June 25, 2020 Show with Angus Stewart on “Regeneration: God’s Gift of a New Heart”

Live from the historic parsonage of the 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown

Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron.

This is a radio platform in which pastors, Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues

facing the church and the world today.

Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens

another.

Matthew Henry said that in this passage, we are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to

have in view in conversation to make one another wiser and better.

It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours, and we hope to hear from you, the listener, with

your own questions.

And now, here's your host, Chris Arnzen.

Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Lake City, Florida, and the rest of humanity living

on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming at ironsharpensironradio

.com.

This is Chris Arnzen, your host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, wishing you all a happy Thursday on this

25th day of June 2020.

And I'm always so thrilled to have back as a returning guest, Angus

Stewart, who is pastor of the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church of Ballymena, Northern

Ireland.

Today, we are going to be continuing our discussion that we began not

long ago on regeneration, and today the specific theme is regeneration,

God's gift of a new heart.

And it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, Angus Stewart.

It's great to be back with you.

Amen.

And if you hear either Angus or I not respond

to a question, or we stop in mid -sentence and aren't saying anything, it

isn't likely because we have a loss for words.

The likelihood is that our power was knocked out due to a severe thunderstorm that is raging

outside my window right now.

Although it has calmed down a bit since a few minutes ago.

But as we always do, for the sake especially of our listeners who have not yet heard you

on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, or they just forgot the details, tell us about Covenant

Protestant Reformed Church of Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

Covenant

2020.

Sure.

We

had a

better

way

to

phrase

it

was,.

You don't want people buying their books from you.

Yes.

Thanks Chris, I'm glad you helped me.

And what makes your website very unique also is the number of translations you have

for the three forms of unity, the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism.

Yes,

that's

right,

25, 30.

Since our topic today involves the heart,

I am going to say something that probably most Christians today,

outside of the circles that you and I live and worship in,

which would be the majority of Christendom in the 21st century, a

very common thing for them to say, either about themselves or about

somebody they are evangelizing, if they were

speaking about themselves and somebody were to ask them, how long

have you been a Christian?

The common response might be, I invited the Lord into my heart

when I was 15 years old, or something like that.

And if they're evangelizing somebody, they would say to that person, in

order for you to receive eternal life, you must recognize you're a sinner.

You must recognize Jesus as the only way for salvation.

And you must invite Jesus into your heart.

Now, that statement did contain a couple of truths, a couple of true

things in there.

But as far as inviting Jesus into our hearts, something that

has become a very prominent part of the vernacular of Christianity.

This is really a foreign concept to the Bible, isn't it?

Yes, I can clearly fondly remember a sermon

preached years ago in the 1990s by a very good friend of mine, Ed Moore, who

pastors North Shore Baptist Church in Bayside, Queens.

And the name of his sermon, taken from the Garden of Eden, when

God is calling out for Adam to show himself.

He was in hiding after his fall.

And basically, he goes on to a part in the sermon where he

directs, he shifts the call from, Adam, where are you?

To sinner, where are you?

To everybody listening.

And he says, I heard you want to invite me into your

heart.

I don't want to be invited into your filthy, evil, wicked, vile heart.

I've got to remove that heart from you.

And I've got to replace it with a heart of flesh.

So this is a part of the problem is that people are acting as if

their heart is a wonderful dwelling place for our Lord, or

at the very least, not such a bad place for him to enter and perhaps do a little house cleaning.

This is entirely false.

We need an actual heart transplant, according to the words of

Ezekiel and Jeremiah, and even the letter to the Hebrews.

All the

heart

souls.

And

well,

this

theme

is a

very

central

theme that

affects.

So many other truths and teachings and doctrines in Christendom.

So many other categories of the Bible have their root in the

fact that humans have been conceived in such great wickedness,

that we refer to as total depravity, that a heart transplant

is absolutely essential for us to even, as

Jesus said to Nicodemus, unless he would be born again,

he cannot even see the kingdom of God.

Now, this word regeneration that we're using, this is basically

a synonym for born again, is it not?

We have.

A key word in the phrase that you have chosen for the title of our discussion

is that regeneration is God's gift of a new heart.

And there is a really sad and

inadequate and really, when it boils down to it,

a silly response to we who are theologically reformed,

who believe that only God's elect

receive this gift of a new heart.

And those that protest, whether they call themselves Arminians or

something else, those from outside of reformed Christianity,

it might even include Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, who

are outside the realm of biblical Christianity altogether,

but they would say a gift is only a true gift

unless you freely accept it.

That is their answer to us saying that only the elect are given this gift.

They say, no, no, no, no, Jesus offers the gift to everyone, and

they need to accept it for it to actually

create salvation or give birth to salvation, however you want to phrase it.

But one of the reasons this is a sad excuse for a defense of their

beliefs is that they've invented something

they believe to be true, that a gift is only a gift unless you freely accept it.

Well, who made that up?

You could be unconscious on a hospital

operating table, and you could be

receiving a transplant of a vital organ.

You could have blood being pumped into

your veins from a blood donor.

All kinds of things could be going on that are gifts to you that you had no say in the matter.

Images,

let's

be

born

again to

my heart

from

outside.

Another good text on regeneration or the new birth,

three.

Nicodemus, a master in Israel, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin,

again

and

again,

says

there's

an

incorruptible

seed

of

regeneration,

which you got at the baptismal font.

