Secret Operation of the Spirit?

[skypair]

In the opening of Calvin's third book in the "The Institutes…", he talks about "the secret and special operation of the Holy Spirit that we enjoy Christ and all His benefits." Secret and special operation??? You mean we can have is and not know it? And this secret and special operation "is the foundation of faith, new life, and holy exercise?" So maybe we DON'T really have saving faith, new life, and holy exercise. I mean, if it is secret, how can we know???

So in Chapter 1, he writes, "The Holy Spirit is the bond which unites us with Christ. The is the result of faith produced by the secret operation of the Holy Spirit."

And so here is the basis of regeneration before faith: "To communicate to us the blessings which He [Christ] received from the Father, He must become ours and dwell in us. … And although we obtain this by faith, yet since we all do not indiscriminately embrace the offer of Christ which is made by the gospel, the very nature of the case teaches us to ascend higher, and inquire into the secret efficacy of the Spirit…" There it is again .. some kind of operation [regeneration] that is "secret," hidden from us.

I don't know about you, but when I repented to God in the name of Jesus Christ, I experienced the forgiveness of sin and the regeneration of the Spirit (Titus 3:5). And then I had the first fruits of the Spirit, "joy unspeakable and full of glory." (1Pet 1:8-9). It was no secret. Reminds me of the hymn ..

"It is no secret what God can do,
What He's done for others, He'll do for you."

Ask the average Calvinist who, what, when, where, and how he was regenerated, and the chances are he can't tell you for sure. It totally saddens me that there are folks who want to be saved and who have been told that some secret operation of the Spirit has already saved them.

 

[bbyrd009]

i wonder if this concept is not kept alive bc most ppl would rather die than admit that they might not be correct in some detail, let alone confess to any any wrongdoing. When religious nuts are the ones making policy, the concepts encouraged in the Bible are turned into "mysteries," like the faith/works boondoggle most believers get enmeshed in. All believers?

 

[amadeus]

Secret and special operation of the Holy Spirit equals mysteries? Mysteries to whom and to whom are they revealed?
What does Jesus say?

"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
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 blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." Matt 13:10-17

Yes, there are mysteries, but as Jesus has said "blessed are your eyes... and your ears".

Jesus had both the secret messages in tongues [parables] and the interpretation for those to whom it was given [eyes and ears open to see and hear] and the apostle Paul taught the same message when he wrote of unknown tongues. When there is a message from God for us, so also available an interpretation from God. It is a secret only kept from those whose ears are dull and whose eyes are closed. If we really have the Holy Spirit in us, then we will be led into all truth as we follow:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26

The Holy Ghost equals the eyes and ears in us to see and hear the secret things, the mysteries of God.

"The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant." Psalm 25:14

"And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
If any man have ears to hear, let him hear." Mark 4:21-23

 

[Helen]

Paul taught the same message when he wrote of unknown tongues. When there is a message from God for us, so also available an interpretation from God. It is a secret only kept from those whose ears are dull and whose eyes are closed. If we really have the Holy Spirit in us, then we will be led into all truth as we follow:

Thanks for that. I had never thought of the parables and mysteries written by Paul as being 'spoken in tongues'....ha...why did I not see that before!

Agree...When God has spoken to me about something...sometimes it takes me a few days before I hear the interpretation of the mystery He spoke...but He will always open up His truth as we wait before Him quietly.
Praise God!