The Holy Spirit part deux

What are the facts of the Gospel? The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ - It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. You cannot believe the facts of the good news of Jesus Christ without believing in Jesus.

The Holy Spirit testifies of Christ (John 15:26) and convicts people of their sin (John 16:8-11). He also reveals things to people (John 15:26; 16:13, 14 1 Corinthians 2: 10, 13)

The Holy SPirit provides the evidence that demands a choice. The choice is up to the person.

The HOly Spirit is necessary to believe in Christ, because no one seeks God. He calls the person, who chooses one way or another.

 

What Arminians are saying is the the Holy Spirit does a partial job in bring a sinner to Christ but He doesn't complete the job. What Arminians are saying is that God is powerless to save anyone one unless that person lets Him do so. What Arminians are saying is that man's will trumps God's will.

How sad. They believe that God can save no one. And according to their scheme, He can't.

 

YES, There is knowledge for knowledge's sake, and there is knowledge that animates. That is, you can believe the contents of a message and not be convinced of the message, and you believe the contents of the message which causes you to change the direction of your life.

I believe that the Holy Spirit is that mysterious difference between being convinced, and acting on the knowledge.

I'm not sure that one can completely, individually, and without Spirit influence act upon knowledge, whether that knowledge be the Gospel message or secular message.

 

The irony is that you want specific answers to your questions. Certain ones. When another person doesn't comply, you get persnickety.

No, I am saying that the two are the same thing. The person who belives the truth about the good news of Jesus Christ believes in Christ.

Did you read the passages I posted? Everyone yells about the Arminians not producing enough Scripture. I did, and you don't even pay it any attention. The Spirit directly convicts a person of His sin. He also testifies through others.

Without the Spirit, there is no ability to choose God. The Holy Spirit gives the person a chance to choose, enabling him to do so. I'm not dancing, you're just struggling with me bnot producing the certain answers you want.

The Holy Spirit directly empowers the person to choose or reject Christ. Whether that person says "yes" or "no" is the person's own choice.

 

And the Bible answer is: (Acts 13:48 KJV) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

 

And the Bible answer is: (Acts 13:48 KJV) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. </font>[/QUOTE]Do we need to debate about the word tetragmoni (the Greek word for "ordained to eternal life") again? There is as much evidence that the word is a middle as it is passive, so this is inonclusive for your use.

 

I am quite certain that it is impossible for Satan to be "saved," although it is clear that he believes that Jesus is God. I would say that demons, as fallen angels, work under different rules. I don't have a problem with that. I fully believe that those who are in Hell will also come to the belief that Jesus is Lord, but it will be too late for them as well.

How in the world can a person misrepresent the passages I spoke of? IF you disagree that the HOly Spirit convincts men of sin, testifies of Christ, or reveals thing to man, then let me know - otherwise, why not just agree in these three things?

 

And the Bible answer is: (Acts 13:48 KJV) And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. </font>[/QUOTE]Do we need to debate about the word tetragmoni (the Greek word for "ordained to eternal life") again? There is as much evidence that the word is a middle as it is passive, so this is inonclusive for your use. </font>[/QUOTE]Yes we do because you're going to have to show me where that word "tetragmoni" is.

 

Ken H,

Whatever God does is accomplished with perfection. His ministry to the sinner through the Holy Spirit is always done with Divine perfection. The problem is that sinners can reject His promptings [John 5:40 & Acts 7:51] in convincing men and women of their need of Christ. God, if you will, is a gentleman. He does not enter a life where He is not wanted. [Rev. 3:20] I do know that God is asking the church if He will invite Him back into their presence, but the same concept is valid toward the sinner. He knocks at the door of the heart, but the sinner must open that door. This is more in keeping with what Arminian Christians believe, rather than the diatribe that you tried to articulate.

What Calvinists never have learned or care to understand is that God is not a Divine bully; your understanding of Sovereignty makes Him this kind of Deity.

God gave the archangel free will to rebel against Himself and He has given human beings this awesome power to either welcome Him in the Gospel or to turn away from everlasting life. I should not even suggest that the first and third paragraph is what Arminius believed. Who cares! The first and third paragraph is in keeping with Biblical theology. This is what is important to understand.

God's will is to call sinners to repentance by the aid of the Spirit and then allow them to use that which He has implanted in them, namely their own free will.

 

Where is the perfection in this?

Brother Dallas

 

Brother Dallas,

With all due respect, please follow the verses in John and Acts. Does this not say that the Holy Spirit can be rejected in a sinner's life? What He thinks of His perfection in dealing with sinners is good enough for me; your ignoring Scripture like the above ones proves that you have mega holes in your theology. Answer the question and deal with the Scripture.

 

Calvinists insist that the Effectual Calling always insures that the elect will be brought into the eternal fold of Christ. We say that the Spirit can be resisted as noted in Acts 7:51. People of Calvinistic persuasion suggest that His perfection insures that He always gets what He wants, namely the elect.

My question is---is God the Spirit less than perfect and persuasive in the lives of His people when they 'grieve' or 'quench the Holy Spirit? Second question. If God allows the free will of Christians to grieve the Spirit, one does not have to be a rocket scientist to understand that God the Spirit also allows sinners to disobey His calling to faith and everlasting life. Again, study Acts 7:55 & Isaiah 65:1-3. 'I have spread out My hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.'

God the Spirit was calling the Israelites to Himself, but their free will and rebellion distanced them from Almighty God. God's thoughts were calling them to Himself; their thoughts were in ungodly places.

 

Good question.

 

Not sure what kind of free will you understood, but this is basic Arminianism.

Correct. Humanity can do nothing that is good, especially understand the gospel message, until the God enables him through the Holy Spirit.

Correct.

Correct. From the five points of the Remonstrants: it takes "awakening, following and co-operating."

This is basic Arminianism. If you'd like, check out the basic five points of the Remonstrants for proof, since you don't seem to have any interest in reading what Arminius wrote.

This is what Arminians believe, at least those who try to remain faithful to the actual teachings of Arminius.

 

I can introduce you to about 8 guys who understand the gospel very well but have yet to give their lives to following Christ. One of them was a preacher for many years and has a very clear understanding of the message of the cross.

I don't understand why anyone would think that non-believers cannot understand the claims of the gospel apart from a inward direct working of God. Granted, no one would have the gospel presented to them if it hadn't been for the HS's work, but why must we insist that the HS has to indwell a person or even "woo" a person before they have a basic understanding of the gospel? I'm just asking for clarity, I'm not trying to argue one way or another.