Based on this, one is in the flesh when they believe, and then they receive the Spirit. Is that correct?
I would say this, Hammster, that, although a sinner, being unredeemed, is normally dead in sin being in the flesh, the choice of salvation is not founded on man being in the flesh.
God, offers His saving grace to all through the Gospel Word and Spirit. Every person is given a choice to either receive or reject that gracious invitation. Why?
- God desires all to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-6),
- and to have mercy on all (Romans 11:32),
- and takes no pleasure in the death of anyone (Ezekiel 33:11; Ezekiel 18:30-32; Matthew 23:37; Romans 10:21).
However, God’s Sovereign will and plan is to save whosoever will believe in His Son (
John 6:39-40;
John 3:16) – that is the condition, the Covenant to receive the free gift of salvation - not that the condition earns salvation, but that is God's will, that whosever believes may receive eternal life.
Without partiality, God calls, enlightens, and draws, and invites all mankind (
Isaiah 45:21-22;
John 1:9;
John 12:32;
Matthew 22:9) to faith through the convicting power of the Living Word (
Ephesians 6:17;
Hebrews 4:12), and the worldwide convicting work of the Spirit (
John 16:8).
Many will resist and reject the Gospel call or invitation (
Acts 7:51-52;
Isaiah 63:10;
Psalms 106:32-33;
Acts 28:27-28;
Romans 10:21;
Matthew 22:1-8), and so refuse the universal drawing of the Word and Spirit to come to faith in Lord Jesus (
John 3:18).
To those who listen (
Acts 28:28), these are the humble whom God guides, or draws, and teaches (
Psalms 25:9;
John 6:44) to come to Christ by faith to be saved (
John 3:14-17).
The ones who listen are cut to the heart to the point of repentance. Those who refuse, remain condemned (
John 3:18).
Who am I to argue with God. That is His sovereign plan as revealed in His Word.
The Gospel message is an invitation or call to all to believe and be saved, even though many refuse.
But to those who accept, appropriate that saving grace to themselves (Romans 5:1-2)
Matthew 22:8-9 (WEB)
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. 9 Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’
Isaiah 45:21-22 (WEB)
21 There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is no one besides me.
22 “Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
Isaiah 53:6 (WEB) 6 All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
1 John 2:2 (WEB) 2 And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
John 1:29 (WEB) 29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 3:14-18 (WEB) 14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
John 4:42 (WEB) 42 They said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
John 12:47 (WEB) 47 If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
2 Corinthians 5:19 (WEB)
19 … God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 (WEB) 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:6 (WEB) 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony in its own times
1 Timothy 4:10 (WEB) 10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we have set our trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
Titus 2:11 (WEB) 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men
Hebrews 2:9 (WEB) 9 But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death for everyone.
Blessings