Just wanted to comment on a few of the statements in this thread, and I hope no some will take offense. None is meant in any of my comments.
I got it. No one who is not quickened by God ever confesses. No one. But, you reject the scripture that informs you of this truth
There simply is no Scripture that teaches men are regenerated in order to have faith.
Regeneration does not even begin until Christ begins building the Church by baptizing them with the Holy Ghost (in an internal and eternal manner He contrasts to the filling of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament John 14:15-23)) on the Day of Pentecost. Regeneration is the result of men being baptized into Christ. Faith is the result of the convicting ministry of the Comforter (John 16:7-9).
Two entirely different issues.
Please provide the Scriptural Basis for regeneration prior to Pentecost.
Confession with the mouth is a work.
No, it is the result of the conviction that the Comforter brings to the dead, natural man.
We see this same type of ministry (though not identical, because it is not the Comforter enlightening the dead, natural man to the Mystery of the Gospel) performed in the lives of the disciples here:
Matthew 16:13-18 King James Version
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
These men are unregenerate at this point. There is no way to say they are born-again believers, that they have received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost (which according to Acts 11 13-18 is the Salvation Experience), and they are not in Christ. We know this because this teaching as well as Christ's teaching of Eternal Union with God (John 14:15-23) Takes place just before His death.
God has revealed to them that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah and that He was the Son of God. What was not revealed to these men at this time was that Jesus would be the Risen Savior, and that He died in their stead so that they might not perish Despite the fact He had taught this earlier in His Ministry, i.e., John 3:1-16).
Peter rejects the Gospel:
Matthew 16:20-23 King James Version
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Peter basically states, "Lord, the only means of remission of sins on an eternal basis cannot happen. You cannot die! That will ruin our expectation of the physical kingdom we expect the Messiah to be king over!"
Or, "Lord, I don't want the only thing that can keep me or any man or woman from eternal separation and damnation to take place."
The Mystery was not revealed, so he did not understand that the Christ must die as it was written.
Again, the point in that they are not regenerate, unless one thinks a person can be born again and not have remission of sins, not be in Christ, and not have the eternal indwelling of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (John 14:15-23).
But they did have faith. As far as them believing on Christ as they did and as we do after the Cross, they didn't do that either:
John 16:28-32 King James Version
28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
But when they are Baptized with the Holy Ghost they will then become witnesses of Christ.
Men do have to have faith and believe in response to the ministry of the Holy Ghost. That does not constitute "work" on the part of the believer.
When people get upset at a post someone does in response to their own views, do they have to consciously make up their minds for that anger to occur? Not at all. It is a response to that which stimulates the anger. It is no different in the area of faith and belief: they are responses, not intellectual conclusions.
This does not support the false notion that the natural man can, for him/herself, make a conscious decision to have faith or believe. Because they cannot receive or perceive the spiritual things of God.
But God can reveal that knowledge to the natural man or woman, as He enlightened the disciples to the truth that He was the Christ (really the Messiah God said He would send) and the Son of God (and I still don't think they understood this entirely at this time). And it is when He enlightens men that they can have faith or believe.
Doesn't require regeneration. Regeneration occurs at the time of saving faith, not before it.
We see men who are held accountable because they reject the truth of the Gospel:
2 Peter 2:20-22 King James Version
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
They are held more accountable because they have had the revelation of the truth of Jesus Christ and have rejected it. This is the reverse of what those who have faith and believe do.
But it cannot be denied, the truth has been given unto them, and this by God through the ministry of the Comforter. The holy commandment delivered unto them is that they are to accept the Gospel (the knowledge of Jesus Christ).
Again, this does not support the false notion the natural man can do what Scripture makes clear they cannot. They cannot hear the Gospel and in their dead condition respond either way. Only when God enlightens their minds and they receive divine revelation can they respond.
Continued...