Lately, I've been trying to deepen my understanding of the nature of regeneration, faith, justification, and sanctification. I understand that Protestants have understood faith as consisting of knowledge, assent, and trust. My confusion comes as I am attempting to understand the place of one's desires in all of this. Here are the two options I've been considering:
1. I used to believe that I must first desire Christ before I can perform an act of the will to accept/choose him. I reasoned that, since desires precede and direct the will, making the will a slave to one's desires, the desires must be changed for an act of faith to take place. Therefore, the desire for Christ would precedes true faith.
2. Recently, I've become persuaded that #1 is incorrect. I think it's more accurate to see faith as a mindset, i.e., one's inner orientation that remains constant rather than a momentary "decision" we are continually making. #1 makes faith seem more like a work, as well. As you can see, this affects my understanding of regeneration and sanctification. Does regeneration primarily act upon my mind and "inward orientation" or do I begin to desire Christ, whom I lack knowledge of, and which knowledge I can neither assent to nor trust? How can I desire (which seems to be the same as "love") Christ if I have not yet been justified (Luke 7:36-50) and how can I desire One whom I do not yet trust is worthy of desire? Here's one more way of putting it. First, the preacher proclaims the free offer of the gospel. Second, the unbeliever hears it (knowledge). The Spirit then confirms the truth of the free offer of the gospel (assent), which results in the inescapable conclusion that the hearer trusts that, not only is it objectively true but HE'S MINE (trust)! This results in deep gratitude and joy that wells up inside the justified sinner (sanctified desires). Therefore, desires for Christ are the fruit of faith.
I'd love some help on this one. I don't know if my reasoning is correct or not. Obviously, this affects my understanding of the precise role of regeneration, justification, and sanctification. It also seems that it would affect the way I present the gospel to non-Christians, too.
1. I used to believe that I must first desire Christ before I can perform an act of the will to accept/choose him. I reasoned that, since desires precede and direct the will, making the will a slave to one's desires, the desires must be changed for an act of faith to take place. Therefore, the desire for Christ would precedes true faith.
2. Recently, I've become persuaded that #1 is incorrect. I think it's more accurate to see faith as a mindset, i.e., one's inner orientation that remains constant rather than a momentary "decision" we are continually making. #1 makes faith seem more like a work, as well. As you can see, this affects my understanding of regeneration and sanctification. Does regeneration primarily act upon my mind and "inward orientation" or do I begin to desire Christ, whom I lack knowledge of, and which knowledge I can neither assent to nor trust? How can I desire (which seems to be the same as "love") Christ if I have not yet been justified (Luke 7:36-50) and how can I desire One whom I do not yet trust is worthy of desire? Here's one more way of putting it. First, the preacher proclaims the free offer of the gospel. Second, the unbeliever hears it (knowledge). The Spirit then confirms the truth of the free offer of the gospel (assent), which results in the inescapable conclusion that the hearer trusts that, not only is it objectively true but HE'S MINE (trust)! This results in deep gratitude and joy that wells up inside the justified sinner (sanctified desires). Therefore, desires for Christ are the fruit of faith.
I'd love some help on this one. I don't know if my reasoning is correct or not. Obviously, this affects my understanding of the precise role of regeneration, justification, and sanctification. It also seems that it would affect the way I present the gospel to non-Christians, too.
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