OldRegular
Well-Known Member
Old Regular
Three or four times I have presented John 5:24-25 that I believe prove an unsaved, unregenerate man can hear and respond to the gospel. Why have none of you Calvinists answered these verses?
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.
25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Verse 24 shows that they that hear the word of God and believe receive everlasting life at that instant (hath), and are passed FROM death unto life.
Verse 25 shows that the dead can hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.
What do you have to say of these verses?
Take those verses in context:
John 5:18-25
18. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
19. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
20. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
21. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
22. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:
23. That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
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.
25. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
Notice that verse 21 states that Jesus Christ quickens [makes spiritually alive] those whom He will. Verse 25 tells us that those who are spiritually dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. Only those spiritually dead who hear the Voice of the Son of God shall live. Isn't that consistent with Ephesians 2:4,5 which states:
4. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)
Now obviously when God the Holy Spirit made alive those who were spiritually dead [in the above passage] there was some action on the part of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from physical death did not He speak: Lazarus, come forth. [John 11:43] The voice of Jesus Christ raised the physically dead. Certainly the voice of the Son of God can raise those who are spiritually dead. That is exactly what verse 25 teaches and as I said is totally consistent with what happens in Ephesians 2:4, 5. Again verse 25 tells us that only those who hear the voice of the Son of God shall live. Someone will accuse me of saying that the spiritually dead will hear an audible voice. I am certainly not saying that. I am simply indicating some action on the part of the Holy Spirit takes place in regeneration as discussed in Ephesians 2. Certainly Jesus Christ in discussing the rebirth [John 3] did not indicate any audible voice, in fact perhaps the opposite [John 3:7, 8]:
7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
As for verses 24, 25 I have clearly stated on the basis of Ephesians 2:1-10 that when the unregenerate person is made alive by the Holy Spirit then he is given the faith to respond to the Gospel Call. Furthermore, it is certain that he will hear the Gospel Call and respond; the Gospel Call then becomes the Effectual Call [verses 24, 25 above]. I don't believe that those of us who believe in the Doctrines of Grace would argue that regeneration [as indicated in the passage from Ephesians] is the completion of Salvation. In an earlier post I presented a number of events that occur in the process of Salvation. It is certain that those who are regenerated will experience all aspects of Salvation. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: [Philippians 1:6]
1. Election
2. Regeneration and
3. Union with Jesus Christ
4. Effectual Calling
5. Conversion
5a. Saving Faith
5b. Repentance
6. Pardon
7. Justification [by faith]
8. Adoption
9. Sanctification
10. Perseverance
11. Assurance
12. Glorification