Does Regeneration Precede Faith?

Regeneration is the process whereby God makes a spiritually dead person “alive in Christ.” This is the “born again” experience mentioned in John 3:7.

The question is, Does God regenerate someone after he exhibits faith? Or does God first have to regenerate someone before he can have faith? Non-Calvinists say faith precedes regeneration. A person must first put his faith in Christ…and then God will regeneration him. Calvinists, on the other hand, assert that regeneration precedes faith. God must first regenerate someone before he can have faith. So who’s right? And why does this even matter?

Why this Matters

While this may seem like a rather insignificant issue, it’s actually very important. For if Calvinists are right, then that would mean all those biblical exhortations to “put your faith in God” are pointless because nobody can actually do it (unless God first regenerates them). This would also mean that God commands people to do what they are unable to do…and then punishes them for not doing it (which hardly seems like something a just God would do)! Moreover, if God must first regenerate someone for him to have faith, then doing so would sort of be like injecting him with faith, which would essentially be like forcing him to believe (which the Bible never talks about).

To be fair, Calvinists would respond by saying that spiritually dead people are unable to respond to God’s call because they are, well, dead. And dead people cannot do anything…let alone put their faith in Christ. Calvinists also say that if God does not regenerate people before they put their faith in Christ, then faith is something people produce on their own, making salvation dependent on them instead of on God—which is essentially works-based salvation. See more about these two points below.

Who’s Right?

So who’s right? I think the biblical evidence overwhelming favors the non-Calvinist view. To start with, if regeneration precedes faith, then that would mean people are saved prior to having faith. Yet Scripture clearly teaches that we are saved through faith:

“For by grace you have been saved [regenerated] through faith” (Eph. 2:8).

“Therefore, having been justified [regenerated] by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).

As these passages clearly show, we are regenerated by faith. There is no regeneration without faith! Faith precedes regeneration. Here are some other passages showing this:

“Humble yourself before the Lord [faith], and He will lift you up [regeneration]” (James 4:10)

“‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ [faith], and you will be saved [regenerated]’” (Acts 16:30-31).

“Repent therefore and be converted [faith], that your sins may be blotted out [regenerated] (Acts 3:19).

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead [faith], you will be saved [regenerated]” (Rom. 10:9).

“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord [faith] shall be saved [regenerated]” Rom. 10:13.

All these passages show faith precedes regeneration. That’s the biblical view of salvation!

As to those two Calvinist points mentioned above…

Calvinist Argument #1

Spiritually dead people cannot respond in faith because they are dead—and dead men can’t do anything.

Response: The term “spiritually dead” essentially just refers to one’s overall lifestyle; but it doesn’t mean he can’t occasionally do something good. Many spiritually dead people treat their mothers nicely, help old ladies across the street, don’t cheat on their spouses, etc. And they can also put their faith in Christ, if they so choose. And if they do, God will regenerate them.

Jesus believed this too. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus describes the prodigal son as coming to his senses and returning home to his father. Afterwards, the father said:

“Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet…For my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:24).

As this passage shows, just because someone is spiritually dead does not mean he cannot turn to the Father, if he chooses.

Calvinist Argument #2

If God does not first regenerate someone before he puts his faith in Christ, then faith is something people produce on their own, making salvation dependent on people rather than God—which is essentially works-based salvation.

Response: An unsaved person is like a drowning person. Unless someone throws him a life preserver and pulls him in, he will eventually drown. However, just because someone throws him a life preserver does not automatically mean he will be saved. He must still grab the life preserver (put his faith in Christ) so that his rescuer (God) can pull him in.

Our works don’t save us; but that doesn’t mean we do nothing. For more about this topic, see my article: “A Saving Kind of Faith.”

By Alex Polyak, founder of Answering Calvinism (.org), 12/10/25.