In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. In this course, you'll get four lessons on the following topics: Being Hospitable to Jesus. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.. In view of the power of Satan and his evident hatred of Christians and the truth, the work of the Holy Spirit in restraining sin is required to explain the relative freedom allowed the Christian in the world and the preservation of those conditions which make possible the preaching of the Gospel and the maintenance of some order in the sinful world. This revelation is inseparable from the Gospel. Will God forgive me for losing hope and the will to live? And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. The revelation of common grace can never rise higher than the plane of the natural man even in the realm of salvation truth. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 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. It provides for the inability of man and makes possible the salvation of souls. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken, Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted, You have made known to me the ways of life, You will make me full of gladness with Your presence. And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? While Isaiah 59:19 is not as clear a reference, it infers a similar ministry of the Holy Spirit. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 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. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. Common grace provides none of the normal experiences of the Christian such as are produced by the unhindered indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus specifies it as unbelief. 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. 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. Even his aversion to the good and inclination to the evil, while springing from his fallen nature, has its origin in his utter inability to appreciate the Person of God and the inherent loveliness of righteousness. 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. 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. Do we have to live a perfect life to go to heaven? 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? Man, as created by God, and living on earth in mortal flesh, is a triune being, composed of "spirit and soul and body" (1 Thess. The person without the Spirit doesnt accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. And he said, Well, how could I, unless someone guides me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. A devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. Psalm 1: The Saved and the Unsaved. Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. While the Word of God is not necessarily related to the general works of God in restraining sin, in providence, and in acts of sovereignty, the revelation of the truth of the Gospel comes only through the Word of God. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. Common grace must be sharply distinguished from any work of God which is efficacious in bringing the unsaved to salvation. What Does the Bible Say About the Prince of Darkness? 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!. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.. As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. R Death is a moving out from one place to another. That is where your battle comes in. and there they continued to preach the gospel. Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. Posted on July 1, 2013 Posted by Chris Poblete. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. And Saul approved of his execution. He is still accountable and relatively remains a free agent. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Section 1. When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. unsaved man walks after the flesh his spirit is dead. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. In addition to natural inability is the work of Satan blinding the hearts of the lost to the light of the Gospel (2 Cor 4:4). F Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. But should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. The natural man is an unsaved man, who views excess indulgence in the desires of the flesh to be a good thing. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. Are they the same thing? Is there a scripture of God casting our sins in a sea of forgetfulness? 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. 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. Christ addressed this issue in John 16:8-11, during His Upper Room Discourse . But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 12:8 ). O And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. Verse 14. The rationalistic approach to the subject is diametrically opposed to the Scriptural revelation, and is not seriously considered by Reformed theologians. But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 1 Blessed is the man. And now why do you wait? And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 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. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Genuine salvation is never found except among those who have heard the Word of God. And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. Just as it is written, . V II, p. 667. 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. 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. 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. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. L And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Publisher: OpenBible.info. We receive it by faith, experiencing the salvation only God can provide. 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. Two unsaved men may understand the Gospel equally, and yet one never comes to the point of saving faith while the other trusts in Christ and is saved. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Certainly, the Holy Spirit can use the words of an unbeliever as part of His work of convicting an individual of his sin and need of salvation. Common grace also falls far short of the Christians experience of illumination. However, in Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says that there will be many who will say to him 'Lord, Lord' to whom Jesus will reply, 'I never knew you.'. 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. This phase of common grace is never sufficient to provide understanding of the issues of the Gospel. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 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. Human government, however, continues during the period of tribulation in which the man of sin is revealed. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!. He is incapable of grasping them because they are. Paul perceived the matter and told him to quickly repent. Q For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. Many an unsaved judge has told many a young drug addict standing in his courtroom, "You must change your ways or you will . The Holy Spirit presses upon the heart of the unsaved the fact of God's judgment. While the restraining hand of the Holy Spirit is little realized by the church at large, His protection and power shield the Christian from the impossible task of living in a world in which sin is unrestrained. 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. A third revelation is given the unsaved by the Holy Spirit concerning the relation of the cross to judgment and Satan. 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. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, Look! 9. get to know the Bible better! We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. The Scriptures represent him as being cast into the earth and venting his fury during those tragic days (Rev 12:9). Common grace in its broader sense may have the effect of restraining sin, and it is often regarded as including this aspect. 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.]. The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,Searching all the innermost parts of his being. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The prophets of the period of Israels decadence before the captivities were living examples of the power of the Holy Spirit to minister in the midst of sin and unbelief. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. Without this ministry, the world would be an impossible situation for the Christian, and Gospel preaching would be fruitless. T On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. It all sounds foolish to them and they cant understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 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. 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. 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. Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. He rejects it, denies it, and disputes it. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Matthew's account adds that even blasphemy against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but not blasphemy against the Holy Spirit ( Mt 12:31-32 ). He does not grasp God's Word, he misunderstands and misconstrues it. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? #motivationalspeech #motivationalquotes #motivational #motivationalvideo #motivation #inspiration #inspirational #inspirationalquotes #highvaluemale #highval. When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. As the Word is preached, the Holy Spirit attends with power to make it known to those who naturally are blind to the truth and unable to comprehend it. And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. Reason would point, however, to a number of contributing factors all of which are used of God to check the course of sin. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. Section 2. 5:18; John 16:12-13). 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. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. There are many different ways the Bible describes a non-Christian. this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 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. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. N The will of man, however, in itself has no power to transcend its natural ability as found after the fall any more than it had power to transcend its natural ability before the fall. As Dr. Thiessen writes: But who is the one that restraineth? We are reminded in the New Testament that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9). And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Again he said unto me . The work of the Holy Spirit in restraining sin as found in the Old Testament continues in the present age. 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. Third, the unsaved must face the fact of judgment and find in Christ One who was judged and executed as their substitute. 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. 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. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in restraining sin in the world is most important, however, though few direct references are found in Scripture. Introduction. I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. There is no law against such things ( Galatians 5:22 ). When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. Want the Verse of the Day sent to your inbox? For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 7. He thinks they are foolish. The doctrine of the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation and in the spiritual life of the Christian will be treated in future articles.]. First, the unsaved must understand that salvation depends upon faith in Christ. World English Bible Now the natural man doesn't receive the things of God's Spirit, for they are foolishness to him; and he can't know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. An unspiritual person refuses to accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him such things are foolish. The entire work of the Holy Spirit on behalf of the unsaved world is sometimes given the terminology common grace, including in its scope the restraining work of the Holy Spirit in addition to the work of revealing the Gospel. Paul referred to his impending death as "departure". I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. Job 32:8 - But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. I am the good shepherd. The present age enjoys the ministry of this restrainer whose presence and ministry make impossible the manifestation of the man of sin. D So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. This is the second death, the lake of fire. B Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 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. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. The character of this work of restraining sin varies slightly in different ages, however. 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. Water! For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. He cannot understand them because only people who have the Spirit of God can test them. Through the Bible, the Holy Spirit describes the redemptive work of Christ. So in the end, 1 Corinthians 2:14 is not about an unbeliever's inability to understand the things of God, but about the incapacity of reason and emotions to understand the things of God on their own. This article was taken from the Theological Journal Library CD and posted with permission of Galaxie Software. It is the sin of unbeliefa refusal to trust in Jesusthat is primary. Attitudes While Waiting For Second Coming. The unsaved must see Christ as judged and executed for them, and their judgment for sin as already past. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.
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