Results 1 - 2 of 2
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Holy Spirit's power of Conviction | Rom 5:6 | Chris | 5775 | ||
Does the fact that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin mean that everyone will be enabled to accept Christ? Well, in John 14:17 says that "the world cannot receive [Him], because it does not see Him or know Him., but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." Therefore, the world is unable to receive the Spirit, so that classifies the "world" in a different category than the disciples, whom Jesus is addressing. It says that the world does not see Him, doesn't even know Him! No the world cannot ‘receive the Holy Spirit' if they do not know Jesus Christ. Receiving the Holy Spirit is the regeneration or the rebirth of the Christian, it is not, in my opinion, the ability of the HS to convict a sinner of their need for Christ. At this time the HS had not come to the world; therefore, NO ONE but the disciples could have received Him because only His disciples had accepted Him as their personal Savior, so yes, our Lord would consider the world different than the disciples. I personally consider the world different than the Church, but not because GOD decided to take me and not another; because I have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. In John 15:18, the "world" will hate the disciples, just as it hates Christ. In the next verse, we see that the disciples are "not of the world," that Christ CHOSE them, and as a result, the world hates them. Therefore, we see reinforced a clear division between the world and the ones who are called by God. In verse 26 we see that the Spirit will testify about Christ with the disciples, but there is no indication that everyone will be free to accept the Spirit's testimony. In fact, Christ has just promised them the opposite from the world. Yes, the ‘world' will hate the disciples, but I consider this to be because Jn 3:19-20, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil HATES the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (Emphasis mine) The ‘world' is not regenerated the disciples are, yes they're different. The twelve certainly were chosen, we will discuss this shortly. In verse 15:26 who will the Spirit testify to? "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning." It does not sound like the Spirit is testifying to the disciples, because the disciples are to do the same type of testifying! Could it be that the HS and the disciples would be testifying to non-believers? |
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2 | Holy Spirit's power of Conviction | Rom 5:6 | Reformer Joe | 5787 | ||
Well, I agree with everything you wrote here, Chris. I also agree that the Holy Spirit testifies along with us both to believers and non-believers. For those who already believers, that is encouragement and exhortation. For those who will accept Christ (i.e. the elect), the followers of Christ are the ordained means or vehicles through which the message of the gospel is presented that they will accept. The Holy Spirit and those whom He indwells also testify to those who will die in their sins, convicting them of their sins as you said, but also glorifying God by speaking of His holiness and his justice, which they will face all too soon. Therefore, the the Christian message is to be proclaimed by all followers of Christ, even though some are not going to be regenerated and respond to that message. Either way, Christ is lifted up and our great God is glorified. And, of course, while I believe in unconditional election by God, he certainly hasn't sent out a photocopy of the Book of Life so that we know who will respond and who won't. And since God has turned around such hard cases at that Pharisee Saul, we certainly would be overstepping our bounds by trying to decide for ourselves who are the ones "chosen before the foundation of the world." Therefore, the Holy Spirit through us and with us gives testimony to all individuals to whom the Gospel is preached, but I do not think that logically leads to a human being's freedom to accept or reject Christ without first being supernaturally reborn by the power of the Holy Spirit. What do you think? --Joe! |
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