You disagree with Hebrews 11:1?
No, but Romans 4:21 and Hebrews 11:11 are also describing what faith is. It is being persuaded that God can and will perform what he has promised. It is taking God at his word.
And you think that the spiritually dead, those who hate God and are in rebellion against him, are capable of this?
I think this is part of the problem, the spiritually dead don't always hate God, and they aren't always in rebellion to him. We are clearly told that Cornelius was not saved, but he did not hate God, neither was he rebellious. The Philipian jailer certainly did not hate God, and he was not being rebellious when he burst in trembling and asked Paul and Silas how to be saved.
The day of Pentacost over 3000 men were deeply convicted by Peter's preaching. They didn't rebel, but earnestly asked Peter what could they do?
Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this,
they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
So, this idea that spiritually dead people always hate God and are always rebellious does not agree with scripture.
Faith allowed her to make that judgment. Faith wasn't the judgment itself.
No, she judged she could trust God, that he was faithful. You have it backwards.
Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because
she judged him faithful who had promised.
And this is in no way relevant to the discussion.
Yes it is, it shows that a sinner can believe. Believing does not make us good, just as a career criminal is not good. It was his mother that was good, and that is why he could trust her. God is good, and that is why we can trust him, even if we are evil ourselves.
Yes we must look to Jesus, but who looks to Jesus? Those drawn by the Father. The elect.
False, every man could look. Read for yourself.
Num 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that
every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
Being bitten by these fiery serpents represents sin. Every man has been bitten by the fiery serpent of sin and will die. But "every one" that was bitten may freely look to Jesus and live.
"But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." ... "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. - Jhn 6:36-40, 44 NASB
You stopped short. Verse 45 explains how men are drawn to Jesus.
Jhn 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all
taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard, and hath
learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
Did Jesus say those that have been supernaturally regenerated shall come to him? NO, he said every man that is TAUGHT, that has HEARD and LEARNED from the Father comes to him. And how do we learn from the Father? By hearing the word of God, the scriptures.
The crowd saw Jesus and his miracles, yet they didn't believe. Jesus explains why: those who are given to the Son by the Father are those who come to him. Beholding the Son and believing in him is clearly parallel to coming to the Son. The Father draws the sinner, gives him to the Son, the sinner beholds and believes in the Son, the Son receives (saves) the sinner, will never lose him nor cast him away and will raise him up on the last day.
Many did believe.
From beginning to end it is the work of the Triune God.
You will say, "He draws all people according to John 12." But that can't be as ALL who are drawn WILL come to the Son:
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. ... "This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. - Jhn 6:37, 39 NASB
None that the Son is given, by the Father, will ever be lost. Those drawn are those saved. Therefore, if everyone is drawn, everyone is saved and universalism is true. Clearly not the case.
Not all that are drawn are saved, read Matthew 22:1-14:
Mat 22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants
to call them that were bidden to the wedding:
and they would not come.
Lots of folks are called and drawn, but refuse to come.
Regeneration occurs when the Spirit opens the heart of the sinner to receive the gospel. It works in accordance with gospel preaching. Why can't you understand this?
If they are already regenerated they do not need to hear the gospel. You are either spiritually alive or dead, there is nothing in-between. If you are already spiritually alive, why do you need to hear the gospel? You already have life.
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. - Rom 10:14-17 NASB
Yes, God provides the word of God, but we have to hear. Those who refuse to listen and hear, those that will not be taught and will not learn cannot be saved.
Yes God has his chosen which will be saved. The God ordained means by which the elect are saved is through hearing the gospel.
But you don't believe they are saved through hearing the gospel, you believe they are regenerated BEFORE they can even be willing to consider the gospel. They are already alive, what do they need to be saved from?
How do you think this supports your position? The dead, the unregenerate, hear the words of Jesus and are brought to spiritual life! The dead don't bring themselves to life nor are they able. You believe that the one who is spiritually dead chooses to believe and thus brings himself back to life. You are confused and clearly don't understand what you rail against.
No, the dead that "hear" shall live. These are the dead persons who listen and learn, and trust Jesus as they are instructed. To those who hear and believe Jesus, to these persons Jesus gives life.
Your understanding of Calvinism is error.
I believe it is you that does not understand your own doctrine. Spurgeon understood that it is unnecessary to preach the gospel to someone who is already regenerated, but he seems to have forgotten that Calvinism teaches that an unregenerate person cannot understand the gospel, neither can he be willing to hear it or believe it. Calvinism teaches only a regenerate person has the ability to hear and believe the gospel, but they don't need it.
It is a Catch 22.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_(logic)