Continued...
But how does faith come to one who is dead in sin?
Those who believe were first drawn by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. For not everyone drawn by the Spirit will believe -
many will resist.
Drawn how? By the Gospel word coupled with the convicting work of the Spirit to draw people to Christ.
John 12:32 (WEB)
32
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
But many resist the Spirit...
Many have and will grieve and resist the Spirit and Word and its enlightening, convicting and drawing work, and be lost.
Acts 7 (WEB) 51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always
resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers did, so you do.”
Isaiah 63:10 (WEB) 10 But they
rebelled, and grieved his holy Spirit. Therefore he turned and became their enemy, and he himself fought against them.
Psalm 106:32 (WEB) Bolding mine…32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the Lord, and trouble came to Moses because of them; 33 for they
rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips.
Ephesians 4:30-31 (WEB) Bolding mine… 30 Don’t
grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.
Hebrews 10:29 (WEB) Bolding mine… 29
How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has
insulted the Spirit of grace?
Therefore, although the Spirit draws all people to Christ through the Gospel,
- Not everyone drawn will believe because they resist.
- Also, those who believe, those who have the Spirit, can so grieve and insult the Spirit of grace so as to lose their salvation.
As the Scriptures say:
‘You must
remain in Christ (the Vine) to be eternally saved.’
‘You
must remain faithful to remain in the Holy Olive Root to remain saved or you will be cut off’ (
See: Romans 11).
Even when the believer has the Spirit living in them by faith, they still are responsible to live by that Spirit to receive Life....
Romans 8:12-13 (NIV)
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
Galatians 6:8-9 (WEB)
8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let US not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest IF WE do not give up.
Who are the ones that God gives to the Son?… What do the Scriptures say?
Answer: God gives to the Son those who listen to God – taught by God.
John 6 (WEB) Bolding mine… 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has learned, comes to me.
Who are those who will listen to and be taught by God to Christ?
The Scriptures teach that God foreknew the humble will listen to God, and so will be the ones drawn by the Spirit and Word to Christ. Those who humble themselves are the ones that God elects to save and to give to the son. Those God foreknew, God also predestined for salvation.
Psalm 25 (WEB) 9 He will guide the humble in justice. He will teach the humble his way.
Those who humble themselves are the ones that God elects to save and to give to the son. Those God foreknew, God also predestined for salvation.
Psalm 18 (WEB)
27 For you will save the humble
God promised the humble, in many prophecies, that He would bring them justice and save the humble.
Psalm 18 (WEB)
27 For you will save the humble, but the haughty eyes you will bring down.
God is keeping His promise to all those who humble themselves.
Lord Jesus was sent by the Father to preach the Gospel to the humble and poor in Spirit to fulfill God's promise to them - and they will listen...
Isaiah 61:1-2 (WEB)
(Jesus applied this prophecy to himself)
1 The Lord Yahweh’s Spirit is on me; because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn
All through the Scriptures we are taught that God favors the humble, but He resists the proud.
The Gospel was designed to draw only the simple and humble of this world to Christ - for God has mercy on the humble.
Luke 10 (WEB) 21 In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight.”
So in Ephesians 2:9 we read as follows:
• “this is not of yourselves,
• it is the gift of God
• not of works lest any man should boast”
It’s all referring back to the subject in
Ephesians 2:8, which is:
“By grace are you have been saved” (the gift and work of God).
Why? . . . because
• Faith is not by grace.
• Faith is not a gift
• Faith is not a work.
Rather, Scripture only refers to:
• Salvation that is by God’s Grace.
• Salvation that is the Gift of God
• Salvation that is the work of God
God Gracious Gift of Salvation – the regenerative work of God –
*is receive by Faith (Romans 5:1-3)
*is kept by the power of God through faith (1 Peter 1:4-5)
*The end result of your faith is your salvation (1 Peter 1:9)
By faith I am justified Rm 5:1
By faith I am accredited righteousness Romans 4:4-5
By faith, not works, do I receive the free gift of salvation Rm 9:30-33
By faith I receive His Spirit - (at least six Passages teach this)
By faith I am born of God John 1:12-13
By faith I receive the power of God onto salvation Rm 1:16-17
By faith I access God's saving grace Rm 5:1-2
By faith I am kept by God's Power until the end 1 Peter 1:4-5
The end result of my faith is my salvation 1 Peter 1:9
"
From faith to faith, the righteous will live by
faith." Rm 1:16-17
What about Ephesians 2:10?
Ephesians 2:10 (WEB) states: 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
The Christian is “created in Christ” by the Spirit we receive by faith:
Ephesians 1 (NIV)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
John 7:37-39 (WEB) Bolding mine
38
He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.”
39 But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.
The “good works” God prepared for us to do is only accomplished when, by faith, we obey that same Spirit we received by faith.
Romans 8:12-13
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
Galatians 5:24-25 (WEB)
24 Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.
Galatians 6:8 (WEB) 8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let US not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest IF WE do not give up.
Galatians 5 (WEB)
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Therefore, regeneration is God’s work in those who, by faith, obey His Spirit that indwells the believer. This is regeneration – only by faith.
To do the good works that God created us for, we must, by faith, be in Christ, which is to be obedient to His Spirit who lives in us by faith to be saved. We saw the Scriptures. And that is why we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (living by God’s Spirit in us). By so doing, God is working out His will in our lives.
Philippians 2 (WEB)
12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.
Paul is not teaching a works salvation here; but rather, Paul is establishing that a Bible faith in Christ means we are dead to the old master of the sinful nature, and are now disciples of Christ, living by His Spirit. . . “19
Go, and make disciples of all nations teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (
Matthew 28:19). We are dead to the old life and alive in Christ.
To be created in Christ is salvation, which is God’s regenerative work from sin and death – only in those who faithfully walk by God’s Spirit whom they receive by faith. As we saw by Scripture, God’s gift of saving grace is only accessed by faith - and faith is not a work, nor is faith a product of God's grace; rather we gain access to God's Grace by Faith. This begins the New Life in the Spirit. The end result of your faith is your salvation.