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There does need to be the work of the Spirit, indeed. We do need to keep preaching the Word prayerfully."... And when he comes, (The Holy Spirit) he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment"
No amount of teaching, or preaching of Gods Word will bring ANYONE to Christ, ONLY the Holy Spirit can do that.
It's not locked in. Cornelius and many Jews were born again long before they heard the gospel. As I also was. But the norm is regeneration through the spoken word.Wait a minute...I thought that He creates new life in them and then they believe through the spoken word....
This happens mostly through hearing the gospel. But some exceptions exist."... And when he comes, (The Holy Spirit) he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment"
No amount of teaching, or preaching of Gods Word will bring ANYONE to Christ, ONLY the Holy Spirit can do that.
So we are quickened by the Holy Spirit so that we can hear, and then regeneration comes through the hearing of faith?It's not locked in. Cornelius and many Jews were born again long before they heard the gospel. As I also was. But the norm is regeneration through the spoken word.
Quickened = regeneration. Jesus' words are Spirit and life.So we are quickened by the Holy Spirit so that we can hear, and then regeneration comes through the hearing of faith?
This is what I was saying all along, with Romans 5:1-2.
I'm not so sure that quickened = regeneration: especially if someone can gain faith by hearing and regeneration is the effect. If someone cannot hear apart from being quickened, and quickened = regeneration, then I cannot hear apart from regeneration, which would make it impossible for anyone to believe apart from already being saved/born again/regenerated; since your contention is that the dead cannot hear.Quickened = regeneration. Jesus' words are Spirit and life.
It is all part of the whole. Jesus raises us from the spiritually dead just as he did Lazarus from among the dead. Lazarus heard Jesus speak. So both were instrumental in his resurrection.I'm not so sure that quickened = regeneration: especially if someone can gain faith by hearing and regeneration is the effect. If someone cannot hear apart form being quickened, and quickened = regeneration, then I cannot hear apart from regeneration, which would make it impossible for anyone to believe apart from already being saved/born again/regenerated; since your contention is that the dead cannot hear.
Based on 1 Corinthians 2:14, I would say that quickened = being made able to think beyond the natural mind.
Well, the term quickened - as in Ephesians 2, for example - means made alive.I'm not so sure that quickened = regeneration: especially if someone can gain faith by hearing and regeneration is the effect. If someone cannot hear apart from being quickened, and quickened = regeneration, then I cannot hear apart from regeneration, which would make it impossible for anyone to believe apart from already being saved/born again/regenerated; since your contention is that the dead cannot hear.
Based on 1 Corinthians 2:14, I would say that quickened = being made able to think beyond the natural mind.
So then, if the dead cannot hear, as has been contended, then one must be born again (made alive) before he or she can "hear" the gospel unto faith for salvation/being born again.Well, the term quickened - as in Ephesians 2, for example - means made alive.
According to Scripture ISRAELITES = JEWS = ISRAEL
Which begs the question, "How is a man born again?" or, "What must I do to be saved?"
I am interested in your answer to this question if the answer is not "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy household."
Because doesn't faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord?
Lobage,
It's a shame you didn't read the remainder of John's Gospel: 'And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself' (John 12:32 NIV).
Now, please harmonise the verse you quoted, John 6:44 with John 12:32.
Oz
It was SIN that caused Israel to split into the kingdom of Judah (2 tribes) and the kingdom of Israel (10 tribes). So that was NOT the plan and purpose of God in the least. Just as the appointment of Saul as king over Israel was not God's plan and purpose.Why did God have to separate prophesies? One for the southern kingdom and the other for the northern kingdom if they were both Israelites. It's very important that we understand that if we want to know the purpose and the plan of God.
If you believe in Christ, you are one of them. Those who are not elect will think the gospel is foolishness.Who are the elect?
In scripture there are two types of faith. Head (sight) faith which resides in the flesh. You read an ad, believe it is true and buy the product on this type of faith. This is not saving faith and was often based on seeing miracles, or eye sight. Today some churches use physical stimuli to build sight faith.A person can believe and not be one of the elect (Luke 8:13); because their faith is not destined to endure to the end.
This is sight faith I described above. All of the elect will have Holy Spirit faith.It remains that there is a certain type of believing that does not translate into the person believing being one of the elect.