For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. In the previous discussion of this work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament,1 it was shown that the Holy Spirit undertook to restrain sin throughout the Old Testament period. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. These three parts constitute the man. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. The work of the Holy Spirit in restraining sin as found in the Old Testament continues in the present age. Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. The unsaved need to know that sin was judged in the cross, and for those who trust in Christ there is deliverance from judgment upon sin and deliverance from condemnation. Another extreme in the doctrine of common grace is found in the viewpoint that the Word of God is unnecessary. In this regard, the spirit of man is the part of man that comes from God, relates directly to God, and returns to God. Pastor John, how are we to . It is important that we understand what the Spirit seeks to accomplish in the lives of unbelievers so that we can cooperate with His agenda and thus be used by Him in the lives of non-Christians. Y And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. It would seem a preferable interpretation to view all restraint of sin, regardless of means, as proceeding from God as a ministry of the Holy Spirit. The natural man is an unsaved man, who views excess indulgence in the desires of the flesh to be a good thing. Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The mystic assumes that God gives direct revelation to all who will receive it, and that truth so given can be understood properly by the recipient. I encourage us all to stay focused and sober in our assessment of current events, prophecy, and the realities of the present time and to pray without ceasing as we serve the Lord and hold the line. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.. Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 39 views, 0 likes, 1 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Gethsemane Baptist Church, Idaho Falls: Sunday Evening February 5, 2023 M comprehend very imperfectly the nature of this imputed righteousness. He thinks they are foolish. In it all the Holy Spirit is working, striving to bring men to the knowledge of Christ. The convicting power of the Holy Spirit is at work in the world "because they believe not in [Christ]." Once a person responds to the Spirit's conviction and turns to faith in Christ, the other sins he practiced will be taken care of. This phase of common grace is never sufficient to provide understanding of the issues of the Gospel. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: the Unforgivable Sin. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned. even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God. Psalm 1: The Saved and the Unsaved. Publication date: Mar 2, 2023. Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Reason would point, however, to a number of contributing factors all of which are used of God to check the course of sin. The doctrine is, therefore, important in its significance and necessary to a full appreciation of proper Gospel preaching. 4 There is one body and one . What prevents me from being baptized? [And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.] And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:He was led as a sheep to slaughter;And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,So He does not open His mouth. In fact it can be said that the whole Bible is evangelistic, because it focuses on the salvation that Christ vicariously provided. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of Gods Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are discerned spiritually. Cite this page: Editor: Stephen Smith. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Am I not an apostle? But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. The character of this work of restraining sin varies slightly in different ages, however. Further confirmation of His ministry is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way (American Standard Version). But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. According to Romans 8:7, the natural mind is not capable of being subject to the law of God: because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Christ bore witness to the inability of natural man to come to God when He said, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him (John 6:44). A study of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 indicates that the one who restrains is removed from the scene before the man of sin is revealed. 5:18; John 16:12-13). Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. N It is antecedent to the effectual call of God to the elect. 12. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. And they had John to assist them. This article was taken from the Theological Journal Library CD and posted with permission of Galaxie Software. Also, the prince of Persia (Daniel 10:13) is a reference to an evil spiritual entity . That is where your battle comes in. This is what in theology is called common grace.3 The work of the Holy Spirit revealing the Gospel to the unsaved is, therefore, an important aspect of a larger program of God in dealing with the need of a lost world. The Scriptures bear constant witness to the inability of man. It is closely parallel to the idea of moral and intellectual persuasion, constituting an influence, but in itself not resulting in decision. It should therefore be expected that the Holy Spirit should have a special ministry to the unsaved world in every age, particularly in the age of grace during which the Holy Spirit is resident in the world in the Church. This took discernment. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. Parallel verses in 1 John 4:2-3 say the same. Blog, A Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. He thinks they are foolish. But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. The person without the Spirit doesnt accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. . Through the Bible, the Holy Spirit describes the redemptive work of Christ. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go up and join this chariot., Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Do you understand what you are reading?. The degeneracy of the period of the Judges had its Samson who was empowered by the Holy Spirit. This could hardly be said of Satan. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doctrine of the work of the Holy Spirit in revealing the Gospel to the world is most important not only in its relation to the plan of God but also in carrying out effectively the preaching of the Gospel. The Bible call him an unbeliever, a sinner and an unregenerate person. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. W U For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. While the Lutheran church has fully supported the immanence and power of the Holy Spirit, they regard His work as being limited in some sense to the Word itself. Are they the same thing? You have made known to me the ways of life;You will make me full of gladness with Your presence. Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Again he said unto me . Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. The cross is the power of God over Satan. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Introduction. He is still accountable and relatively remains a free agent. For a beastly man perceiveth not those things that be of the Spirit of God; for it is folly to him, and he may not understand, for it is examined ghostly [for it is examined. NCV A person who does not have the Spirit does not accept the truths that come from the Spirit of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The work of the Holy Spirit for the unsaved world constitutes another proof that God is a God of infinite grace and condescension, working in those who are the objects of His righteous judgment, striving to bring them to the knowledge of Christ as Savior. Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. His work in revealing truth through the prophets, particularly the warnings of judgment to come, and the work of inspiration of the Scriptures with their power helped to restrain sin. Related Readings 24 more readings on Spirit 34 more readings on Man For David says of Him,I saw the Lord always in my presence;For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. Common grace must be sharply distinguished from any work of God which is efficacious in bringing the unsaved to salvation. Try Bible Gateway Plus free today! He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? To answer the question, we can turn to the book of Ecclesiastes. While these elements may not be always seen clearly, they form the principles which combine to bring the unsaved into the knowledge necessary to place saving faith in Christ. He retains ability to understand natural things and may rise in this realm to unusual heights. He is unable to understand them because they can be discerned only in a spiritual way. