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. Even so no one knows the things of God except [by] the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11 1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? 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. Seek Ye First. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 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. For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean. (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.) The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD , and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. No one comes to the Father except through me. The Scriptures reveal that it is characteristic of the Holy Spirit to minister in scenes of disorder and sin. 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. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. H 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. The work of the Holy Spirit in revealing the Gospel to the unsaved is rather a sovereign operation of God, not conditioned upon the receptivity of man. Lk 12:10 ). Therefore he does not accept it as infallible, authoritative truth that by its very nature demands his submission. 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. 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. S The chaos of the primeval earth as described in Genesis 1:2 was not without His presence. He is incapable of grasping them because they are. Outward profession of faith in Christ and conformity to moral standards without being saved may be a result of common grace. Common grace must be sharply distinguished from any work of God which is efficacious in bringing the unsaved to salvation. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. So it is God by His Spirit that restrains the development of lawlessness.2. If an unsaved man cannot understand before he believes, and is unable to believe what he does not understand, how can he ever be brought to saving faith? And they had John to assist them. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The word rendered "corrupt" expresses not so much pollution as disintegration and decay, much as in 2Corinthians 4:16 ; and so carries out the idea implied in the epithet . But the natural man does not perceive the things of the Spirit of God. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 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 character of this work of restraining sin varies slightly in different ages, however. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. 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. We could get a parrot to say "Jesus is the Lord" and he might say it over and over, but it would not be a sign that our parrot is speaking by the Holy . They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Missionaries entering unevangelized fields never come upon a Christian community, or even an individual Christian. Related Readings 24 more readings on Spirit 34 more readings on Man For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. What does scripture mean-Man and wife same pocketbook? What Does the Bible Say About the Prince of Darkness? For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:read more.And it shall be in the last days, God says,That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,And your young men shall see visions,And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,I will in those days pour forth of My SpiritAnd they shall prophesy. 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. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 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?. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; How will they preach unless they are sent? It all sounds foolish to them and they cant understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. In it all the Holy Spirit is working, striving to bring men to the knowledge of Christ. R For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 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. 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. The person who does not have the Spirit does not receive the blessings of the Spirit of God. In Luke chapter twelve, it is recorded that Jesus said he came, not to bring peace on earth, but division; even in one's own household, two against three and three against two. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. First, the unsaved must understand that salvation depends upon faith in Christ. 1 Blessed is the man. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. He cannot understand them because only people who have the Spirit of God can test them. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 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. The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. But it is a spirit in man,And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. 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. W But a natural person does not receive the things of the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem, for they are narrishkait (foolishness 1:21-24) to him, and he is not able to have personal saving daas of them, because they are discerned in the Ruach Hakodesh. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. Throughout the Old Testament, then, the power of the Holy Spirit guided human events into the path of divine providence. He retains ability to understand natural things and may rise in this realm to unusual heights. Verse 14. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Rationalism approaches the problem from many angles. 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. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. 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. Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. 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. Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. 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. E. W. Kenyon states that "It is necessary that we understand how the Holy Spirit deals with an unsaved man, so that we can let Him . We receive it by faith, experiencing the salvation only God can provide. B The Bible call him an unbeliever, a sinner and an unregenerate person. 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. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. Human government, however, continues during the period of tribulation in which the man of sin is revealed. Through the Bible, the Holy Spirit describes the redemptive work of Christ. So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. Some were saying, What would this idle babbler wish to say? Others, He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.read more.And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. In fact, such things cant be understood without the Spirits help. Human governments, ordained of God, are a means to divine ends. In humiliation His judgment was taken away;Who will relate His generation?For His life is removed from the earth. The eunuch answered Philip and said, Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? But a natural person 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 discerned. While God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Water! 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. 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. 5:18; John 16:12-13). The Christian desiring to win souls for Christ should study this subject carefully, for in it lie the principles which God has revealed concerning His methods of dealing with the lost. Am I not an apostle? Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. He is unable to understand them because they can be discerned only in a spiritual way. I Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead., Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, We shall hear you again concerning this.. The Bible says that the human spirit is the very breath of Almighty God and was breathed into man at the beginning of God's creation: "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" ( Genesis 2:7 ). This phase of common grace is never sufficient to provide understanding of the issues of the Gospel. Mary & Martha: We Need Both. Notice all the Scriptures that mention these two natures inside of you: Matthew 26:41: "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. The many other ministries of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament tended to restrain sin. 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. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.. 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. He didn't judge and condemn the . 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. 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. And now why do you wait? And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 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. 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). Job 32:8 - But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. The work of the Holy Spirit in revealing the Gospel to the unsaved is peculiarly a ministry of enablement to understand the way of salvation. The condition of man is hopeless apart from divine intervention. It is closely parallel to the idea of moral and intellectual persuasion, constituting an influence, but in itself not resulting in decision. When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 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. 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.]. Ephesians 2:8-9 serves as a wonderful summary of this dynamic, stating, "For by grace you have been saved through faith.