Libertarians might find this jarring (I do. Where is the Scriptural basis for his claim?):
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Let me put it like this. In Paul (and this is really a Pauline conversation, after all), what happens is that the word of the gospel is announced. That is to say, Jesus Christ is proclaimed one-on-one or in a large meeting or out on the street or whatever, and even though that message is crazy (and Paul knows its crazy; he says its folly to Gentiles and a scandal to Jews), some people find that it grabs them and they believe it. This is bizarre. I shouldnt be believing this. A dead man got raised from the dead and hes the Lord of the world. I really shouldnt believe this, but it does make sense. And it finds me and I can feel it changing me. Pauls analysis of that is that this is the power of the word (he has a strong theology of the word), and another equal way of saying it for Paul is that this is the Holy Spirit working through the gospel. He says, no one can say that Jesus Christ is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
So, the Holy Spirit is the One who through the Word does the work of grace which is the transformative thing, and the first sign of that new life is faith.
Now then, the point of justification is not God making you right. The irony is that some of my critics at this point have accused me of a sort of semi-Pelagianism. But thats precisely what I think Im not doing. The verdict of justification is God saying over faith, This really is my beloved child.
TGC | The Gospel Coalition