A professor of theology made an astute observation when he said that Calvinists read only their own books and works, but don't read the opposition's. If they did, they'd run into questions that are very difficult, albeit it, impossible to answer. Before we get to one of those questions, let's back up.
WAIT. WHAT?
The Calvinist says that fallen man is so depraved that he has to 1) be regenerated by God, and then 2) be given the gift of faith by God to believe in Christ. That's what R. C. Sproul of Ligonier Ministries says: "Where does that faith come from? And this question probably more than any other is what defines the essence of reformed theology. If there’s one phrase that captures the essence of reformed theology, it is the little phrase, regeneration precedes faith."
To the Calvinist's way of thinking, God chose to regenerate you, but you have no idea why; He chose you as one of the ones He regenerated and to whom He gave the faith to believe, that leaves billions and billions He chose not to regenerate and therefore, to be consigned to the Lake of Fire.
HOLD ON!
Yet, we read of God's desire: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (II Peter 3:9) Yet, according to the Calvinist, in spite of His desire that none should perish, He deliberately chose billions to do just that, perish. This means that God chose to do something against His will. What?
Gordon Olson, a non-Calvinistic scholar, writes: ". . . Calvinists put the new birth
before faith, since they believe that spiritually dead humans cannot
exercise faith and, therefore, need to be born again before they can
believe.”
There are (at least) two Scriptures which rise up to smite this teaching that regeneration precedes faith: Romans 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Faith comes by hearing; faith does not therefore, come by being regenerated.
We find the second text in Acts 16:29-31: "Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
"And they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your house.'"
Paul's answer was not, "Be regenerated and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ . . ."
HOW DID THEY GET THERE?
So, why does the Calvinist say, "Regeneration precedes faith?" Because the system that he's imposing on the Bible is forcing him to do it. It's not that he's found a verse that says, "Regeneration precedes faith." The part of his system that's making him do that is the first part of Calvinism, "Total Depravity," which he pushes way, way too far.
THE QUESTION
So, we proceed and pose the question: According to the Calvinist position as stated above, "How does one know if his faith is the faith given by God, or his own faith, one not given by God, which would then be a spurious faith?" How does he tell the difference?
If the reply is, "His works will show it," then "How many works, of what quality must they be, and how long must they be done?"
The result is that the believer has lost his assurance of salvation, a salvation God wants the believer to know he possesses: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of
the Son of God; that you may know that ye have eternal life . . ." (I John 5:13) He's lost his assurance because he can't know in this life if God were the One who gave him the faith, or if the faith came from himself.
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