The Bible says you're born again.

Yes, if you could do that after our first break, because we have to go to the first break right now.

Thanks, Chris.

And if anybody would like to join us with a question of your own, our email address is chrizarnsen at

gmail .com, C -H -R -I -S -A -R -N -Z -E -N

at gmail .com.

And as always, please give us at least your first name, your city and state of residence, and your country

of residence.

If you live outside the USA, please only remain anonymous.

If your question involves a personal and private matter, let's say you disagree with

your pastor or the predominant numbers of members of your church

or your denomination on issues we are discussing today, and you don't want to draw attention to yourself.

Perhaps you're even a pastor, and you disagree with your fellow elders of your denomination, and you don't

want to draw attention to yourself, or some other reason why it's compelling for you to

remain anonymous.

We will understand that, of course.

But if it's not a personal and private matter, please give us at least your first name, your city and state, and your country of residence.

If you live outside the USA, don't go away.

We're going to be right back with Angus Stewart right after these messages.

James White of Alpha Omega Ministries here.

If you've watched my Dividing Line webcast often enough, you know I have a great love for getting Bibles and other

documents vital to my ministry rebound to preserve and ensure their longevity.

And besides that, they feel so good.

I'm so delighted I discovered Post Tenebrous Lux Bible rebinding.

No radio ad will be long enough to sing their praises sufficiently, but I'll give it a shot.

Jeffrey Rice of Post Tenebrous Lux is a remarkably gifted craftsman and artisan.

All his work is done by hand from the cutting, to the pleating of corners, to the perimeter stitching.

Jeffrey uses the finest in buttery soft imported leathers in a wide variety of gorgeous colors, like

the turquoise goatskin tanned in Italy used for my Nestle All -in -28th edition, with a navy

blue goatskin inside liner, and the electric blue goatskin from a French tannery used to rebind a

Reformation study Bible I used as a gift.

The silver gilding he added on the page edges has a stunning mirror finish resembling highly polished chrome.

Jeffrey will customize your rebinding to your specifications, and even emboss your logo into the leather,

making whatever he rebinds a one -of -a -kind work of art.

For more details on Post Tenebrous Lux Bible rebinding, go to

ptlbiblerebinding .com.

That's ptlbiblerebinding .com.

We are excited to announce another new member of the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio advertising family,

Banu Gadi, owner of three New York pharmacies, Lee's Drugs of Floral Park, Long

Beach Chemists, and Prescription Center of Long Island in Hempstead.

Banu Gadi earned a doctorate in pharmacy degree and is very knowledgeable on the current coronavirus

pandemic.

Please contact Dr. Gadi so he and his expert staff can give you proper guidance amid all the

contradictory confusion we are all hearing in the media.

To find the pharmacy nearest you, call 516 -354 -2000.

That's 516 -354 -2000.

Or order online at leesdrugsrx .com.

That's leesdrugsrx .com.

Don't forget to ask about their discount generic drug program.

Greetings in the matchless name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My name is Banu Gadi.

I'm a pharmacist in New York, which is the epicenter of the latest crisis the world is going through.

In Psalm 139 verse 14, the psalmist offers praise to the Lord like this.

I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made and wondrous are your works that my soul knows

very well.

He saw God's goodness and mercy, kindness and the beauty in what God has designed

and he has erupted into praise.

In any crisis or problem, brothers and sisters, our only fallback position is to trust God's

design.

And once we do, there is nothing for us to do but to erupt in praise to him.

When the whole world is searching for a solution, God in his infinite mercy has given us what we need to

address this illness, which can be pretty serious.

Such is the beauty of his design.

Knowing that design, how can we not erupt in praise to our great God like the psalmist did?

May God bless you and give all of us wisdom to see greater things in his design.

Thank you.

This is Pastor Bill Sousa, Grace Church at Franklin, here in the beautiful state of Tennessee.

Our congregation is one of a growing number of churches who love and support Iron

Sharpens Iron radio financially.

Grace Church at Franklin is an independent, autonomous body of believers which strives

to clearly declare the whole counsel of God as revealed in scripture through the person and work

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And of course, the end for which we strive is the glory of God.

If you live near Franklin, Tennessee, and Franklin is just south of Nashville, maybe 10 minutes,

or you are visiting this area, or you have friends and loved ones nearby, we hope you will

join us some Lord's Day in worshiping our God and Savior.

Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions about Grace Church at Franklin.

Our website is gracechurchatfranklin .org.

That's gracechurchatfranklin .org.

This is Pastor Bill Sousa wishing you all the richest blessings of our sovereign

Lord, God, Savior, and King Jesus Christ today and

always.

I'm Dr. Tony Costa, Professor of Apologetics and Islam at Toronto Baptist Seminary.

I'm thrilled to introduce to you a church where I've been invited to speak and have grown to love,

Hope Reformed Baptist Church in Corham, Long Island, New York, pastored by Rich Jensen and Christopher

McDowell.

It's such a joy to witness and experience fellowship with people of God, like the dear saints at Hope Reformed Baptist Church

in Corham, who have an intensely passionate desire to continue digging deeper and deeper into

the unfathomable riches of Christ in His Holy Word, and to enthusiastically proclaim

Christ Jesus the King and His doctrines of sovereign grace in Suffolk County, Long Island, and

beyond.

