The New Birth and Faith

It is a commonplace teaching in Reformed circles that the new birth (regeneration) precedes faith in Christ, and causes faith in Christ. However, this doctrine is directly contradicted by 1st Peter 1:22-25. Peter tells his readers that they, by obeying the truth, purified their souls unto a sincere love of the Christian brethren. "Obeying the truth" is an apostolic phrase that means "believe the Gospel", such as you see in 1st Peter 1:2 and Romans 1:5. Love for God and Christian brethren is the main result of the new birth, according to the apostle John. Love is proof of true sonship (see, for example, 1 John 3:1-15). Peter's words show that his readers' faith in Christ preceded the purifying of their souls. In fact, their faith was the means by which they purified their souls -- it was a direct cause-and-effect relationship. In addition, Peter says they were born again by the living and enduring word of God (v. 23), that is, the Gospel that was preached to them (v. 25). In the Reformed view, the Gospel is not the instrument of new birth.In the Reformed view, you are not born again by means of the Gospel. Rather, you are born again by a direct, mystical action of God on the soul. You are born-agai9n with regards to the Gospel, but not by means of the Gospel. But this construct is contradicted by Peter in 1st Peter 1:22-25.