Brother, are you aware that your reference is a REFORMED teacher?
I knew it was Sproul, but I thought he was SB. Guess not!
This is not to trip you up but to point out that reformed teaching is often inconsistent on this.
SBs today are also somewhat inconsistent with their past,
some of the OLD Southern Baptists held to direct regeneration.
For example, Calvin in one place seems to say that regeneration comes through the preaching of the Gospel, yet he says in another place that infants are saved by the "direct power" of God.
But regardless of all that, I find it very satisfying that Ligonier (R.C. Sproul) minces no words and fully endorses the doctrine of direct regeneration.
This is
a review, by Elder E. A. Green, of 'Justification By Christ Alone', written by Samuel Richardson, an English Particular Baptist, and published in 1647.
Richardson might as well have been a Primitive Baptist. Concerning 'Infusion Of Righteousness' versus 'Imputation Of Righteousness', he held to the former as do most PBs, not all, but most. I believe there is sound scriptural support for Infusion.
An excerpt from the review that I liked:
“.......Although the Objections to Samuel Richardson were from different sources, they each share the common premise: that the efficacy of Justification is a cooperative effort of the sinner's faith and Christ's redemptive work. In this view, the redemptive work of Christ is seen as providing a necessary condition which makes Justification possible, but it is the sinners' faith that provides the sufficient condition. This view is generally identified with Arminianism but some have also linked the view to the German Reformer Martin Luther. His banner was "Justification By Faith Alone".
In defence of Luther it should be noted that his emphasis on "Faith Alone" was 1st, in the context of his deep experience of grace and subsequent opposition to Popery with its accompanying Penance and Works. 2ndly, Luther's "Faith Alone" was in a context that opposed the Legalist's theory of Justification by the Works of the Law; this contrast is vividly made by Luther in his _Epistle to the Galatians_. Apparently,
subsequent followers of Luther abstracted his emphasis of "Faith Alone" from its context and then 'went to seed' with it. This resulted in a synthesis which identifies nominally with Luther's view while identifying substantially with the Arminian view of Faith.
Ironically, many contemporary "Reformed" denominations approximate this view in their theology even as they endeavor to purge out Arminianism and return to the Doctrines of Grace. Notwithstanding their objections, their view of Justification rings of 'faith in the efficacy of the sinners faith' rather than faith in the efficacy of Christ and his Redemptive work.”
