CHICKEN
OR THE EGG By William Heinrich
What came
first, the chicken or the egg?
It is obvious that the chicken did, in fact two chickens came
before an egg. If this is not so, who would have fertilized the
egg and who would Adam have named on the 6th day of
creation?
What came first in salvation, regeneration or faith? This too
is obvious for their must be good soil (heart) for the seed
(Word of God) to fall upon in order for it to root and bring fruit
(compare Matthew
3:3-5 which states no one can see the kingdom or enter the
kingdom until he is first born again (from above). This is
further explained in 3:7-8 that being born again
(regeneration) is like the wind. The wind is not controlled by
man, but by God. It does not blow when we decide it to blow
or will it to blow. Regeneration does not come then by man's
decision or free will, but by God's sovereign free will and
decision. When the seed of the word is planted in a
regenerated heart, repentance and faith spring forth with its
fruit, some 30 and some 100 fold.
"A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Matthew
are corrupt in nature, until they are born again and they
cannot produce the good fruit of faith. "The natural man does
not receive the things of the Spirit for they are foolishness to
him; not can he know them because they are spiritually
discerned (1 Corinthians
natural man and unable to receive spiritual things. One must
have the spirit to receive or produce the things of the Spirit
such as faith. In fact, the natural (fleshly) mind cannot be
subject to God and His law (Romans 8:7). Instead he loves
darkness rather than light (John
the light that he might have life. This is called total depravity
and means total inability. It may seem we have free will, but
man will respond only to his nature . Natural man's nature is
corrupt in its entirety and "cannot please God" (Romans 8:8).
Most evangelicals today deny total depravity, by teaching
that the effects of the fall left man sickly but not dead. They
teach all men have free will and can exercise it if they want
to, whenever they want to. They teach that for the Gospel to
be offered to whosoever will requires all have a free will.
They teach that salvation has been provided for all but
applied only to those who make a decision for Christ of their
own violation. Therefore they not only deny total depravity but
the unconditional election of God as well (Ephesians 1, 4;
Mark
Thessalonians
foreknowledge to omniscience and predestination to a few
people or events in history. Perhaps all these changes and
new definitions of doctrines made over the last 200 years
can be traced back to the chicken or the egg? Free will is
logical to man and fair by our standards. Therefore since we
want our God to be fair, we see through this grid and do not
truly believe God's word. Moses and Aaron did this when
they smote the rock after they were told to speak to it. God
says to them, "You did not believe me, to hallow me in the
eyes of the children of
came to
gathered to his people and not enter
rebelled against His word at the waters of Meribah". It
is very serious to not believe "all" God has said to us in His
Word. Faith is God's gift (Ephesians 2:8-9) and the fruit of
regeneration. (John 1:12-13; Acts
2:25-26; Philippians 1:29; John 6:45-65; Matthew 16:17.
To close, I want to state three principles with verses that
teach each of them. (1) Christ is to be freely preached to all
(Matthew 28:19a; Acts 8:4; John
Revelation
who repent and believe (Acts 13;38-39; Luke 24:46-47;
Acts 16:30-31). (3) Those who repent and believe are those
whom God has chosen, predestined, foreknown, drawn, and
regenerated (Ephesians 1:4,
Matthew 11:25-30; Romans 8:30).