The new birth(Regeneration)is God’s work, but receiving Christ is man’s responsibility.
The Bible shows that man has the ability to respond to the gospel while in a state of depravity:
- “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” (Romans 6:17).
The reason men don’t receive Christ is not because they have the inability, but because they will not:
“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” John 5:40.
Baby: “Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3).
Some Calvinists liken regeneration to the birth of a baby to prove Total Depravity.
Physical birth brings into the world a personality which had no existence before conception, but one who is regenerated did have a complete living personality before he was born again.
Question: Is a baby responsible for any of its actions before it is born? NO! Then neither would an unsaved man be responsible for any of his actions, if the analogy were true.
Creature:
Calvinists analogise that just as any creature cannot cause its own creation, neither can any individual make himself a new creature in Christ. This analogy is false because regeneration is not creating a person with no prior existence, but is the renewing and restoring of a person whom sin had unfitted for communion with God. This analogy break down because of RESPONSIBILITY:
Question: Is an uncreated creature responsible for anything? No. Is an unregenerate sinner responsible for anything? Yes.
