The gospel does come first to the sinner EXTERNALLY by external instrumental means, but it is the Holy Spirit that takes it from the EXTERIOR of man to the INTERIOR of man as neither the sinner or any other exterior human being can bring it from the exterior to the interior spirit of man but the Holy Spirit. This transaction from the external to the internal is by CREATIVE WORD of command that makes the gospel come in "power and in the Spirit and in much assurance" transforming the internal heart of man into a believing heart. Thus giving a new heart and new spirit to man (Ezek. 36:26) as the LOGICAL cause of obedient faith (Ezek. 36;27) as one simeltaneous action.
LOGICAL CAUSE:
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Notice it is placing the Spirit "within you" LOGICALLY FIRST that will "cause you" LOGICALLY SECOND to respond in obedience.
However, the creative action is one simeltaneous event that produces a believing heart rather than just a heart void of faith, as that was the condition of the heart being replaced.
I think you are reading too much into the passage and too much into the imagery that is in this OT passage.
As you said, the gospel must come first. But then what?
I had to be convinced, first on an intellectual level that the gospel was true. This is true with every person. Why should they believe the gospel over Islam, Hinduism, or whatever their own religion teaches them? It is true because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ verified his claims through his resurrection. That is intellectual.
Second it must become a heart belief.
Faith is confidence in the Word of another (Rom.4:19-21)
--"being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform" vs.21). That is faith. Abraham was confident that what God had promised God would do.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.
Only after one puts his faith in this glorious message of the gospel can his heart be transformed. Then God will give him a new heart. It must be in that order.
Everywhere in the Bible it is in that order. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. It isn't: I will give you a new heart and then you can have the faith to be saved. It isn't so.
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1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.[/FONT]