Four Types of Calvinists

Are there regenerate elect who do not believe the gospel? 1. There are four types of Calvinists. a. All true Calvinists believe in the doctrine of unconditional election. b. However, regarding the role of believing the gospel in eternal salvation, Calvinists may be divided into four groups. c. The four groups may be characterized as follows: i. All of the elect are regenerated subsequent to believing the gospel. Faith is a condition for regeneration. ii. All of the elect are regenerated simultaneous with believing the gospel. Faith is the means of regeneration. iii. All of the elect are regenerated and afterward they ALL believe the gospel. Faith is an effect of regeneration. iv. All of the elect are regenerated and afterward SOME, but not all, of them believe the gospel. 2. As noted above, regeneration precedes believing the gospel. a. It is obvious that John the Baptist was regenerated before he believed (LUK 1:1315). b. Therefore, the first type of Calvinist is in error in that he affirms that faith is the condition for regeneration. c. The second type of Calvinist is in error in that he affirms that faith is the means for regeneration. d. The third and fourth types of Calvinists are correct in that both believe that faith is an effect of regeneration. 3. Consider the implication of the position of the third type of Calvinist. a. He affirms that ALL of the elect will be regenerated and ALL of the elect will subsequently hear and believe the gospel. b. If this is true, then all those dying in infancy are damned. c. If this is true, then all those who are incapable of hearing and believing by reason of a handicap are damned. d. If this is true, then all persons who never had an opportunity to hear the gospel are damned. e. If faith is essential to the eternal salvation of rational adults and yet is not essential to the eternal salvation of infants and idiots, then you have two schemes of eternal salvation.

f. If the elect must hear and believe the gospel in order to go to heaven, then eternal salvation is through the mediation of men other than the man Christ Jesus. i. One cannot hear and believe without a preacher (ROM 10:14). ii. This is Catholicism! 4. The Bible teaches that there are regenerated persons who do not believe the gospel. a. 1CO 10:1-6: The Israelites in the wilderness were partakers of Christ and yet did not believe the gospel (HEB 3:15-4:2). i. If one partakes of Christ, he has eternal life (JOH 6:54-56). ii. According to HEB 4:2, they heard the gospel but did not believe it. b. MAR 10:17-22: The rich young ruler was loved of Christ, yet he did not obey the call to discipleship. i. If one is loved of Christ, He is elected and will be regenerated (JOH 13:1; EPH 2:4-5). ii. Scripture nowhere teaches that he ever followed Christ. c. ROM 2:13-15: There are Gentiles, which have not the law, yet show the work of the law written in their hearts. i. These Gentiles are examples of people who shall be justified. ii. The law in context is the written law (ROM 2:17-23). iii. If one has the gospel, he also has the law since the gospel is preached with the Old Testament (1CO 15:1-4). iv. If they don't have the law, they don't have the gospel either. v. Doing by nature the things contained in the law and showing the work of the law written in their hearts evidence that they are regenerated (EZE 36:26-27; HEB 8:10; 1JO 2:29). d. ROM 11:25-29: Some elect natural Israelites are blinded to the gospel and enemies of it. i. These unbelieving Israelites are plainly set forth as God's elect with whom He has a covenant to take away their sins. ii. However, elect Israel is blinded "in part." iii. Part of elect Israel believe and part are blinded. iv. Part of elect Israel is blinded UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. v. Non-elect Israel is blinded forever (ROM 11:7-10). vi. Therefore, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, there will always be some elect Jews who do not believe the gospel.

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e. LUK 23:34-38: Those at the cross for whom the Saviour prayed were rejecting, rather that receiving Christ. i. The group for whom Christ prayed included the people (Jews), the rulers, and the soldiers. ii. They were forgiven because God always heard the prayers of His Son (JOH 11:42). iii. If forgiven, they will certainly be regenerated (COL 2:13). iv. However, Scripture nowhere teaches that they all believed. f. JER 31:15-17: The Lord made a promise regarding the children that were slain under the decree of Herod (MAT 2:16-18). i. These children were from two years old and under. ii. Therefore, they were not old enough to have intelligently heard and believed the gospel. iii. Nevertheless, they shall "come again from the land of the enemy" and "come again to their own border." 1. The land of the enemy that they were in was death (1CO 15:26; JOB 10:21-22). 2. Their own border is the promised inheritance in heaven (ISA 35:10; HEB 11:16; 1PE 1:4). iv. Rachel would hardly have been comforted if her children were going to hell. g. Therefore, the fourth type of Calvinist is right. 5. Our unbelief does not nullify God's promise of eternal salvation (2TI 2:13). a. There are unbelieving children of God (see above; also MAR 4:40; 16:14). b. However, God's faithfulness remains unmoved by their unbelief (ROM 3:3; PSA 89:29-34). c. Were God to revoke His promise of eternal life to His elect because of their unbelief, He would deny Himself (TIT 1:2). 6. We know the persons in the aforementioned passages are the children of God because the Scripture presents them as such. a. However, we cannot assume from these examples that we are elect if we do not obey the gospel. b. Scripture does not say that WE are elect if we do not believe. c. For example, I do not fit into any of the above categories. i. I am not an Israelite in the wilderness. ii. I am not the rich young ruler.
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iii. I am not a Gentile without the law. iv. I am not a natural Israelite. v. I am not one of those at the cross. d. I must obey the gospel if I would know that I am elect since the Bible assures us that those who obey are elect of God (1TH 1:4-6). e. Anyone who would use this doctrine to justify his unbelief is but indicating his own damnation (ROM 3:8; JUD 1:4). f. Hence, this is NOT a licentious doctrine if properly understood. 7. The fact of the unconverted elect magnifies the sovereign grace of God. a. God will save whomever He chooses whether they are reached by men with the gospel or not. b. God is not confined to the evidences of grace to save His people. c. God can see His work in the heart whether we can see it or not (1SA 16:7; 1KI 8:39). d. However, we are confined to those evidences if we would have personal assurance of our election. e. While we cannot always tell who are and who are not the children of God, God can (MAT 13:28-29; 1TI 2:19).

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