And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. The Holy Scriptures We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matt. Proverbs 20:27 - The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. The love, joy, peace, and other fruit of the Spirit are never found in those who have merely experienced common grace. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. And they were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled backit was very large. Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. You have not lied to man but to God. When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. The Scriptures do not enlarge upon the ministry of the Holy Spirit in restraining sin. Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 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 unsaved men may be able to imitate some of the outward manifestations of Christian conduct, there is never the reality of inward experience, though in some cases it may be difficult to determine whether some individuals are unsaved or saved. At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 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. 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? Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. The degeneracy of the period of the Judges had its Samson who was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Christ said the Holy Spirit would convict the world "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:11). Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. While the ministry of the Holy Spirit is ever primarily directed toward the Christian, it is evident that He is working in the world as well, bringing to pass the will of the Father and the Son. But the person who is not a Christian does not understand these words from the Holy Spirit. 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. As the Apostle says, he sees all the business about sin, grace and salvation to be just so much foolishness that only "weak" people get involved with. Lutherans explain this by conditioning its power on their faith, but it is difficult to see how they can believe what they do not know and understand. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. Common grace in its broader sense may have the effect of restraining sin, and it is often regarded as including this aspect. The Scriptures reveal that it is characteristic of the Holy Spirit to minister in scenes of disorder and sin. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, Look! Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. Again he said unto me . There is no law against such things ( Galatians 5:22 ). The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation. 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. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? K The Holy Spirit presses upon the heart of the unsaved the fact of God's judgment. He retains ability to understand natural things and may rise in this realm to unusual heights. The unsaved need to know that sin was judged in the cross, and for those who trust in Christ there is deliverance from judgment upon sin and deliverance from condemnation. These things are foolish to them. Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? There are many different ways the Bible describes a non-Christian. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. A third revelation is given the unsaved by the Holy Spirit concerning the relation of the cross to judgment and Satan. This phase of common grace is never sufficient to provide understanding of the issues of the Gospel. It is possible that many only understand vaguely that God through Christ cares for their unrighteousness without realizing all the wonders of justification. The Scriptures bear constant witness to the inability of man. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. The Holy Spirit presses upon the heart of the unsaved the fact of Gods judgment. The present age enjoys the ministry of this restrainer whose presence and ministry make impossible the manifestation of the man of sin. The work of the Holy Spirit in restraining sin as found in the Old Testament continues in the present age. It is important for you to be aware of the condition of the human spirit. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. Introduction. If it be conceded that the Holy Spirit undertook to strive with men to restrain sin in the Old Testament, it is even more evident that a similar ministry will be found in the present age in which the Spirit is present in the Church. 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. For by grace you have been saved through faith. 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. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 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 ). The work of the Holy Spirit for the unsaved world constitutes another proof that God is a God of infinite grace and condescension, working in those who are the objects of His righteous judgment, striving to bring them to the knowledge of Christ as Savior. Also, the prince of Persia (Daniel 10:13) is a reference to an evil spiritual entity . He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? NCV A person who does not have the Spirit does not accept the truths that come from the Spirit of God. 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. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. Missionaries entering unevangelized fields never come upon a Christian community, or even an individual Christian. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 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. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch *said, Look! The importance of this ministry of the Spirit must be recognized before the necessity of prayer for the lost can be realized. You have made known to me the ways of life;You will make me full of gladness with Your presence. 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. Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. The fall of Adam was full of tremendous consequences. The Scripture speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit among the unsaved. Summary Before a person becomes a Christian, Scripture calls them the natural man. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. B Geocoding C 1 Corinthians 8:9. The unspiritual man rejects the things of the Spirit of God, and cannot attain to the knowledge of them, because they are spiritually judged. Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? Is there a scripture of God casting our sins in a sea of forgetfulness? 5:23 ). Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Apart from this work of the Holy Spirit, God would continue to be unrevealed to a lost race; the death of Christ would be inapplicable to men; and the purpose of God to save the elect would be impossible of fulfillment. . Posted on July 1, 2013 Posted by Chris Poblete. For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. While the Word of God is not necessarily related to the general works of God in restraining sin, in providence, and in acts of sovereignty, the revelation of the truth of the Gospel comes only through the Word of God. Attitudes While Waiting For Second Coming. 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. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. The presence and power of the Holy Spirit by virtue of His holy character was conducive to restraint of sin. And to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. 