I hope you also have the privilege of discovering this precious congregation and receive the blessing

of being showered by their love, as I have.

For more information on Hope Reformed Baptist Church, go to hopereformedli .net.

That's hopereformedli .net.

Or call 631 -696 -5711.

That's 631 -696 -5711.

Tell the folks at Hope Reformed Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island, New York, that you heard about them from Tony Costa

on Iron Sharpens Iron.

When Iron Sharpens Iron Radio first launched in 2005, the publishers of the New American

Standard Bible were among my very first sponsors.

It gives me joy knowing that many scholars and pastors in the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio audience have been

sticking with or switching to the NASB.

I'm author Gary DeMar, President of American Vision, and the NASB is my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Dan LeBennick of West Hills Baptist Church in Huntington Station, New York, and the NASB

is my Bible of choice.

I'm Justin Peters of Justin Peters Ministries, and the NASB is my Bible of choice.

I'm Reverend Buzz Taylor, author of God's Lawson, and the NASB is my Bible of choice.

I'm Dr. William Webster, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Battleground, Washington, founder

of the ministry Christian Resources, and the NASB is my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Ryan Galan of Central Islip Community Church in Central Islip, New York, and the NASB

is my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Brandon Smith of Trinity Reformed Baptist Church in Jackson, Georgia, and the

NASB is my Bible of choice.

Here's a great way for your church to help keep Iron Sharpens Iron Radio on the air.

Pastors, are your pew bibles tattered and falling apart?

Consider restocking your pews with the NASB, and tell the publishers you heard about them

from Chris Arnzen on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

Go to nasbible .com, that's nasbible .com to place your order.

Welcome back, this is Chris Arnzen.

If you just tuned us in, our guest today for the entire program is Angus Stewart, one of my

very favorite guests to interview on this program.

I always have a blessed time, an exciting time, a time of edification,

and just an all -around wonderful time of interviewing this brother from Covenant Protestant

Reformed Church of Balamina, Northern Ireland, and we are discussing a follow -up

topic to one that we previously conducted not long ago on

regeneration.

This one, this topic more specifically is titled Regeneration, God's Gift of a New Heart.

If you have questions for Angus, our email address is chrisarnzen at gmail .com,

chrisarnzen at gmail .com, and please give us at least your first name, your

city and state of residence, and your country of residence, if you live outside the USA,

and please only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.

I cut you off mid -sentence because we had to go to our break before, but if you could please pick up where you left off, Angus.

Thanks, Chris.

Chris, I'd like to add before I come to that, you had a very nice email.

You can advertise anything you want, and it's all for the glory of God.

Thanks, Chris.

We were talking about the new birth, and we were saying that it was

all life again.

The

Bible

says,

He

born

again

is

glory.

He also shall...

Well, why don't we...

You could continue on that thread and go into any particular

side road, if you will, that you care to with any of those topics you mentioned, but I do want to read

a question for you.

It's actually from somebody who's a member of the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church of Thalamina,

Dr. Julian Kennedy.

He says, just reviewing the canons and have a question.

It is clear that they are speaking about regeneration in the adult and say nothing about infant

regeneration, which of necessity is immediate without means, the word

of the gospel, which is also true for adults.

Yet in Head, in 3

.5, it calls the gospel the seed of regeneration

rather than the sovereign immediate work of God.

Could the relationship between immediate regeneration and immediate conversion

be clarified for infants and adults respectively?

I think he wants us to have three programs on this one issue.

By the way, I misspoke.

My eyesight was tricking me again.

The heading in the canons of Dort was 3 .4, not 3 .5.

So I apologize to Dr. Julian.

Um, now there's, just very briefly, there is a lot of mystery

involved in infant regeneration.

Can we be absolutely sure, certain, that God doesn't use means in these

cases?

Like we have the case in the Bible of John the Baptist, who leapt for joy in his

mother's womb, merely being in the presence of Christ.

Um, we assume he must have been regenerate for him to miraculously have joy.

Do we know that there was no means in bringing John the Baptist to

the point of regeneration?

I mean, could there not have been the gospel preached in his presence or the prophecy of

the coming Messiah better said at that point of time?

That's right.

Those

wrestlings

that he

saw and won with

Christ for spiritual

blessings.

In fact,

we

have

to go

now to

our

midway

break.

And please be patient with us.

It's the longer break because Grace Life Radio needs to have this long break to air their own public service

announcements and other things that localize Iron Trip and Zion Radio to Lake City, Florida.

According to FCC regulations, they must do this.

And while they air those local things, we air our globally heard commercials.

Please write down as much of the information as you can from our advertisers so that you can more frequently and successfully

patronize them, which will mean, likely, God willing, that we will remain on the air

longer in the future because our advertisers are happy, they're seeing results, and they want to keep renewing

their support of us.

So please do that and also write down questions for Angus Stewart on regeneration and the gift of

the new heart.

And our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com.

Don't go away.

God willing, we're going to be right back after these messages from our sponsors.

James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries and the Dividing Line webcast here.

Although God has brought me all over the globe for many years to teach, preach, and debate at numerous venues, some of my

very fondest memories are from those precious times of fellowship with Pastor Rich Jensen and the Brethren at Hope

Reform Baptist Church, now located at their new beautiful facilities in Corham, Long Island, New York.

