Required reading
Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge (Vol 3) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Chapter 15.
My summary
Now Hodge discusses the evangelical view of regeneration.
He teaches that regeneration is:
(i) an act of God;
(ii) an act of God's power;
(iii) not an act in the subjective sense of the word;
(iv) not a change of substance;
(v) a new life;
(vi) a change of the whole soul.
Hodge then gives responses to three classes of objections to the evangelical view. The classes are:
(i) denial of supernaturalism;
(ii) resting on false psychological theories;
(iii) objections founded on the divine perfection.
What grabbed me
I liked Hodge's response to those who accuse the evangelical view of regeneration of being unjust: 'Augustinians do not deny these difficulties. They only maintain that they are not peculiar to their system ; and they rest content with the solution of them given in the Scriptures. That solution agrees with all the facts of consciousness and experience, so far as consciousness and experience extend. The Bible teaches that man was created holy ; that by his voluntary transgression of the divine law he apostatized from God ; that in consequence of this apostasy all men come into the world in a state of spiritual death, both guilty and polluted ; that God exercises no influence to lead them into sin, but on the contrary, by his truth, his providence, and by his Spirit exerts all that influence over them which should induce rational beings to repent and seek his pardoning mercy and sanctifying grace ; that all those who sincerely and faithfully seek reconciliation with God in the way of his appointment He actually saves ; that of his sovereign grace He, in the exercise of his mighty power, renews and sanctifies a multitude which no man can number, who would otherwise have continued in their sins. With these representations of the Scriptures everything within the sphere of our knowledge agrees. Consciousness and experience testify that we are an apostate race ; that all men are sinners, and, being sinners, have forfeited all claims on the favour of God ; that in continuing in sin and in rejecting the overtures of mercy men act voluntarily, following the desires of their own hearts. Every man's conscience, moreover, teaches him that he has never sought the salvation of his soul with the sincerity and perseverance with which men seek the things of the world, and yet failed in his efforts. Every man who comes short of eternal life knows that the responsibility rests upon himself. On the other hand, the experience of every believer is a witness to him that it is of God and not of himself that he is in Christ (1 Corinthians i. 30) ; every believer knows that if God had left him to himself he would have continued in unbelief and sin. Why God intervenes to save one and not another, when all are equally undeserving ; why the things of God are revealed unto babes while hidden from the wise and prudent, can only be answered in the language of our Lord, "Even so. Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." (Matthew xi. 26.)'
I agree. Every honest person knows that he would not choose to follow Christ if left to his own devices.
Next week's reading
Commence Chapter 16 by reading up to the heading '3. Different kinds of faith'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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