Hi,
I’m enjoying Pastor Robert’s recent evangelistic messages. I appreciate the perspective he offers on Calvinism, and in particular the piece on irresistible grace. I agree with him that man retains his free will in salvation, but I’ve run into a bit of a dilemma.
I got into a conversation with my Calvinist friend and mentioned, as Pastor Robert taught us, how John 3:18 says we have a choice. my friend followed up with the following statement:
“What does it say BEFORE that? Jesus said, ‘You must be born again.’ Consider YOUR birth. Did you have ANY CHOICE regarding your natural birth? No. Likewise when you are born again, it is a spiritual birth of God, not a choice.”
He seems to have a point, and I’m not sure how to respond. I’d really like to be able to respond to issues like this. What should I say?
—Wondering