Ferris Bueller
Well-Known Member
How could the man respond in the positive? By a visitation of the Holy Spirit testifying in his heart about the truthfulness of the Son of God.......Unless, God does something in the man, more than quickening him to enable him to respond, he would not respond positively, but would naturally respond negatively.
So, again, how could the man respond in the positive?
1 John 5:6
it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
The Spirit does not have to be in you in salvation to speak to you, convicting (convincing) you of the truth. He only needs to speak. His Words instill faith in the heart of the hearer. From there the hearer either retains what he hears, trusting in it, and is saved. Or he rejects it, preferring to not believe in and retain what he hears, and so he casts it from his heart in unbelief and goes back to his sinful life.
1 John 5:10
10Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
The person who rejects the testimony of the Holy Spirit is committing the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Even though he knows that the Holy Spirit is speaking is the truth he rejects it, in effect calling the Holy Spirit a lying spirit. Just like the Pharisees said the Spirit testifying to them through Jesus' works was a lying spirit of the devil, even though they knew He was not.
If this person continues to reject the testimony of the Holy Spirit the day will come when God will turn him over to his decision to not retain the Word of truth in his heart and be saved and he will never be allowed to repent and come to salvation. From that time forward there is no forgiveness available for that person. He is in an unforgivable state.
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