When a man is converted to God, it is done in a moment.
Regeneration is an instantaneous work.
Conversion to God, the fruit of regeneration, occupies all our life, but regeneration itself is effected in an instant.
A man hates God– the Holy Spirit makes him love God.
A man is opposed to Christ, he hates his gospel, does not understand it and will not receive it – the Holy Spirit comes, puts light into his darkened understanding, takes the chain from his bondaged will, gives liberty to his conscience, gives life to his dead soul, so that the voice of conscience is heard, and the man becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.
And all this is done, mark you, by the instantaneous supernatural influence of God the Holy Spirit working as he wills among the sons of men.
C. H. Spurgeon (1834 – 1892)
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About Greg Coleman
I am a Particular Baptist who affirms the absolute sovereignty of the triune Godhead in all things. The fullness of the Godhead dwells in the God-man Jesus Christ. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Disposer and Judge of all that ever was, is now or ever shall be. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and men. He was made to be sin for his people and saved them from their sins by his substitutionary, sacrificial death on the cross thereby satisfying the justice and wrath of God against them. The sufficiency of his death to the satisfaction of God’s justice is proven by his physical resurrection from the dead and enthronement in glory at the right hand of the Father. Jesus Christ is coming again to judge the living and the dead. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
When a man is converted to God, it is done in a moment.
A Particular Baptist Blog 
Hello Mr. Coleman.
The way I see it, life before Christ – (even if it lasts only a micro second) in order to receive Christ is still life without Christ. If it is a prerequisite to receiving Christ – it is without Christ. No matter the duration. I do not believe this logic can be escaped. So my question is, what kind of life is this life which is ‘pre Christ’? This doctrine appears to be, as I may have stated before, a violation of
1 John 5:12. No matter how instantaneous this process may be, unless it can be stated as occuring simultaneously, (which negates the order of occurance and could allow free will into the equation), it must be considered a violation of scripture.
Thomas,
In my opinion, the Scriptures teach that there is no spiritual life apart from regeneration by the sovereign grace of God the Holy Spirt. There is no spiritual life before regeneration. None.
The natural man is dead in trespasses and sins and is by nature a child of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3).
We were dead until the moment that the Lord God quickened us (Ephesians 2:5).
Simultaneously God regenerates us and gives us the gifts of faith and repentance.
All glory to God.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8 ESV)