I've had the privilege of opening God's Word from their pulpit on many occasions, have led youth retreats for them, and have always

been thrilled to see their members filling many seats at my New York debates.

I do not hesitate to highly recommend Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island to anyone who wants to be

accurately taught, discipled, and edified by the Holy Scriptures, and to be surrounded by truly loving

and caring brothers and sisters in Christ.

I also want to congratulate Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham for their recent appointment of Pastor Rich Jensen's co -elder,

Pastor Christopher McDowell.

For more information on Hope Reform Baptist Church, go to hopereformedli .net.

That's hopereformedli .net, or

call 631 -696 -5711.

That's 631 -696 -5711.

Tell the folks at Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island that you heard about them from James White on Iron

Sharpens Iron Radio.

Iron Sharpens Iron Radio depends upon the financial support of fine Christian organizations to remain on the

air, like the Historical Bible Society.

The Historical Bible Society maintains a collection of Christian books, manuscripts, and Bibles of

historical significance spanning nearly a thousand years.

The mission of HBS is the preservation and public display of ancient Scripture, dissemination of

Scripture, to provide tools equipping believers and Christian apologetics with evidence for the Bible's reliability,

and to introduce Reformation literature and Christian art to a broader audience.

Since 2004, HBS has toured schools and churches throughout the Northeast United States,

reaching thousands of believers and non -believers alike who are hungry for knowledge of the Bible.

HBS's founder, Daniel P. Buttafuoco, attorney at law, is committed to sharing this collection

along with an inspirational historical message that will captivate you and your church.

Come journey through their website, historicalbiblesociety .org.

The collection includes a complete 11th century Bible, an actual page of the Gutenberg Bible from

1455, the first book ever printed, the Geneva Bible, the 1611

King James Bible, and much, much more.

Visit historicalbiblesociety .org today.

Thank you, Daniel P. Buttafuoco, attorney at law, for your faithful support of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

Hi, this is John Sampson, pastor of King's Church in Peoria, Arizona.

Taking a moment of your day to talk about Chris Arnson and the Iron Sharpens Iron podcast.

I consider Chris a true friend and a man of high integrity.

He's a skilled interviewer who's not afraid to ask the big penetrating questions while always defending the key

doctrines of the Christian faith.

I've always been happy to point people to this podcast, knowing it's one of the very few safe places on the internet

where folk won't be led astray.

I believe this podcast needs to be heard far and wide.

This is a day of great spiritual compromise, and yet God has raised Chris up for just such a time.

And knowing this, it's up to us as members of the body of Christ to stand with such a ministry, in prayer

and in finances.

I'm pleased to do so and would like to ask you to prayerfully consider joining me in supporting Iron

Sharpens Iron financially.

Would you consider sending either a one -time gift or even becoming a regular monthly partner with this ministry?

I know it would be a huge encouragement to Chris if you would.

All the details can be found at ironsharpensironradio .com, where you can click support.

That's ironsharpensironradio .com.

Chris Arnsen, host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, announcing a new website with an exciting offer from World

Magazine, my trusted source for news from a Christian perspective.

Try World Now at no charge for 90 days by going to getworldnow

.com.

That's getworldnow .com.

I rely on World because I trust the reporting.

I gain insight from the analysis, and World provides clarity to the news stories that really matter.

I believe you'll also find World to be an invaluable resource to better understand critical topics with a

depth that's simply not found in other media outlets.

Armed with this coverage, World can help you to be a voice of wisdom in your family and your community.

This trial includes bi -weekly issues of World Magazine, on -scene reporting from World Radio, and the fully

shareable content of World Digital.

There's no obligation and no credit card required.

Visit getworldnow .com today.

Also check out World News Group's podcast, The World and Everything in It, at

wng .org forward slash podcast.

That's W for World, N for News, G for Group, dot org forward

slash podcast.

Are you a Christian looking to align your faith and finances?

Then you'll want to check out Thriving Financial.

We're not your typical financial services provider.

We're a not -for -profit Fortune 500 organization that helps our nearly 2 .4 million members be wise

with money.

We provide guidance that reflects your values so you can protect what matters most.

We help members live generously and strengthen the communities where they live, work, and worship.

Learn more about the Thriving story by contacting me, Mike Gallagher, Financial

Consultant, at 717 -254 -6433.

Again, 717 -254 -6433.

Lending faith, finances, and generosity.

That's the Thriving story.

Iron Sharpens Iron welcomes Solid Rock Remodeling to our family of sponsors.

Serving South Central Pennsylvania, Solid Rock Remodeling is focused on discovering,

understanding, and exceeding your expectations.

They deliver personalized project solutions with exceptional results.

Solid Rock Remodeling offers a full range of home renovations including kitchen and bath

remodeling, decks, porches, windows and doors, roof and siding, and

more.

For a clear, detailed, professional estimate, call this trustworthy team of problem solvers

who provide superior results that stand the test of time.

Call Solid Rock Remodeling at 717 -697 -1981.

717 -697 -1981.

Or visit solidrockremodeling .com.

That's solidrockremodeling .com.

Solid Rock Remodeling, bringing new life to your home.

Every day at thousands of community centers, high schools, middle schools, juvenile institutions,

coffee shops, and local hangouts, Long Island Youth for Christ staff and volunteers meet with young

people who need Jesus.

We are rural and urban and we are always about the message of Jesus.

