Page 72 - The Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2009

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We have great need to speak of God’s all inclusive commandment for “all men everywhere to repent”,

and He tells us why. It is because of the coming judgment of The Righteous Judge who shall judge the

world in righteousness (not in “sovereignty” ). Calvinism does not believe that man is capable of repenting

prior to conversion due to their erroneous conclusion that man is “totally depraved”, which we have

established is not according to the Scriptures. It was not so for Cain and it is not so for all of the “Cains” in

the world today. God’s Word places repentance as a prerequisite to the New Birth, “Repent and be

converted that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). Both John the Baptist and Jesus, as well as Peter

give the order to “repent and believe in the gospel (see Mat. 3:2, 4:17, Mk. 1:15, Acts 2:38 3:19, Heb. 6:1). However,

Calvinism places repentance after the conversion experience, after having faith to believe. Let us

consider now what is “the order of salvation” according to Calvinism:

We could spend a lot of time questioning much of the The (Calvinistic) Order of Salvation
validity of the chronological order of this list as it
compares to the sequence of these events in the Bible. 1. Election (God’s choice of people to be saved)
Just note where repentance is located. 2. The gospel call (proclaiming the gospel message)
It is placed after regeneration and the new birth, after 3. Regeneration (being born again)
conversion. According to Calvinism, after God grants the 4. Conversion (faith and repentance)
faith to believe to the “totally depraved”, then God grants 5. Justification (right legal standing)
him the ability to repent. Dear friends, Calvinism is 6. Adoption (membership in God’s family)
removing any and all responsibility, accountability and 7. Sanctification (right conduct of life)
capability of the sinner to respond to moral issues until 8. Perseverance (remaining a Christian)
they have been saved by God’s sovereign election. This 9. Death (going to be with the Lord)
10. Glorification (receiving a resurrection body)

(Bible Doctrine page 281-283 by Wayne Grudem,

professor of biblical and systematic theology

is an unbiblical sequence of events. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

In addition to the verses I stated above showing that repentance is a prerequisite to salvation ( Mat. 3:2,
4:17,Mk.1:15, Acts 2:38,3:19, Heb. 6:1), consider this plain declaration through the prophet Ezekiel of how God
states the wicked are able to come to salvation. Calvinism is not in harmony with this view:

“WHEN A WICKED MAN TURNS AWAY FROM HIS WICKEDNESS WHICH HE COMMITTED, AND DOES
WHAT IS LAWFUL AND RIGHT, HE PRESERVES HIMSELF ALIVE. BECAUSE HE CONSIDERS AND TURNS
AWAY FROM ALL THE TRANSGRESSIONS WHICH HE COMMITTED, HE SHALL SURELY LIVE; HE SHALL NOT
DIE…REPENT, AND TURN FROM ALL YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, SO THAT INIQUITY WILL NOT BE YOUR
RUIN. CAST AWAY FROM YOU ALL THE TRANSGRESSIONS WHICH YOU HAVE COMMITTED, AND GET
YOURSELVES A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT…THEREFORE TURN AND LIVE!” Ezk. 18:27-32 excerpts

God thinks that the wicked, unregenerated man is capable of both (1) “considering and turning from his
transgressions which he has committed”, and (2) “doing what is lawful and right”. God places the call to
“repent and turn” prior to the receiving of a “new heart and a new spirit”. Compare that to the “order of
salvation” of Calvinism and you must conclude that we have what Paul would label “a different gospel”.
We need to make the point that it is true that God grants the ability to repent (Acts 11:18, 2 Tim. 2:25).
However, consider what causes God to grant to the sinner the ability to repent:

“NOW I REJOICE, NOT THAT YOU WERE MADE SORRY, BUT THAT YOUR SORROW LED TO REPENTANCE.
FOR YOU WERE MADE SORRY IN A GODLY MANNER…

FOR GODLY SORROW PRODUCES REPENTANCE TO SALVATION, NOT TO BE REGRETTED;
BUT THE SORROW OF THE WORLD PRODUCES DEATH.” 2 Cor. 7:9-11

What is the prerequisite to repentance? It is godly sorrow for “godly sorrow leads to repentance.”
God looks for a sinner who has godly sorrow rather than worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is being sorry for
(1) being caught and exposed, and (2) for finding oneself in a difficult and humiliating mess. Judas had
such worldly sorrow and it led him to kill himself (“worldly sorrow leads to death”). Esau had worldly
sorrow and could not find repentance although he sought it with tears (Heb.12:17). Why so? Because he did
not have godly sorrow, he was only sorry to have lost the blessings of his birth right, so God did not grant
him the ability to repent. God places the responsibility squarely upon the unregenerated sinner to seek
His face with true godly sorrow. When He sees such, He will grant the ability to repent, and that will lead
to the receiving of “a new heart” and “a new spirit”, being born again! Calvinism denies this Biblical order
of salvation and seeks to take away from man all responsibility, capability, and accountability.
Unregenerate man is not “totally depraved” to the point that he is unable to express godly sorrow that
leads to repentance. He can be convicted of sin and God expects Him to respond with godly sorrow!!