Regeneration, therefore, is one of the benefits Christ purchased for us on the cross. If He doesn't purchase us out of our unregenerate state we are lost forever. To say that we don't need Christ's cross for our faith is to mistakenly think of faith as a contribution to the price of our salvation rather than understand that we were regenerated unto faith. By grace, through faith and this not of yourselves (Eph 2:8)... born not of the will of man but born of God (John 1:13). This text reveals that 'faith' is penultimate to the ultimacy of 'grace' for even the very faith we have is a gift received, not something produced by our unregenerate human nature. Jesus said, "Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?" In other words, by nature, men are not inclined or disposed to the things of God. Jesus said that if change is to take place, He must, "make the tree good and its fruit good". It is a supernatural act of God for no one says 'Jesus is Lord' accept by the Holy Spirit. We choose God because our disposition of heart has been supernaturally transformed, not because some fallen people have the ability to believe while others do not. But since not all people are regenerated unto faith, it is obvious that Christ did not die for the specific intent of applying redemption unto resurrection life to all men. Human beings are by nature spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace ... and since faith is not generated by our fallen human nature we need a grace that will completely save us from beginning to end, a grace that actually delivers us. This is what Christ did for us on the cross. We do not contribute anything toward the price of our salvation.
The All-Sufficiency of Christ in Our Redemption
(Conclusive Evidence for Definite Atonement)
by John Hendryx
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