The Most Significant Doctrine American Evangelicalism Needs to Rethink

Now, I think that, right off, I want to say that I agree with Mr.

Richard Owen Roberts who edited this book, when he said years ago that the doctrine of regeneration is probably the most significant doctrine for the

American Evangelical Church to rethink. I was in my last year of seminary when I heard him say that.

Chuck and I were in seminary together. I remember the last term

I had to do an independent study to get some extra hours so I could graduate on time. It was in the class of soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, so I was going to pick repentance because that just seemed to me something

I would prefer to write about. Then I remember Roberts saying this about regeneration.

I thought that was kind of strange because I thought everybody understood that you have to believe in Jesus Christ and repent and then you will be born again, kind of a classic,

I guess we could say, kind of a Billy Graham approach, being the most famous evangelist of the last century.

When Roberts said that, it kind of piqued my interest. What's so wrong with our view of regeneration?

Why is that so significant? It's a no -brainer. I remember asking if I could do a paper on that. When I got permission,

I went and found some books on regeneration. One of them I found was by a man named

Stephen Charnock, Puritan. He had about a 400 -page book on the doctrine of the new birth.

It was, for me, the most revolutionary doctrine. The doctrine of election or predestination, that's pretty revolutionary for most of us.

When it comes to regeneration, it seems to me that's where all the practical issues of the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man, that's where they all meet the road.

I found that to be really a true statement. I needed to rethink everything about regeneration.

Later, when the church began and we began working through those doctrines, it was there that that was probably the most significant hurdle for many people also, wasn't it?

Yeah. I think it was probably maybe the second month of the church. We were just looking at some of the great works of God in saving us.

When we talked about regeneration, I mentioned that regeneration was the cause of our faith and repentance and obedience.

The co -pastor at that time, there was only one, this was before you came, he was a very godly, sincere fellow, but he'd never heard anything like that.

He told me that he would never believe that and I would never show him that from the scripture, that he had read the scripture and that was not in the scripture.

Another man in the church who did believe the old ways about regeneration said, just hang on,

John will get to it. He hung on. After about three more weeks of looking at regeneration throughout the scripture, he came to me and said,

I was wrong or saying he was wrong. He agreed with me now and he wanted to write a book on regeneration.

I said, well, why don't you wait a little bit since you just now quit calling me a heretic. So, significant doctrine.