21 Divine Initiative Regeneration Saving Faith and the Evidence of Saving Faith 1 Joohn 4 19 and 5 1

There is an especially important connection between 1 John 4:19 and 5:1 because these two verses bring us directly into the relationship between God's sovereign grace, regeneration, saving faith, and Christian love. They help answer a fundamental question: Does a sinner believe in Christ and thereby cause himself to be born again, or does God regenerate the sinner, enabling him to believe? The language in 1 John 5:1 provides significant evidence for the latter understanding.