3 He shall be like a tree. 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. Common grace must be sharply distinguished from any work of God which is efficacious in bringing the unsaved to salvation. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. While Isaiah 59:19 is not as clear a reference, it infers a similar ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is stated flatly in 1 Corinthians 2:14, But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him. Again in 1 Corinthians 1:18, the Gospel is declared to be foolishness to the lost, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. The unsaved Gentiles are declared to walk in spiritual darkness, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart (Eph 4:18). 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. Ministering To The Unsaved. 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. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Seek Ye First. 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. But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. (This is a desert road.). The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord,Searching all the innermost parts of his being. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. 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). Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. It is closely parallel to the idea of moral and intellectual persuasion, constituting an influence, but in itself not resulting in decision. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:The Lord said to my Lord,Sit at My right hand, 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? Peter said to them, Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Q. 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? Plus, you'll also get some beautiful graphic goodies to go along with the lessons, the new scripture writing plan, and the monthly scripture writing questions. He rejects it, denies it, and disputes it. 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.) Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 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. So Paul went out of their midst. For a beastly man perceiveth not those things that be of the Spirit of God; for it is folly to him, and he may not understand, for it is examined ghostly [for it is examined. He cannot understand them because only people who have the Spirit of God can test them. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. Man's triunity . 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 . Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? 9. Religious instinct and fear of God are no doubt related to common grace, though they may not be connected definitely with the Scriptures. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. John F. Walvoord, long-time president of Dallas Theological Seminary, was one of the most prominent evangelical scholars of his generation. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. Rationalism approaches the problem from many angles. The Godhead O He is incapable of grasping them because they are. N 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 Gift of Showing Mercy . When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. In relating the Word of God to the doctrine of common grace, two extremes in doctrine may be observed. Further confirmation of His ministry is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:7, For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way (American Standard Version). Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. The doctrine is, therefore, important in its significance and necessary to a full appreciation of proper Gospel preaching. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. While all forces of law and order tend to restrain sin, they are not such in their own character, but rather as they are used and empowered to accomplish this end by God. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. From preceding discussion it is evident that common grace falls far short of efficacious grace. For they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. The ministry of the Holy Spirit to the unsaved follows three specific lines, then. Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. The Bible call him an unbeliever, a sinner and an unregenerate person. Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? The sun will be turned into darknessAnd the moon into blood,Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. For the natural man does not perceive the things of the Spirit of God. The gift of giving has in it the thought of being ready to give and being prompt in giving, and it is a work that is especially wrought in some Christians, though all Christians should exercise giving as a method of worship. 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.). But test everything; hold fast what is good. The act of God whereby He makes us alive from spiritual death is called regeneration. 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. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. The period of tribulation on the contrary is one in which Satans work is most evident. His work in revealing truth through the prophets, particularly the warnings of judgment to come, and the work of inspiration of the Scriptures with their power helped to restrain sin. The work of the Holy Spirit in revealing the Gospel to the lost is essential to the whole program of completing the purpose of God to call out the Church in this age. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. Human governments, ordained of God, are a means to divine ends. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. And Saul approved of his execution. Ecclesiastes 12:7 - Then shall the dust . 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. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. This idea is hardly compatible with the revelation of Satan found in the Scriptures. Because death is departure not cessation, not annihilation. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 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. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that, God had sworn to him with an oath to seat, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that, He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did. The phrase "the old man" (found also in Romans 6:6; Colossians 3:9) is here illustrated by the description following: which is being marred in virtue of the lusts of deceit. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.. Peter said to them, Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD" (Jeremiah 17:7). For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Satan, also known as the Devil is sometimes referred to as the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), prince of demons (Matthew 9:34), father of lies (John 8:44), "ruler of this world" (John 12:31) and god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. In fact, such things cant be understood without the Spirits help. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. In addition to natural inability is the work of Satan blinding the hearts of the lost to the light of the Gospel (2 Cor 4:4). Without this ministry, the world would be an impossible situation for the Christian, and Gospel preaching would be fruitless.