Our mission is to have a noticeable spiritual impact on Long Island, New York by engaging young people in the lifelong

journey of following Christ.

Long Island Youth for Christ has been a stalwart bedrock ministry since 1959.

We have a world -class staff and a proven track record of bringing consistent love and encouragement to youths in

need all over the country and around the world.

Help honor our history by becoming a part of our future.

Volunteer, donate, pray, or all of the above.

For details, call Long Island Youth for Christ

at 631 -385 -8333.

That's 631 -385 -8333.

Or visit liyfc .org.

That's liyfc .org.

As host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, I frequently get requests from listeners for church recommendations.

A church I've been strongly recommending as far back as the 1980s is Grace Covenant Baptist Church in

Flemington, New Jersey, pastored by Alan Dunn.

Grace Covenant Baptist Church believes it's God's prerogative to determine how he shall be worshiped and how he

shall be represented in the world.

They believe churches need to turn to the Bible to discover what to include in worship and how to worship

God in spirit and truth.

Grace Covenant Baptist Church endeavors to maintain a God -centered focus.

Reading, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,

baptism, and communion are the scriptural elements of their corporate worship, performed with faith, joy,

and sobriety.

Discover more about Grace Covenant Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey at

gcbcnj .squarespace .com.

That's gcbcnj .squarespace .com.

Or call them at 908 -996 -7654.

That's 908 -996 -7654.

Tell Pastor Dunn that you heard about Grace Covenant Baptist Church on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

We are excited to announce another new member of the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio advertising family,

Banu Gadi, owner of three New York pharmacies, Lee's Drugs of Floral Park, Long

Beach Chemists, and Prescription Center of Long Island in Hempstead.

Banu Gadi earned a doctorate in pharmacy degree and is very knowledgeable on the current coronavirus

pandemic.

Please contact Dr. Gadi so he and his expert staff can give you proper guidance amid all the

contradictory confusion we are all hearing in the media.

To find the pharmacy nearest you, call 516 -354 -2000.

That's 516 -354 -2000.

Or order online at leesdrugsrx .com.

That's l -e -e -s drugs r -x dot com.

Don't forget to ask about their discount generic drug program.

Greetings in the matchless name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My name is Banu Gadi.

I'm a pharmacist in New York, which is the epicenter of the latest crisis the world is going through.

In Psalm 139 verse 14, the psalmist offers praise to the Lord like this.

I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made, and wondrous are your works that my soul knows

very well.

He saw God's goodness and mercy, kindness, and the beauty in what God has

designed, and he has erupted into praise.

In any crisis or problem, brothers and sisters, our only fallback position is to trust God's

design.

And once we do, there is nothing for us to do but to erupt in praise to him.

When the whole world is searching for a solution, God in his infinite mercy has given us what we need to

address this illness, which can be very serious.

Such is the beauty of his design.

Knowing that design, how can we not erupt in praise to our great God like the psalmist did?

May God bless you and give all of us wisdom to see greater things in his design.

Thank you.

Linbrook Baptist Church on 225 Earl Avenue in Linbrook, Long Island, is teaching God's timeless truths in

the 21st century.

Our church is far more than a Sunday worship service.

It's a place of learning where the scriptures are studied and the preaching of the gospel is clear and relevant.

It's like a gym where one can exercise their faith through community involvement.

It's like a hospital for wounded souls where one can find compassionate people and healing.

We're a diverse family of all ages.

Enthusiastically serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

In fellowship, play, and together.

Hi, I'm Pastor Bob Walderman, and I invite you to come and join us here at Linbrook Baptist Church and see all that a church can be.

Call Linbrook Baptist at 516 -599 -9402.

That's 516 -599 -9402.

Or visit linbrookbaptist .org.

That's linbrookbaptist .org.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said,.

Give yourself unto reading.

The man who never reads will never be read.

He who never quotes will never be quoted.

He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own.

You need to read.

Solid Ground Christian Books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the Prince of Preachers to heart.

The mission of Solid Ground Christian Books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to Christians in the present and

future, and to publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world.

Since its beginning in 2001, Solid Ground has been committed to publish God -centered, Christ -exalting

books for all ages.

We invite you to go treasure hunting at solid -ground -books .com.

That's solid -ground -books .com.

And see what priceless literary gems from the past to present you can unearth from Solid Ground.

Solid Ground Christian Books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

And please don't forget, folks, with all the reasons for buying gifts that I'm sure you have coming up in

your life, whether they be graduation gifts, back -to -school gifts,

wedding anniversaries, birthdays, retirement gifts, bereavement gifts,

we could go on and.

On.

In fact, why not start stocking up on gifts for Christmas this December

so that you could beat the mad rush?

Well, whatever reason you're buying gifts, please make your first stop to solid -ground -books

.com, solid -ground -books .com, and you will find a

treasure trove of books from the past and present, the finest in Christian literature from a

theologically reformed perspective.

And please don't solely purchase gifts for your Christian brothers and

sisters from Solid Ground Christian Books.

Remember, the lost people in your life who need to hear the gospel, a book that you give

them containing the gospel may indeed be used of God Himself to draw that person

to Christ and save that individual.

So, whether they're saved, whether they're lost, purchase your gifts from

solid -ground -books .com, and always remember to mention Chris Arnzen of

Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

And before we return to Angus Stewart, we just have a couple of announcements to make.

