The Work of the Spirit is for the Church !

[brightfame52]

He causes Obedience to the Gospel !

It was God's will that many would be brought to obedience of the Faith or of the Gospel Rom 16:26

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: or the obedience of the Gospel.

Acts 5:32

32And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

God has given the Holy Ghost to them that are obeying Him. The word obey is a present tense participle and it means obeying Him, in other words is the fruit or evidence of God having gave them the Holy Ghost. Now why is that True ? Because it is part of His Work [The Holy Spirit] in the Covenant of Redemption to produce obedience to Jesus Christ or His Gospel, as the fruit of His Redeeming Death; For the same Apostle who Preached this Truth also wrote this 1 Pet 1:1-2

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. For here clearly the Work of the Spirit is stated to be the who effectuates obedience, same as that in Acts 5:32. So it is false teaching to refer Acts 5:32 as a scripture that teaches obedience is a condition to getting saved or receiving the Holy Spirit, for scripture teaches the very opposite, that the Holy Spirit is the condition to us doing obedience, any type of Gospel evangelical obedience ! Here would be repentance, for Peter had Just said in the previous verse that the Risen Saviour gives Repentance tom Israel along with the Remission of sins Acts 5:31, so those obeying the command to repent, had been given the Holy Spirit !

 

[brightfame52]

2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief/faith of the truth:

Those who are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, do believe the Truth, because Faith is the fruit of sanctification of the Spirit Gal 5:22, only the Spiritual Alive believe in Christ ! 2

 

[brightfame52]

Isa 44:3

3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

Do you know why The Father gave the Son the Spirit upon His arrival to heaven to sit on His Throne of Glory ? Acts 2:32-33

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Its because of such promises as Isa 44:3, for as a Reward for His Covenant Death, God the Father gives it that Jesus Christ's seed, all those He died for, shall be blessed with all Spiritual Blessing, which the Holy Spirit is the applier of !

This Promise has been applied to His Servant Jesus Christ, who bare the sins of Many, and Now He shall see His Seed Isa 53:10-11

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

He shall see His Seed that He died for, be born again of the Spirit and of incorruptible Seed. And this was a Spiritual Seed, not confine to only ethnic jews, but this Promise of the Spirit applied to His Seed amongst the Gentiles Gal 3:13-14


13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

What Blessing of Abraham ? This one Gen 22:17

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

Heb 6:13-14

13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

Yes, the Blessing here is Salvation and The Spirit of Promise applying the Spiritual Promise to all the Spiritual Seed of Abraham, from amongst the jews as evidenced in Acts 2 and amongst the Gentiles as evidenced in Acts 10, both were Abraham's Seed, and Christ's Seed of which Isa 44:3 was being fulfilled ! This Pouring Out of the Spirit is the capstone of " Surely Blessing I will Bless thee, and multiplying I would Multiply thee " With Spiritual Children of Faith ! Gal 3:16,29

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

That why we know it was Abraham's Spiritual Seed all the Time, because it was only His Seed through His Future Spiritual Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who had a Seed Chosen in Him before the world Began. So Jesus is called the Son of Abraham to typify this Matt 1:1

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham[Gal 3:16].

 

[brightfame52]

The Holy Ghost in Salvation !

1 Thess 1:5-6

5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.

One of the Great Benefits of Christ's Death, is that of the Holy Spirit in order to apply the saving effects of His Death, so it was when He was exalted to Heaven after His Resurrection and ascension, the Father awarded Him with the Holy Ghost t Acts 2:32-33

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

And of course we know of the blessed effects of this as we read what occurred on that day of pentecost and how souls were added to the Church Acts 2:47

47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Now what happened here in 1 Thess 1, it is but as it was in Acts 2, the Word as preached by Peter was coming in power and the Holy Ghost and much assurance converting power!

This shows us how the New Covenant Israel was being formed by adding both jew and gentiles converts, Abraham's Seed of believers, they also receiving the Spirit of promise Gal 3:13-14

13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Remember God had said in the Gospel to Abraham Gal 3:8
-9
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

The Blessing is the Holy Spirit and His conversion work of bringing the gentiles and jews to Faith in Christ via the preached word ! 3

 

[civic]

The new birth comes after the peaching of the gospel and the receiving/believing/ faith in Christ as their Lord. Then one is given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and they become new creations in Christ, born from above, born again, children of God.

hope this helps !!!

