cherovis said: ↑
I think it is important to reiterate Choppers initial response being John 14:15-18 as re-posted above. Please pay particular attention to the requirement of this promise from Jesus. Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Also, that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth because the world does not know him. Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit hinges on these truths. So you must belong to Him before you can receive the Holy Spirit.
Thank you for asking Taylor. You ask how the world comes to know the Spirit of truth. Jesus said in John 6:44
"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." Jesus is speaking again in John 14:17,
"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." So we are called by God for His purpose according to His will. The world is incapable of understanding the things of God unless He Himself draw them. But, God is not blamed for the condemnation of man. Romans 1:19 "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them." 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" So God has made himself known to all men. Matthew 13:15 "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." But the gospel is "hid from them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." --2 Corinthians 4:3-4 SO, yes. I believe the world is incapable of coming to Christ on their own & I believe the world cannot understand the gospel because it is hid from them & spiritually discerned.
I'm not sure what you;re asking when you ask how I view the words of Jesus on this matter. If Jesus said it, all I can say is, it's the truth. ow how different people interpret those words may or may not be the truth. It would depend on the spiritual discernment we just talked about.
As for a prerequisite for receiving God's grace of salvation, that would be that we must first have faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God & his finished work on the cross & resurrection unto life again. No one with the Spirit of truth, true faith in Jesus Christ, Spiritual understanding, would ever reject the free gift of salvation. For if they truly understood & believed, then they would have God's spirit & would be incapable of refusing it.
I hope I have answered your questions sufficiently as I am still a student of the Lord & I learn something new every day. I am human & I do err but that's how I learn. I welcome your thoughts in review.
Hello kind sir,
Actually, you haven't answered my question. But then perhaps I didn't ask it in the proper fashion.
As far as the scripture you quoted, please don't take this the wrong way, but your redaction is off. In short, you need to do a proper exegesis prior to your redaction. However, context might be a simplier way to interpret the scriptures you've quoted.
In short, I've always found it best to try and interpret the passages in their context, and then bring in historical data to try and hear the message as those it was originally written to.
From there, you take like scriptures and "redact" them. That's just a fancy name to say you take like scriptures to support others... oh yeah, and then you have your hermeneutics, but were really not there.
Again, I don't have a spirit of argumentation... not trying to ruffle feathers so I hope my words are well received, as they are well intended.
For the jist of my original point, I was thinking more on the lines of faith... because the Word of God needs a preacher to proclaim the Gospel. That aside, I believe the "spirit" woo's each and everyone of us and for those who have ears to hear, receive the good news. After all, "For God so loved the world..."
Hope this helps a little.