Normally, we hear on Fridays on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio a special coronavirus

update edition that has been, until further notice, discontinued due to

Pastor Joe Jakowitz, who was always my guest on Friday, to conduct that program due

to work obligations that he has that prevents him from participating on Friday.

Tomorrow we have, with us after a long absence, a very good friend of mine that I'm eagerly looking forward

to interviewing tomorrow, Dr. Jeffrey C. Waddington, the brand new pastor

at the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania.

And Dr. Waddington is going to be speaking on the role of the

law in the Christian's life, and I think I left out a very important

word in the title of the church.

It's Faith Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Fawn Grove,

Pennsylvania.

So, make sure you mark your calendar or put a sticky note on your refrigerator or on your laptop

screen or wherever you would remind yourself of something like that, that Dr. Waddington will be joining us tomorrow,

4 to 6 p .m., that's Friday, the 26th of June, to discuss the role of the law in

the Christian's life here on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

And folks, if you love this show, you do not want this show to go off the air.

Please, I'm urging you to go to

ironsharpensiradio .com, click support, and then click, click to

donate now.

You can donate instantly with a debit or credit card in that fashion.

We are in urgent need of your help financially.

We lost two of our largest advertisers.

I'm hoping it's just temporary, but the coronavirus pandemic hysteria

negatively impacted these two advertisers really seriously,

their businesses that is, and therefore they had to put on a hiatus

or on hold any future giving until further notice.

So, can you help us to make up for that loss?

Go to ironsharpensiradio .com, click support, then click, click to donate now.

Also, you can advertise with this by sending us an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com and put

advertising in the subject line, as long as whatever it is you're promoting is compatible with what we believe.

You don't have to believe identically with me, but you need to be promoting something compatible with what we believe.

Also, there will be an address that appears on the screen of your computer when you click

support at ironsharpensiradio .com.

If you prefer a snail mail, you can mail in a check made out to ironsharpensiradio .com to that address.

Always remember, I never want anybody siphoning money away from their regular giving that they're accustomed to to

their own local church in order to give to ironsharpensiradio .com, especially when your church may have been hit

hard financially during the coronavirus pandemic hysteria.

Please don't put your own family in financial jeopardy either by giving to ironsharpensiradio .com.

Providing for your church and providing for your family are commands of God.

Providing for this radio show is obviously not a command of God, but if you are financially blessed above and beyond your ability

to obey those two commands, you have extra money that you've saved because you,

during this quarantining going on all over the world, you haven't been going to your favorite

sporting events, you haven't been going to theatrical performances, you haven't even been

going to Bible studies, you haven't been going out to fine dining restaurants and so

forth.

You've no doubt saved a lot of money if you are accustomed to doing those things.

So please use some of that money, if you love this show, to help us remain on the air.

Go to ironsharpensiradio .com, click support, then click click to donate now.

And remember folks, if you are not a member of a local Bible -believing church, you need help finding one no matter where you live in the world.

I have lists of biblically faithful churches all over the globe and may be able to help you.

I've already helped many people in our audience find churches near them on all parts of the planet.

So I can possibly help you too, God willing.

Send me an email to chrisarnson at gmail .com and put I Need a Church in the subject line.

That's also the email address where you can send in a question to Angus Stewart, a question on the

topic of our program today, Regeneration, God's Gift of a New Heart.

That's chrisarnson at gmail .com, chrisarnson at gmail .com.

And Angus, I know that I had to once again interrupt you to go to a

commercial break, so did you have a train of thought you were following there?

Yes,

I

wanted

to

make

it

clear.

On the Lord's Day, let every man be swift

to heed when the

Word tells you truths you don't like.

Angry at the

preaching of the glory of God.

That's not going to work the righteousness of God.

It's going to

work on rightness

or wickedness.

God used the preacher to bring the manifestation.

Yes, indeed.

And all evil speak.

Great.

And let me, before you go any further, take a listener question.

Susan Margaret in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, says

the last time that you two were together on the program, Chris promised that he would at least

briefly revisit something he was telling you, Angus, about a disagreement he

had with R .C. Sproul.

Could you please at least briefly revisit that discussion again?

Oh, yes.

That was the time that I said, last time we were together,

that the only time I can remember disagreeing with R .C. Sproul was one of my heroes.

And other than his beliefs on infant baptism and some church polity

issues, I can't recall hearing him say anything that I disagreed with other than

this time of discussion during a Q &A session at one of his

conferences where he said that no one can seek

after God without being born again first.

And my reaction to that was where I believe that totally depraved men

cannot and will not seek after God as the scriptures clearly teach us.

I mean, what he was saying was straight out of the Bible.

It's in both Old and New Testament.

Um, but I was wondering, and I was posing the question to you,

what do you have happening in the life of someone like Nicodemus,

who even risked his life sneaking in the

nighttime to visit Jesus to learn from him?

There doesn't seem to be any ulterior motive or selfish motive or anything that we find going on

there.

And is there some kind of a drawing going on or some kind of a

softening?

And if you don't like the word softening, what is going on in the life of the lost

Nicodemus and other people, perhaps thousands of listeners?

And even when I reflect on my own life, I didn't go from a point of

stark, cold, militant paganism to Christianity.

There was, and I'm not saying I was saved gradually or regenerated gradually, but there was changes

going on in my interests, in my hunger for truth and so on.