 

[brightfame52]

The new birth comes after the peaching of the gospel and the receiving/believing/ faith in Christ as their Lord. Then one is given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and they become new creations in Christ, born from above, born again, children of God.

hope this helps !!!

Backwards error

 

[civic]

Backwards error

Projecting

 

[brightfame52]

The Holy Spirit gives Life ! But to who ?

Prov 12:28

In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

In the Covenant of Grace or the Everlasting Covenant, the Holy Spirit gives life, spiritual life, to all those Christ has died for, and has on their behalf satisfied law and Justice, and have had Righteousness laid to their account ! This Righteousness which is not their own, demands Life, as the saying is True, in the way of Righteousness is Life ! 2 Cor 5:21

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

[brightfame52]

Unto Obedience !

1 Pet 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

All for whom Christ died shall be made obedient which is an effect and fruit of the success of His Death. The Holy Spirit is responsible in the Covenant engagement to bring all for whom Christ died to obedience to the Faith Rom 16:26

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

These here are the Elect of God, Elect according to the Foreknowledge of God the Father, because He chose them in Christ before the foundation Eph 1:3-4

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Thats why they are the foreknown, and they were Chosen to Obedience or to Faith and the Holy Spirit brings that about, this comes through the New Birth for they are begotten again by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet 1:3

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

This is how the Elect begin their New Life of Obedience, for the word begotten us again in the greek is the word anagennaō and means:


to produce again, be born again, born anew

2) metaph. to have one's mind changed so that he lives a new life and one conformed to the will of God

We have our minds changed [repentance] so that we do live a new life, one conformed to the will of God, that's the beginning of Obedience !

This is but the fulfillment of the Covenant Promise that promised obedience Ezk 36:26-27


26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

You see that ? Thats promised obedience ! This is the Ministry of the New Covenant, the administration of the Spirit 2 Cor 3:5-8, So the Apostles knew as they were directed to Preach the Gospel , they knew that those who obeyed, that God had given them the Spirit Ezk 36:27

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

And so Peter declared that God had given the Spirit of promise to those obeying Him Acts 5:32

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Which are these 1 Pet 1:1-2

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

If they were obeying, it was because they had partaken of the Holy Spirit's Sanctification !

 

[brightfame52]

The Spirit Reveals Christ as our Saviour if He died for us!

One of the things the Spirit of God is bound to do within the Covenant Engagements of the Triune God, is to reveal Christ to the Church which He died Eph 5:25

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it or died for it;

Jn 16:13-15

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

He shall show the Church His Covenant Ps 25:14

The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Now this is exemplified here by these words " Lord remember me" Lk 23:38-42

39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

The words of the Thief that hung next to Jesus ! What made him now say Lord remember me ? 1 Cor 12:3

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Yes, in the Twilight of his sinful life, the Holy Spirit shewed him his Salvation in Christ, and so repentance was granted him ! Earlier he mocked Christ along with the other malefactor Matt 27:38-44

38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,

40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,

42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

The thieves plural cast the same in his teeth. After this, one of those thieves had it revealed to him, who Jesus was , notice his words at conversion Lk 23:40-41

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

Thats an incredible statement to make, that a man has done nothing amiss !

This was none other than the Holy Spirit revealing to this thief his interest in God's Covenant, which God does to them that fear Him as obviously this dying their was made to do here Lk 23:40

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

God will give the Covenant Heart to fear God sooner or later Jer 32:40

And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

This comes at New Birth. See how quick God can make a New Convert out of His Grace ? This is the Spirit's Work in the Salvation of everyone Christ died for ! 3

 

[brightfame52]

He gives the Life to the Sheep Jesus Promised !

Jn 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Christ always spoke in light of what His Death would accomplish for His People, His Sheep, His Church !

His giving up of His Life was automatically the giving of them Life, He would give not offer but give Life to the world of His Elect Jn 6:33

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

This is the same abundant Life He purposed in Jn 10:10 !

