This verse doesn't even mention faith.
Winman, The reason I presented the verse from Philippians is that it shows that once God begins a work of salvation in one of His elect He will bring it to completion, includng Glorification at the return of Jesus Christ. I show it again:
Philippians 1:6, KJV
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:
The following is certainly not original with me but it shows those different aspects of Salvation. I believe it is consistent with what most people see as the Doctrine of Grace.
Salvation, A Multifaceted Gem
Salvation, the blessing of grace, is that work of the Triune God by which He eternally redeems and reconciles to Himself those chosen in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world [Ephesians 1:4], freeing them from bondage to sin and His holy wrath. That salvation is purchased by the blood of the Incarnate Son [Romans 5: 9; Hebrews 9: 14; 1 Peter 1: 18; 1 John 1: 7; Revelation 1: 5; Revelation 7: 14], the blood of the everlasting covenant [Matthew 26: 28; Hebrews 13: 20], and is made effective in the life of the elect by the Holy Spirit through union with Jesus Christ. Salvation from beginning to end is entirely by the Sovereign Grace of the Triune God.
Salvation is a once for all time occurrence in the life of the elect. However, as we see explicitly in Romans 8:28-30, and throughout Scripture, there are a number of events that are associated with salvation. In some of these man takes an active roll but in most of them he is entirely passive. If we consider salvation, this blessing of grace, as a
multifaceted gem, we may better appreciate both the gift of salvation and the work of God, in particular God the Holy Spirit, in the salvation of those whom God the Father, before the foundation of the world, has chosen in Jesus Christ, God the Son.
1. Regeneration
The initial event in salvation is
regeneration, the theological term synonymous with ‘rebirth’ or ‘being born again’.
Regeneration is solely the work of God the Holy Spirit whereby those who are spiritually dead in trespass and sin are made spiritual alive and are brought into union with Jesus Christ [Ephesians 2:1-9]. Although
Regeneration is the initial event in
Salvation the following aspects are not necessarily in chronological order.
2. Union with Jesus Christ
Union with Jesus Christ is an integral part, a condition, of God’s electing grace and
this union is solely the work of God the Holy Spirit.
3. Effectual Calling
Insofar as man himself is aware, the initial event in salvation is the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit. It is an observable fact that not all who hear the Gospel accept it and come to salvation. The regenerate do, the unregenerate do not.
4. Conversion
Conversion is the result of
conscious act of a regenerate person in which he responds to the
effectual call and turns to God in
faith and repentance. Conversion is in reality an acknowledgment that one has experienced regeneration.
4a. Saving Faith
Saving faith is an essential aspect of conversion and, though exercised by man, is itself a gift of God [Ephesians 2:8,9] The prophet Habakkuk who writes [2: 4b]:
the just shall live by his faith, is echoed by the Apostle Paul in that great faith chapter of the New Testament, Hebrews 11, which clearly demonstrates that faith is, in fact, a way of life.
4b. Repentance
Like faith
repentance is also an essential aspect of conversion.
However, the repentance associated with conversion must be proceeded by faith, that is, a person cannot truly repent of his sins against God until he believes that God is and that he has sinned against God. There are many who insist that repentance precedes faith.
5. Pardon
A righteous God cannot overlook sin for the wages of sin is death [Romans 6.23]. Man is not a sinner because he sins but man sins because he is a sinner. As such he is subject to the wrath of God [Romans 5:12, Romans 1:18]. All who exercise God given repentance obtain forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Forgiveness or pardon implies deliverance from the penalty of sin.
6. Justification
Justification is a judicial act whereby the unjust sinner is declared righteous in the sight of a just and holy God. John Dagg in his
Manuel of Theology [page 265] notes that justification is a higher blessing of grace than pardon.
Pardon frees from the penalty that follows sin, justification frees us from the guilt of sin. Justification is by faith alone [Romans 5:1] and that faith itself is the gift of God [Ephesians 2:8,9].
7. Adoption
God adopts as sons all who believe in Jesus Christ [Galatians 3:26, 1 John 3:1, Romans 8:16,17]. Although we are called the sons of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ this does not mean that we occupy the same position relative to God the Father as Jesus Christ [John 10:30-33, Colossians 2:9, Philippians 2:5-10]. When God the Son took upon Himself the form of man He laid aside His Glory but not His Deity. Though we are called the sons of God by adoption we will never be divine.
8. Sanctification
The Holy Spirit continues to sanctify those whom He has regenerated and finally prepares them fully for the service and enjoyment of life in the presence of God.
9. Perseverance or Security of the True Believer
The doctrine of the ‘Perseverance of the Saints’ or the ‘Security of the True Believer’ is one that is cherished by most Baptists. The statement from the 1677 [or 1689] Baptist Confession of Faith [Lumpkin,
Baptist Confessions of Faith, page 272] expresses this doctrine in the following excerpt:
Those whom God hath accepted in the Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by His Spirit, and given the precious faith of His elect unto, can neither totally nor finally fall from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end and be eternally saved, seeing the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, (whence He still begets and nourishish them in Faith, Repentance, Love, Joy, Hope, and all the graces of the Spirit unto immortality).
10. Assurance of Salvation
If we do not believe that
True Believer’s are kept by the power of God and will persevere to the end it is doubtful that we can ever have any assurance of our salvation. Therefore, every passage of Scripture that demonstrates the
security of the believer should provide the believer assurance of that security. The first basis for assurance is the testimony of the Word of God. The second basis for assurance of salvation is subjective. The Apostle John tells us [1 John 5:10]:
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. That witness is the indwelling Holy Spirit
11. Glorification
God will bring to glory those He has saved through the sacrifice of His Son. Glorification is the final facet on the gem of salvation. Redemption is complete, the sin struggle is over. We who are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ [Romans 8:17] will be like Him for we will see Him as He is [1 John 3:2].
Show me a verse that says a person must be made alive or regenerated to believe. You can't do it, because no such scripture exists. Your whole doctrine is based on something not found in the Bible.
I on the other hand have shown you many verses that say a person must believe to have life.
Winman the passage Ephesians 2:1-10 has been presented on this forum hundreds of times. It clearly shows that God through divine action regenerates or makes alive one who is dead in tresspass and sin and then gives the gift of FAITH!
