The Holy Spirit
We continue our articles on the Holy Spirit and invite your attention to a further discussion of the work of the Spirit in conversion. We are trying to impress upon your mind the way that the Spirit works upon the hearts of individuals to bring about their conversion. In doing this we are also trying to show that the theory of direct operation of the Holy Spirit upon the hearts of the people is not true. The medium used by God's Spirit is the Word. This word has been written and preserved and through it we know of God. Through the word we hear the commandments of God. Our obedience to these commandments brings the subsequent promise of salvation. Without the word we would know nothing of God. Without it we would not know of the commandments which He has given. Let me exhort you to review our previous articles on this subject, especially those which have to do with the working of the Spirit in the Old Testament.
There are many things necessary for the conversion of mankind. For example, we have no record of anyone being converted unless first of all he heard the word proclaimed by a preacher. This is rather a sweeping claim, and yet it is true — there is not one case of conversion recorded in the books of Acts, but what there was a preacher present, the people heard the words spoken and then obeyed the commandments given. This should show us that the Spirit of God works through the medium of the word. The word of God is the seed of the kingdom. We learn this in Luke 8:11, "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." That seed, the word, is sown upon the hearts (which represents the soil) of mankind and then brings forth fruit. One cannot be saved without the word of God. You cannot on all this earth find anyone, or any group of people, worshiping the God of heaven in spirit and in truth except they have first learned of Him through the medium of the word. There are no exceptions to this. It is the gospel — the word of God, which is the power of God unto salvation. Rom. 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
The heart or mind of man hears the message of the Spirit. This heart then weighs the evidence and obeys or displays. The message of God is directed to the understanding of man. Whenever we concoct a theory which does away with the understanding of man and a free-will decision on his part, we have a theory that cannot be true. The theory of direct operation of the Spirit of God on the heart of man does away with the understanding of man and he has no choice in the matter. Thus this theory cannot be true. Let us notice several verses of scripture which have to do with the message of God to man.
Man must hear the word of God before he can be converted. This can be accomplished either by listening to a man preach orally or reading the Bible. Rom. 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." John 20:31, "But these are writ- ten, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." Thus, the word is directed to the understanding of man. He must hear it.
Man has a mind and with that mind he must think. Rom. 12:3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, accordingly as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
We could go and bring to your attention several verses of scripture to show the capabilities of man but that would take more space than we desire to take. Let us suffice to say that the logical mind knows that man is capable of hearing, seeing, reading, meditating, thinking, reasoning, choosing, considering, remembering,' forgetting, believing, disbelieving, yielding, imagining etc. Knowing this can we not then see that God deals with man in a way directed to this wonderful mind that man has and leaves the final decision up to man? It is foolish to think that God has endowed man with such capabilities and then overrules his mind and makes him become a Christian by direct operation of the Spirit upon his mind. I certainly think that the discerning person could very well see that the direct operation idea is contrary to the scriptural plan of God, thus unscriptural and anti-scriptural, as well as illogical. Our salvation is in our hands. There is nothing more that God will do for us other than presenting the opportunity to obey. He sent His Son. He sent His Spirit with a message. The Son, Jesus Christ, suffered and died and shed His blood for the remission of sins. The Holy Spirit inspired the apostles to preach and write, thus we have the Bible. Now it is up to us. We accept the favor or mercy of God, believe on Jesus Christ, and obey the commandments contained in the message of the Spirit. If we do that, we can truly say that we have been saved by grace through faith. The Spirit's part in converting us was accomplished through the word.
We cannot expect God to set aside His plan just to suit our fancies. Many people are like Naaman of the Old Testament and expect God to do it in a certain way. If what they read in the Bible and hear preached from the Bible does not agree with the way that they think that it should be, then it is dismissed from their mind without further thought. We hope that those reading these articles are not like that. We want you to earnestly and sincerely study what we have said so that you may see the way of God. We can choose to use the plan that God has provided or we may abuse it. It is entirely up to each of us. It is our choice to make and God will not override our reasoning in some miraculous way.
Let us notice something else concerning this point. In Acts 10:34 we read this principle. "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons." This principle is still true today. And yet there are those who would have us to believe that God is a respecter of persons. They make him a respecter of persons by their false theory of direct operation of the Spirit of God. If God's Spirit works directly upon one person and not upon another does that not mean that God has had more respect for one than the other? Yes, of course it does. If God works directly upon the hearts of some people separate and apart from the word, and does not deal that way with everyone He is not the God that I would want to worship for He would be respecter of persons. God deals the same with all men. You have the same opportunity that I have and that every man has. Can we not see this? Of course we can. God has but one plan and He does not set that plan aside for anyone. If He did then He would have to change the whole scheme of redemption. This He will not do.
Man must enter into covenant relationship with God. God has made the terms and given the promise. Man must fulfill his obligations before he can receive the promise. A covenant must be entered into willingly by both parties. God has willingly offered salvation upon certain terms. Man must willingly accept those terms to receive the blessing of salvation. A man cannot willingly do this if he has been forced into it by the direct operation of God's Spirit.
We are going to conclude this article by bringing to your attention the only way that man can be saved from his past sins, as well as eternally, There are many and varied theories concerning salvation. I cannot bring all of them to your attention. I cannot even say that I know all of them to bring them to your attention. However, I can bring the one and only plan that is found in the New Testament to your attention. This may sound narrow to some when we speak of the only way, but keep in mind that I am not bringing you my theory on the subject but am quoting to you direct from God's book. This is the message of the Spirit, thus it is the work of the Spirit in conversion. Listen to it, judge it, meditate upon it, choose your course of action, and it is our hope that you will choose to obey and thus receive the blessing of salvation from past sins.
We do not intend to pick one passage of scripture and say that is God's plan and that only. Many do this. For example: many read John 3:16 and conclude from it that all a man has to do is believe in Christ and he will be saved. They do not realize that the word "believe" is used in a very comprehensive way in that passage and that a true belief includes any and all commandments given by God. Faith only will not save. It never has and it never will. The message of the Spirit does not teach such a doctrine. In fact it teaches the exact opposite and very emphatically. James 2:24, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."
The Lord's plan is plain. We learn from Mk. 16:16 that there must first come a wholehearted belief in Christ. This belief should motivate us to repent of our past sins. (Acts. 2:38.) Our belief should then be expressed by confessing with our mouth that Christ is the son of God. (Acts 8:37, 38.) Finally this faith should lead us into the watery grave of baptism that we might receive the remission of sins and be added by the Lord to the church (Acts 2:38 and 47.) The Christian then is exhorted to be "faithful unto death" so that he might receive a "crown of ever-lasting life." (Revelation 2:10.) This is the message of the Spirit to mankind today.