This is Life Eternal as a result of Him fulfilling the Covenant obligations given to Him of the Father for the Sheep ! Heb 13:20-21

Because of this, a inner spiritual work must begin for each Sheep as indicated in vs 21 of Heb 13:21

That is the Holy Spirit works the Covenant benefits of Christ's death of redemption into all for whom He died, no exceptions, this Life given produces both faith and repentance that they may be evidences of the Life given them by Christ ! Jn 17:2,4

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Again this would be the end result of His Finished Work Vs 4 and the Holy Spirit works His New Birth Ministry according to Christ's Finish Work and gives it [New Birth] to as many as the Father gave Him in the Covenant ! 3

 

[brightfame52]

The Work of God !

Jn 6:29

Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Faith to believe on Christ as He is set forth in the Gospel of God's Grace, it is worked in us by God Himself as a Covenant Blessing Heb 13:20-21

20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Its the operation of His Mighty Power Eph 1:19

19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

And so it is the Faith of the New Creation Eph 2:10 that performs the believing, its the workmanship of God the Spirit; So it is " That whosoever is believing in Him [By the Power of the Spirit] shall be in possession [hath] everlasting Life Jn 5:24, they did not earn it because of a performed condition, but they were in possession of it when they began to believe ! There is a spiritual seeing of the Son and then believing on Him Jn 6:40, but the Spirit gave the eyes to see !

 

[brightfame52]

The Work of the Spirit Justifying in Salvation !

The Work of the Spirit in Salvation by Christ , Paul wrote 1 Cor 6:11

11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Now just how are we members of The Church Justified by the Spirit of Our God, Our Covenant God ? Well, all for whom Christ died, He is their Saviour, because His Redemptive Death paid the full price they owed to God's Law and Justice, and He accomplished this for a whole World of men, and so it is that each member of this World of men shall be made to know sensibly of their sinfulness by nature, and of their natural unbelief, for the Glory of God through Christ Jesus. So one of the ways He Justifies those whom Christ died for, is that He gives them a right view of their sinfulness and unbelief Jn 16:8-9

8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Though all men are sinners by nature, none will deny, but not all are sensible to their sinfulness, as was the case with the pharisee and Publican Lk 18; Yes the pharisee in all his religious ways did not sensibly consider himself wicked and sinful before God as the Publican of which he conveniently pointed out Lk 18:11

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

But so much different was the tax collector's prayer, who was made sensible of his sinfulness and need of mercy, and so that is why Jesus stated that He came not to call the righteous [ who think they are] but sinners [made sensible by the Spirit] to repentance Matt 9:13. The point is, yes true, both men were sinners, but only one of them was made to know it sensibly and experientially, and to come to a sense of hopelessness, the reason being is that such ones are now being made to ready have a Righteousness of God, which they are in need of revealed to them as theirs through the Gospel !

 

[brightfame52]

The Work of the Spirit Justifying in Salvation !

Secondly, the Spirit Justifies when He reveals to the made sensible sinner, Christ Righteousness imputed to them, which means, He takes of things of Christ [ His Justifying Blood and Righteousness] and shows them to us Jn 16:14

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

That word shew is the greek word anaggellō and means:


to announce, make known

2) to report, bring back tidings, rehearse

It also means to declare as in Acts 20:27

Also the word is translated to Report as in 1 Pet 1:12

12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Note: Though God may use human instruments to preach the Gospel, it will not be effective unless its also preached or declared by the Holy Ghost into us internally, and by this the Gospel is become the Power of God unto Salvation [conversion] to everyone who is believing, for by it a Righteousness of God is being revealed [By the Spirit's shewing] from Faith to Faith, and hence cometh to pass the sure promise, The Just shall live by Faith, made so [Just] by the obedience and blood of Jesus Christ Rom 1:16-17; Rom 5:19, and the Spirit makes it known. Therefore by this Revealing work of the Spirit, He works Faith or Believing, for there is no True Faith or Believing without first something is revealed to give us the reason to believe, a fact to rest on; and this is where Faith and Repentance have their togetherness, in that we are turned from dead works to Faith in Christ, resting and trusting in what has been revealed consciously, His Righteousness Imputed, and so believing is of the Work of God [Holy Spirit] in Us Jn 6:29, By this The Spirit Justifies us ! 3

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

The Holy Spirit gives Life ! But to who ?

To you, brightfame.
To you.
That's why you show the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control.

You thank God because He chose you before the beginning of the world.
You thank God because He renewed your heart, he changed your life.
So, whatever we and other people can think about the concepts you are explaining in this thread and others, from a purely theological perspective, the important thing is that the Holy Spirit is giving you life. I'm convinced of this and I praise God for the gift of his spirit to you, my friend.