So, can you explain what you and your own mind and according to your understanding of biblical

theology, what is going on in the mind of somebody like a Nicodemus,

uh, especially, uh, since according to what R .C. Sproul said,

if we can't even seek after God without having a full blown

rebirth prior to seeking, then you have people seeking after God who are lost.

Uh, I mean, I'm sorry, let me rephrase that.

You have Christians who are born again, who are without faith in Christ.

That's what I meant to say.

That was a mishap there.

So, you have people who still have not found the answer to eternal life seeking who

are regenerate, and that doesn't seem to make sense.

Chris, there's a lot there.

I'm with R .C. Sproul.

Well, that is usually a safer bet for anybody.

Yes, but he may agree with me now.

Yes,

and I wanted

to just

reiterate,

just in

case

somebody

misunderstood

me,.

I don't believe anybody left to their own totally depraved heart and mind

would do anything that pleases God, because the Bible teaches that, and

they would only seek to give themselves pleasure through sin, and

that's why I'm just wondering what could be going on, like with Nicodemus, or like the multitudes of

listeners who may have begun searching, and they don't know of any ulterior

motives they had that were wicked, just to gain the benefits of religion, or anything like that.

And I also wanted to make clear that I do not believe in provenient grace, which is

a heresy and a non -biblical teaching of both

Roman Catholics and Wesleyans.

That's

your point.

Right, that's exactly my point.

That's your point.

And he may have been

regenerated when he...

Yes,

well,

I

appreciate

you

putting

up

with

me and

readdressing

that.

Thank you, Susan Margaret in Dauphin County, for bringing that up again, and for reminding me about it.

We are going to our final break right now.

It's a shorter break than the last two.

Please, if you have any questions, send them in immediately, because we're rapidly running out of time.

Chrisarnson at gmail .com.

Chrisarnson at gmail .com.

We'll be back with Angus Stewart, God willing, after these messages, so don't go away.

Theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Taylor, South Carolina, and

the NASB is my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Chuck White of the First Trinity Lutheran Church in Tonawanda, New York, and the NASB

is my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Anthony Methenia of Christ Church in Radford, Virginia, and the NASB is my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Jesse Miller of Damascus Road Christian Church in Gardnerville, Nevada, and the NASB

is my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Bruce Bennett of Word of Truth Church in Farmingville, Long Island, New York,

and the NASB is my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Rodney Brown of Metro Bible Church in Southlake, Texas, and the NASB is

my Bible of choice.

I'm Pastor Jim Harrison of Red Mills Baptist Church in Mayapac Falls, New York, and the NASB

is my Bible of choice.

Here's a great way for your church to help keep Iron Sharpens Iron Radio on the air.

Pastors, are your pew Bibles tattered and falling apart?

Consider restocking your pews with the NASB, and tell the publishers you heard about them

from Chris Arnzen on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

Go to nasbible .com.

That's nasbible .com to place your order.

This is Pastor Bill Sousa, Grace Church at Franklin, here in the beautiful state of Tennessee.

Our congregation is one of a growing number of churches who love and support Iron

Sharpens Iron Radio financially.

Grace Church at Franklin is an independent, autonomous body of believers which strives

to clearly declare the whole counsel of God as revealed in scripture through the person and work

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And of course, the end for which we strive is the glory of God.

If you live near Franklin, Tennessee, and Franklin is just south of Nashville, maybe 10 minutes,

or you are visiting this area, or you have friends and loved ones nearby, we hope you will

join us some Lord's Day in worshiping our God and Savior.

Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions about Grace Church at Franklin.

Our website is gracechurchatfranklin .org.

That's gracechurchatfranklin .org.

This is Pastor Bill Sousa wishing you all the richest blessings of our Sovereign

Lord, God, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ, today and

always.

Was your business shut down during the COVID -19 pandemic, depriving you of earning any

money, causing you to default on your rent as you try to survive without income?

Maybe you've had to close your doors for good.

The good news, you thought, was that you purchased business interruption insurance as a part of

your business liability policy with a major insurance company who told you they are a good

neighbor or that you would be in good hands.

You filed a claim only to be told that it was denied due to the pandemic exclusion clause.

The pandemic exclusion?

Since 2006, most insurance companies added this clause to enable them to deny your income

loss claims in the event of a worldwide pandemic.

Do not give up.

No matter what state you live in, call Buttafuoco Associates now

at 1 -800 -669 -4870.

Buttafuoco Associates is a part of a large multi -district litigation, and they are working with lead counsel

to bring what they believe will be a successful lawsuit for these claims.

It is the best way for you to proceed.

There's absolutely no risk to you.

You do not have to pay them out of pocket, and there is no fee unless you recover on your claim.

You need to call 1 -800 -669 -4870 right now.

Trust the law firm where the attorneys at one of the largest business firms on Long Island, New York are

sending their own clients for representation during this lawsuit.

Buttafuoco Associates, here to help business owners rebuild their lives in the wake of

the pandemic.

Call 1 -800 -669 -4870.

I'm Dr. Tony Costa, professor of apologetics and Islam at Toronto Baptist Seminary.

I'm thrilled to introduce to you a church where I've been invited to speak and have grown to love,

Hope Reform Baptist Church in Corham, Long Island, New York, pastored by Rich Jensen and Christopher

McDowell.

