3:15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Jesus is discussing the concept of being born again or born from above with Nicodemus, who is struggling to understand what Jesus means. The word "whosoever," indicating that this promise of eternal life is available to anyone who believes in Jesus. Not regeneration before faith but have faith to be regenerated or born-again. This verse is the idea of believing leading to eternal life, and not life before believing. Earlier, Jesus said to Nicodemus that a man must be born again to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3 “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”). Now, to see the life, Jesus said to Nicodemus that a person who believeth on the Son shall see life and a person who does not believe on Jesus Christ will not see life (John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;”). Hereby, we learned that to be born again or regenerated is to see the kingdom of God or see life is to believe on the Son of God, Jesus Christ (John 3:15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”; John 3:16 “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”; John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”; John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”).

A person should believe on Jesus Christ as Savior in order to be born again or regenerated. Therefore, regeneration does not precede faith but the moment a person believes on Jesus Christ by faith that person become born-again.

John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

We see the conditions for obtaining everlasting life. Firstly, one must "hear" Jesus' words. This implies understanding and internalizing the message of the Gospel. The act of "hearing" Jesus' word signifies an open heart and a readiness to receive and embrace the truth of the Christian faith. Secondly, one must also "believe on him that sent me." This refers to having faith in God the Father, who sent Jesus to earth as the Messiah and Savior. Believing Jesus as the Son of God who came to redeem humanity from sin and offer the promise of salvation. The reward for those who meet these prerequisites is profound: "hath everlasting life."

We see the profound declaration that the believer "is passed from death unto life." This powerful imagery symbolizes the transformative nature of faith in Christ. It signifies a transition from a state of spiritual death and separation from God to a state of spiritual life. It is nor having life before having faith. It is by faith that brings life. Regeneration doesn’t precede faith.

John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

John did not say “But as many as have been regenerated, to them gave He the power to believe on His Name, even to those who have become the children of God,” This verse is powerful and full of profound meaning, carrying themes of salvation, faith, and adoption into God's family. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are adopted into God's family, means we are born spiritually into spiritual family of God. It is through receiving and believing Him as our Savior that we are given the power to become children of God. It means by believing we are regenerated. Regeneration doesn’t precedes believing.

Jesus is speaking to the crowd just after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The context is important for understanding the meaning of this verse. The triumphal entry was a significant event in early Christian history, as it marked the beginning of the climactic week leading to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

Jesus uses the metaphor of light to convey a deeper spiritual truth. Jesus urges his audience to believe in the light while they have the opportunity, so that they may become children of the light. Jesus often uses the imagery of light to describe himself as the source of divine truth and salvation. For example, in John 8:12, Jesus proclaims, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." In the context of John 12:36, the call to believe in the light and become children of the light can be understood as an exhortation to embrace the gospel message and follow Jesus as the embodiment of divine truth. It emphasizes the importance of faith and obedience to Jesus' teachings as the pathway to spiritual enlightenment and reconciliation with God. Again, Believe Jesus, the light to have life. Regeneration of being born again doesn’t precede believing on Jesus.

John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing yemight have life through his name.”

Notice what the Apostle John writes “believing ye might have life,” and he does not say “having life ye might believe.”

This verse is found at the end of the gospel of John, and it serves as a conclusion to the purpose of the book. Throughout the gospel, John has been recounting the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus Christ, with the intention of leading his readers to belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the source of eternal life. The act of believing in Jesus as the Christ is seen as the key to obtaining eternal life. Through his name, believers have access to life, both in the present and for all eternity. Regeneration doesn’t precedes believe but by believing made us a regenerated person.

John 3:14-16 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus Christ Himself said that the Son of man was lifted up and whosoever believeth (look) to the Lord Jesus Christ shall not perish (live). Jesus is saying the helpless and helpless unsaved sinner is told to look on the Savior and will live or have eternal life. However, in contrary the extreme Calvinist change the words of look and live to live and look. Regeneration doesn’t precedes believing or faith but by faith give us a regenerated new life.

All of these Scriptures show that spiritual life follows upon the sinner's believing in Jesus Christ. The Apostle John gave as his reason for writing his gospel, John 20:31 “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Assuming that the extreme Calvinists doctrine if regeneration comes first before faith is right teaching. We want to ask a question, “what must a sinner do to be regenerated?” The extreme Calvinists did not sufficiently, satisfactorily, scripturally answered this simple question. Theologian Sheed has a typical answer in his book, he said that since the sinner cannot believe, the unsaved sinner is instructed to perform the following duties: First, they have to read and hear God’s Word. Secondly, they have to give serious application of the mind to the truth. Thirdly, they have to pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit for conviction and regeneration. (Dogmatic Theology, Vol II, pages 472, 512, 513).

In response to this wrong doctrine of extreme Calvinist, Roy Aldrich said “A doctrine of total depravity that excludes the possibility of faith must also exclude the possibilities of “hearing the word,” “giving serious application to divine truth,” and “praying for the Holy Spirit for conviction and regeneration.’ The extreme Calvinist deals with a rather lively spiritual corpse after all.” (Article, July 1965 issue of Bibliotheca Sacra and is entitled, “The Gift of God” – pages 248-253).

The danger of theological position that teaches regeneration precedes faith, actually perverts the gospel. The extreme Calvinist said that in this doctrine of regeneration comes first before faith, the sinner is told that the condition of salvation is prayer instead of faith. This belief is opposite to what Paul and Silas said to the Philippians jailer in Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”. The Philippians jailer who is asking how to be saved is not told to pray for conviction and for regeneration. Here, we see the truth of the biblical teaching that the unsaved sinner in order to be saved is told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Calvinist would twist Acts 16:31 to read, "when thou art saved by the Lord Jesus Christ thou shalt believe." What utter disregard for the plain teaching of the Word of God. This verse, acts 16:31 is a powerful declaration of the simplicity and efficacy of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Truly, regeneration doesn’t precede faith.

To be more shocking about this position that regeneration precedes faith, some reformed men, like R.C. Sproul, authored of many books on Calvinism, teach that a person can be regenerated as an infant, and then not come to faith in Christ until years later.

Many years ago, in our church here in Baesa, Caloocan City, Metro Manila, there are families from other churches who attended in our church but they were not aware that we are against the dangerous doctrine of reformed theology. As time goes by, one time when I visited one of the couple in their home, this couple without hesitancy open up about this position of total inability that teach that the unsaved sinner cannot have faith in Christ, have no free will to believe in order to be saved, unless they become born again or regenerated so God would give them life, and that is the only moment they can believe. The couple stated that man cannot believe the Gospel, and that man cannot believe until he is born again. Extreme Calvinist wants to prove the will to believe comes after salvation.

No, regeneration does not precede faith but the moment we believed in Christ we are regenerated or born again.