Seems that both those of Free Will side and Election side teach and promote that we are saved by grace of GOD thru faith In Christ ALONE, so aren't we all agreeing on what the Gospel message really is?
I know that Calvinist believe the gospel but, I don't how they believe they are saved by faith alone. Since they believe, they can not have any faith until they are "regenerated" or, "saved", first. Since both terms (in quotation marks), mean exactly the same thing. They infact seem to believe that they must be saved in order to have faith. So where's the faith when they are saved. If we are saved by faith at all, don't you think we must have that faith first in order to be saved by faith? Can we be saved by something we don't have. I for one do not believe so.
MB
Not only faith, but Calvinism does not require repentance either.
Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.
According to Calvinism, an unregenerated person can neither repent or believe. Only AFTER he has been regenerated can he do either. Of course, that would beg the question as to why someone who is already regenerated and has spiritual life would need to repent or believe. Even Spurgeon recognized this.
"If I am to preach the faith in Christ to a man who is regenerated, then the man, being regenerated, is saved already, and it is an unnecessary and ridiculous thing for me to preach Christ to him, and bid him to believe in order to be saved when he is saved already, being regenerate. Am I only to preach faith to those who have it? Absurd, indeed! Is not this waiting till the man is cured and then bringing him the medicine? This is preaching Christ to the righteous and not to sinners." [Sermon entitled The Warrant of Faith].
Spurgeon is correct, preaching faith in Christ to a man who is already regenerated and saved is like giving medicine to someone who is already cured of an illness.
Spurgeon recognized that being regenerated is being saved, it is already having eternal life, so why would someone need to repent and believe if they already have eternal life? This is nonsensical to say the very least, but this is what Calvinism teaches.