Consecutional means that Saving Faith is the necessary consecutive result of Saving Grace. For The New Light Calvinist, this also means Saving Repentance is the consecutive result of regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God". Saving grace is the immediate cause of saving faith... anything other than consecutional faith is not saving faith.
If saving faith were not the consecutional result of saving grace, it would be a work, which would be axiomatically impossible.
Faith is the instrument of salvation, NOT THE CAUSE OF SAVING GRACE.
Charles Spurgeon put it this way:
"Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee--it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee--it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument--it is Christ's blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith.”
The writer of Hebrews tells us New Testament salvation is fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy: "I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts” (Hebrews 8:10) This refers to “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of
stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within
you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and
do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Without supernatural regeneration and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, just having faith does not save someone. Common faith, or bare faith does not save someone.
"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? ... For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" ( James 2:14-26).
"Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous ... In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God" (1 John 3:7-10).
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For a complete explanation of the basis of the New Light Calvinist decision for Christ, please read Samuel Hopkins.
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