It's such a joy to witness and experience fellowship with people of God like the dear saints at Hope Reform Baptist Church

in Corham, who have an intensely passionate desire to continue digging deeper and deeper into

the unfathomable riches of Christ in his holy word, and to enthusiastically proclaim

Christ Jesus the King and his doctrines of sovereign grace in Suffolk County, Long Island, and

beyond.

I hope you also have the privilege of discovering this precious congregation and receive the blessing

of being showered by their love as I have.

For more information on Hope Reform Baptist Church, go to hopereformedli .net.

That's hopereformedli .net.

Or call 631 -696 -5711.

That's 631 -696 -5711.

Tell the folks at Hope Reform Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island, New York that you heard about them from Tony Costa

on Iron Sharpens Iron.

Hi, I'm Buzz Taylor, frequent co -host with Chris Ironson on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

I would like to introduce you to my good friends Todd and Patty Jennings at CVBBS, which stands for Cumberland Valley

Bible Book Service.

Todd and Patty specialize in supplying Reformed and Puritan books and Bibles at discount prices that make them

affordable to everyone.

Since 1987, the family -owned and operated book service has sought to bring you the best available Christian books

and Bibles at the best possible prices.

Unlike other book sites, they make no effort to provide every book that is available because, frankly, much of what

is being printed is not worth your time.

That means you can get to the good stuff faster.

It also means that you don't have to worry about being assaulted by the pornographic, heretical, and

otherwise faith -insulting material promoted by the secular book vendors.

Their website is cvbbs .com.

Browse the pages at ease, shop at your leisure, and purchase with confidence as Todd and Patty work

in service to you, the Church, and to Christ.

That's Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service at cvbbs .com.

That's cvbbs .com.

Let Todd and Patty know that you heard about them on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.

And you can also call cvbbs .com if you prefer ordering by phone.

800 -656 -0231 is the toll -free number.

800 -656 -0231.

Only call that number Monday through Friday, 10 a .m. to 4 .30 p .m. Eastern Time, because

outside of those days and times, no one is manning that phone line and there is no voicemail.

That's 800 -656 -0231.

And if you have a question for our guest, Angus Stewart, send it in now or

forever hold your peace because we're rapidly running out of time.

ChrisArnson at gmail .com.

ChrisArnson at gmail .com.

We have an anonymous listener who says, I frequently hear from

my closest Christian friends that, as you were saying earlier,

there is a false belief that a gift cannot be genuinely a gift

unless it is freely accepted.

My problem with this is that when in anyone's life have

they ever been presented with the option to accept or to

reject the gift of faith?

I don't think anybody ever has been given this option.

The issue is that they are given the option to either follow Christ or reject Him,

which as we all believe in the Reformed faith, is a belief that we can only have,

because it is a divine gift, to choose rightly and only a regenerate

heart could make such a decision.

So isn't this true that really nobody can say that they freely

accepted to accept the gift of faith because they were never

presented with that option to begin with?

I think that makes a lot of sense.

I've said similar things and similar wording before on the show.

And it's as if people are being presented with some kind of

supernatural offer from heaven, will you accept this gift of faith?

And then after they receive the gift of faith, they're accepting Christ.

This presentation of accepting the gift of faith doesn't even exist anywhere.

And if you could now, Angus, continue on with some main points that you want to certainly

be a part of this program before we go off the air.

Let's see, we have Arnie in Perry County, Pennsylvania,

and Arnie says, when we say that men are

totally depraved and therefore requiring a new heart, because the heart that they

have doesn't need just a little repair, it needs to be completely.

Replaced.

We often give Arminians and others who reject Reformed theology the false

understanding that we are saying that men behave as

evilly as their heart has the capacity to demonstrate.

But this is not true.

Is it not more accurately said that the

unelect are being restrained in their evil?

And therefore, although their hearts are totally depraved, they are simply not acting

out as wickedly as they are very capable of doing apart from that restraint.

Yes, so going back to specifically the wording he had,

and even your inclusion of an old lady who is just a sweet,

kind neighbor, she may be agnostic

or a member of a false religion, and she may even put to shame

people in your own congregation through some acts of charity and

kindness and compassion that she demonstrates.

And if she were to die, and you were to be asked, where is that woman?

Well, if she never repented and believed upon the name of Christ, she sadly is damned.

And the person would likely be horrified by hearing that.

But isn't it true that what they see is not really an accurate

picture of that person's depraved heart?

Exactly. And

you

see, the

heart is

a

whole

lot worse.

Let's see if we could squeeze in a quick answer to a question from Mark in

Mission, Vallejo, California.

I know this is a little off topic, but I know that regeneration is monergistic.

However, according to the Reformed view, is sanctification also monergistic by the work of the Holy

Spirit?

I've been listening to Angus Stewart for a while, way out here in Southern California, and I am greatly

encouraged by his truth of the word.

Perhaps if you could very briefly answer that question.

One

word

for

the

gift

of

the

Spirit.

And we're out of time.

And Mark, please make sure that you give me your full mailing address in Southern California, because since you are a first -time

questioner, you're going to win, or you have won, a free New American Standard Bible.

Thank you so much, Angus, for always doing a tremendous job on the show.

Angus Stewart's website for Covenant Protestant Reformed Church in Ballymena, Northern Ireland is

cprc .co .uk, cprc .co

.uk.

I want to thank everybody for listening, and I want to

remind you to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater Savior than you

are a sinner.