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, For we also are His children. Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. Publisher: OpenBible.info. The importance of this ministry of the Spirit must be recognized before the necessity of prayer for the lost can be realized. Apart from this work of the Holy Spirit, God would continue to be unrevealed to a lost race; the death of Christ would be inapplicable to men; and the purpose of God to save the elect would be impossible of fulfillment. He is considered perhaps the world's foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.John is perhaps best known for his bestselling work on Bible prophecy, Armageddon More. He may be, and is, in the language of Scripture, identified with either, according to the line of truth being revealed. Verse 14. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of Gods Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. While it is not in the purpose of God to deal finally with the world while the Church is in the world, the sovereignty of God overrules the wickedness of men and the power of Satan to make possible the accomplishment of His purpose to call out a people to His name. The fall of Adam was full of tremendous consequences. If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Labs The unsaved must see Christ as judged and executed for them, and their judgment for sin as already past. The Holy Spirit presses upon the heart of the unsaved the fact of Gods judgment. The theory that Satan is the great restrainer of lawlessness is, accordingly, untenable. Seek Ye First. Common grace is related almost entirely to revelation on the one subject of salvation with a view to providing an intelligent basis for faith. And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? American King James Version ). While the unsaved may be led to understand the Gospel sufficiently to act intelligently upon it, common grace does not have any certain effect upon the will and does not issue certainly into salvation. Q R Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, 1st Corinthians 12:3. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. OpenBible.info Lutherans explain this by conditioning its power on their faith, but it is difficult to see how they can believe what they do not know and understand. 10. And I will grant wonders in the sky aboveAnd signs on the earth below,Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth? To him the gatekeeper opens. But while human governments may be agencies in the restraining work of the Spirit, we believe that they in turn are influenced by the Church. For less than $5/mo. The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Of himself or of someone else?. Do we have to live a perfect life to go to heaven? Everyone will stand before God in judgment. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. The unbeliever does not welcome the Word of God. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Plus, you'll also get some beautiful graphic goodies to go along with the lessons, the new scripture writing plan, and the monthly scripture writing questions. An unspiritual person refuses to accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him such things are foolish. K (Series to be continued in the July-September Number, 1941). The deists, of course, assume that God is not immanent in the world, and trace all spiritual experience to a normal process of human mind. And he said, Well, how could I, unless someone guides me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. In relating the Word of God to the doctrine of common grace, two extremes in doctrine may be observed. Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. It is important for you to be aware of the condition of the human spirit. So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. To the Holy Spirit, also, is committed the task of making known the way of salvation to a race which has no natural capacity to receive it with understanding. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Salvation is God's gift provided by His grace. Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 3 Systematic Theology, Vol. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. And they were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled backit was very large. The subject of the passage is the coming day of the Lord in which the man of sin will be revealed (2 Thess 2:3). For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Why Jesus said He Came to Bring Division. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. The love, joy, peace, and other fruit of the Spirit are never found in those who have merely experienced common grace. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. and there they continued to preach the gospel. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, In humiliation His judgment was taken away, The eunuch answered Philip and said, Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? That person thinks they are foolish and cannot understand them, because they can only be judged to be true by the Spirit. Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. While unsaved men may be able to imitate some of the outward manifestations of Christian conduct, there is never the reality of inward experience, though in some cases it may be difficult to determine whether some individuals are unsaved or saved. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. (This is a desert road.). P Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Needless to say, the subjects included in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the unsaved should constitute an important part of effective Gospel preaching. And now why do you wait? Missionaries entering unevangelized fields never come upon a Christian community, or even an individual Christian. As Charles Hodge summarizes the Lutheran position, This divine efficacy is inherent in, and inseparable from the Word.4 The chief difficulty with this view is the obvious fact that many unsaved men are completely unaffected by hearing or reading the Bible. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:The Lord said to my Lord,Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christthis Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? Peter said to them, Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Most of the attention of theologians during the Christian centuries has been directed to the latter ministry, that of revealing the message of salvation to the lost and providing enablement for saving faith. Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 1 Corinthians 8:9. The answer to the problem, therefore, is not found in any development of the natural man or cultivation of latent abilities, but is disclosed in the power of God as manifested in the work of the Holy Spirit. So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. The trophies of the grace of God which some day will stand complete before God in glory will bear witness to the power of the Spirit in ettectively accomplishing the task given to Him by Christ. Matthew 18:11 Verse Concepts [For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.] Outward profession of faith in Christ and conformity to moral standards without being saved may be a result of common grace. and the natural man doth not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for to him they are foolishness, and he is not able to know [them], because spiritually they are discerned; Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! He cannot understand them because he does not have the Holy Spirit to help him understand. D When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself., And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation!. Paul referred to his impending death as "departure". Charles Hodge writes, for instance, Unrenewed men in the Bible are said to repent, to believe, to be partakers of the Holy Ghost, and to taste the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come.5 There are no doubt stages in the work of common grace from religious instinct and a fear of God which is almost universal to the experience of those who understand clearly the condition of salvation. John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them. But Peter began and explained it to them in order: I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. The reasoning would remove any scruples which Jewish Christians might derive from Deuteronomy 7:3, etc. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. This revelation is inseparable from the Gospel. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. To them the realm of common grace is purely a discovery of the human intelligence proceeding from natural causes. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses. Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
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