The Holy Spirit's Work in Salvation # 2

The Holy Spirit's Work in Salvation # 2

One of the delusions of the day, is that an evangelical believing in Christ lies within the power of the unrenewed man, so that by performing what is naively called "a simple act of faith" he becomes a renewed man. In other words, it is supposed that man is the beginner of his own salvation. He takes the first step, and God does the rest; he "believes" and then God comes in and saves him. This is nothing but a bald and blank denial of the Holy Spirit's work altogether. If there is one time more than another when the sinner lies in need of the Spirit's power - it is at the beginning. "He who denies the need of the Spirit at the beginning, cannot believe in His work at the after stages - nay, cannot believe in the need of the Spirit's work at all. The mightiest and most insuperable difficulty lies at the beginning. If the sinner can get over that without the Spirit, he can easily get over the rest. If he does not need the Spirit to enable him to believe, he will not need Him to enable him to love" (H. Bonar).

They err greatly, who think that after the Spirit has done His work in the conscience it still remains for man to say whether he shall be regenerated or not, not wait for the sinner to exercise his will to believe; instead He works in the "elect" "both to will and to do" (Phil. 2:13). Therefore does Jehovah declare, "I am found by those who sought Me NOT" (Isaiah 65:1 quoted by Paul in Romans 10:20). To "believe" in Christ savingly, is a supernatural act - the product of supernatural grace. There is no more power in fallen man to believe to the saving of his soul - than he has any merits of his own entitling him to the favor of God; thus, he is as dependent on the Spirit for power - as on Christ for worthiness. The Spirit's work is to apply the redemption which the Lord Jesus purchased for His people - and the children of God owe their salvation to the One, equally as much as to the Other.

In Titus 3:5 the salvation of the redeemed is expressly attributed to God the SPIRIT: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done - but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit." "If it is asked - in what sense men can be saved by the renewing of the Spirit, the answer is obvious: There is a series of truths to which no link can be lacking. We are saved by the divine purpose, for God has chosen us to salvation; we are saved by the atonement, as the meritorious ground of all; we are saved by faith, as the bond of union to Christ; we are saved by grace as contrasted with works done; we are saved by the truth as conveying God's testimony; and, as here, we are saved by the renewing of the Holy Spirit, as producing faith in the heart." (Smeaton)

Regeneration is by the Spirit

"And you has he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). The quickening of those who are dead in trespasses, is the work of the third Person of the Trinity: "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). The natural man is spiritually dead. He is alive sinward and worldward - but dead Godward, "alienated from the life of God" (Eph. 4:18). If this solemn truth were really believed, there would be an end to controversy on our present subject. A dead man cannot "cooperate" with the Spirit, nor can he "accept Christ." In 2 Corinthians 3:5 we read, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything." That is said of Christians. If the regenerate have no capacity to "think" spiritually, still less are the unregenerate able to.

"The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God - for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them - because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor. 2:14). What would be plainer? The natural man is fallen in his unregenerate state. Unless he is born from above, he is completely devoid of spiritual discernment. Our Lord expressly declared, "Except a man is born again - he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). The "natural man" cannot see himself, his ruin, his depravity, the filthiness of his own righteousness. No matter how plainly God's truth is presented to him, being blind, he cannot discern either its meaning, spiritually - or suitedness to his need. A spiritual understanding of the Gospel is as truly due to the operation of the Holy Spirit - as that He is the Author of the divine Revelation. Spiritual life must precede spiritual sight, and the Spirit Himself must enter the heart before there is life. "I shall put My Spirit in you - and you shall live" (Ezek. 37:14).

The work of the Spirit in regeneration is a divine miracle which is the result of His forthputting of supernatural power. It is quickening of a spiritual corpse; it is the bringing of a dead soul to life. The sinner himself can no more accomplish it by an act of his own will - than he can create a universe. This miracle of grace is spoken of in Scripture as "the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him from the dead" (Eph. 1:19, 29). "The same power which was put forth to raise Christ from the dead - is put forth in regeneration. Christ's resurrection is the exemplary pattern of our spiritual resurrection, according to which, as the Spirit wrought in Him, so He works in us a work conformed to His resurrection. As Christ's resurrection is the first step to His eternal kingdom and glory, so regeneration is the first open introduction to all the blessings of that state of grace into which the child of God is now introduced." (S. E. Pierce)

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 3)