How sad the attack. I am constantly defending the Word of God from those who attack the doctrine of inspiration or worship a man-made translation in place of the Word.
My statement stands that the holy Spirit convicts and works. Does it take a verse or a translation, a sermon or a tract? No. He may use such, but it is still HIS work, not the work of a verse, to regenerate. It is the SPIRIT OF GOD, not the bible, that saves.
But you know that.
(I remember a few years back when a hylesish looney said you had to use a KJV or you were not saved. That, of course, is the logcail end of the "only" sect. Doc Cassidy was here then and he lambasted the poster, since Tom had been saved and the only bible he knew was the RSV. We had a good laugh.)
Well, I do not disagree that it is the Holy Spirit that convicts and saves a man, but I believe the medium the Holy Spirit works through is the word of God.
1 Pet 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
As Paul asked in Romans 10, how can a man believe on Jesus if they have never heard of him? It is impossible. And as I have said many times, there is no man walking around today who was completely ignorant of the gospel who was suddenly regenerated to know and understand the gospel.
If you know the gospel, you either read it in the scriptures, or you heard it from preaching of the scriptures. It is not supernaturally revealed to man by the Holy Spirit. And God's word is not withheld from the unregenerate or unelect, it is available to all men to hear if they will do so.
In the parable of the sower Jesus explained that the seed was God's word. It is when a man receives the word and believes it that the word springs to life. Those by the wayside heard the word, but they did not receive it or believe it, just like a seed laying on the surface of the ground. And so the devil, or in the parable, the fowls came and stole it away before it could take root and spring to life.
But those who not only hear but believe the word of God are those in whom the word takes root and springs forth to life bringing forth fruit.
Mark 4: 14 The sower soweth the word.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
You put much emphasis on the Spirit, but Jesus put much emphasis on God's word.