 

[brightfame52]

To you, brightfame.
To you.
That's why you show the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control.

You thank God because He chose you before the beginning of the world.
You thank God because He renewed your heart, he changed your life.
So, whatever we and other people can think about the concepts you are explaining in this thread and others, from a purely theological perspective, the important thing is that the Holy Spirit is giving you life. I'm convinced of this and I praise God for the gift of his spirit to you, my friend.

Spam. This thread isnt about me

 

[brightfame52]

The Work of the Spirit Justifying in Salvation !

Finally, it is by the Work of the Holy Spirit, that saving witness is obtained that one is a Child of God, and that we had a Personal interest in that Righteousness of God that Christ wrought out for God's Elect People, His Israel of God, and so it is by this internal witness Rom 8:16

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit and inner conscious, that we are the children of God:

And by this comes our Conscious Justification, that is we have now been declared Righteous Consciously, and so Justified in the Name of the Lord [on account of His Imputed Righteousness] and by the Spirit of Our God, who it is that shews to us this Great Blessing ! 3

 

[brightfame52]

We see God the Holy Spirit work His Power in causing both Faith and Repentance on the day of Pentecost only days earlier, some had Crucified Christ in Unbelief, Peter made mention of it Acts 2:23

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

But now that the Spirit had come, when the Day of Pentecost had fully arrived, it was to them a Spirit of Grace or the Grace of the Spirit causing them to Look upon Him whom they had pierced Zech 12:10

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look[Faith] upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn[Godly Sorrow] for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

And so it True of what Paul wrote later 1 Cor 12:3, for these people on that Day were beginning to Calling Jesus Lord and Christ by the Holy Spirit !

 

[brightfame52]

To Glorify Christ !

The Spirit's Work is to Glorify Christ !

Jn 16:14

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

That word Glorify here means in this context:

) to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged

This should put to shame those blasphemers who say, that Christ's Death is worthless apart from the Work of The Spirit, may God hold them to that in the Day of Judgment !

This Work of the Spirit is accomplished, Glorifying Christ, by bringing all for whom Christ died into Faith or Obedience. That is what in meant here Acts 5:32

32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Or He has given to those now obeying Him, the Spirit being the Author of that Obedience !

1 Pet 1:2

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Again, obedience coming from the Spirit's Sanctifying Work !

He successfully makes known to all the Heirs of Grace the Value and Worth of Christ's Finished Work, and of His Person as God Man !

He not only Glorifies Christ by the Believers initial Believing in Christ for Righteousness and Salvation, but He also is the cause of our continuing in the Faith of Christ, and Living in the Faith of the Son of God, who Loved us and Gave Himself for us Gal 2:20

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 3

 

[brightfame52]

The Covenant Work of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant ministration is primarily Gospel Centered, Evangelical Centered in making ready a people prepared of the Lord Lk 1:17

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Making ready the redeemed of the Lord, by capacitating them spiritually to embrace the good news of their Salvation. This He does by giving them New Birth, by this He gives them a Spiritual and Sanctified Understanding to spiritually discern the Eternal Truths of the Everlasting Gospel Matt 13:23

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

1 Cor 2:12-14

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things the Gospel reveals !

This scripture without doubt confirms New Birth preceding believing the Gospel and in order to to believing it Eph 1:13

13 Which things also we speak [The Gospel], not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

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.

If not for this, the Preaching of the Eternal Truths of the Gospel would be but foolishness 1 Cor 1:18, that same word foolishness is used again in 1 Cor 2:14, so that reasonably denotes that the Preaching of the Cross in 1 Cor 1:18 and the things of the Spirit of God in 1 Cor 2:14 are one and the same, for Paul makes it plain what was the principle of His Preaching here 1 Cor 2:2, this makes it even more plainer that the things of God in vs 14 were related to the Preaching of the Cross or Christ Crucified. The Holy Spirit makes the Called one's meet by New Birth, to be called into the fellowship with the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor 1:9 ; 2 Thess 2:14, for this Blessed Call in the Gospel and Holy Call 2 Tim 1:9 would not go out to sinners dead in trespasses and sins and yet unholy, alienated from the Life of God, and yet still enemies in their minds by wicked works, for God does not call for and summons fellowship with the likes of that, we must already be spiritually prepared for the Lord ! 3