04.11. The Work of the Holy Spirit In Conversion
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN CONVERSION. In the conversion of sinners the Holy Spirit operates through the word of God. So far as we know all who believe the Bible insist that in the conversion of sinners the Spirit has a work to do, but people differ as to the means the Spirit uses in doing his work; in fact, some contend that the Spirit’s work is without means. Or, stated differently, some contend that the Spirit comes into direct touch with the sinner’s heart, and does a work on the sinner’s heart separate from, or without, the word.
DEPRAVITY.
Those who contend for a work of the Holy Spirit without the word argue that "man is so depraved that he is unable without the direct enabling power of the Holy Spirit to obey the gospel of the Son of God."— J. B. Moody, Missionary Baptist, in Nashville Debate. The theory of human depravity is expressed as follows by J. M. Pendleton, Missionary Baptist, in "Church Manual Designed for the Use of Baptist Churches": "All mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice; being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin, without defense or excuse." In the Assembly, or Second London, Confession (Baptist), Chap. VI, we read: "From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions." So also states the Philadelphia Confession. These confessions certainly paint a dark picture of the human family.
We wish here to notice some of the passages generally relied on to establish the doctrine of inherited depravity.
Psalms 51:5. "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." When David said he was brought forth "in iniquity," he is far from affirming that the iniquity was in him. Though he was "conceived in sin," it was not a fault, nor sin, in David. He does not affirm that sin was conceived in him. David was brought forth "in iniquity." What is the significance of this expression? People are said to be born "in a language." "How hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born" (Acts 2:8). What is the meaning of being born "in" a language? Certainly it means only that we are born in a country where a certain language is spoken. And the expression, "brought forth in iniquity," can mean no more than that David was brought forth in a world where his surroundings were sinful.
Psalms 58:3. "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies." Let it be observed that the ones David speaks of "go astray"—they were not born astray. David was speaking of the wickedness of the wicked, and not of all, as may be seen by reading the verses following the foregoing quotation.
Jeremiah 13:23. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." This passage speaks not of infants, or of our condition at birth, but of these "accustomed" (marginal reading, taught) to do evil.
Ephesians 2:1-3. "And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins, wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience; among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." In this passage it is affirmed that they "were dead." Paul does not say, "Ye were born dead," but, "Ye were dead through your trespasses and sins." See also Colossians 2:13. "Were by nature children of wrath." The word "nature" frequently refers to nature acquired by practice. It is so used in 1 Corinthians 11:14. It is evidently so used in the passage under consideration, for they were said to be dead through their "trespasses and sins." But if nature here refers to inherent nature, Paul is far from saying that we are sinners by this nature, for sinners are only those who transgress the law (1 John 3:4). When Adam sinned the wrath of God fell on him, and he suffered physical death. This penalty comes on all, and all in that sense are "children of wrath." See Sound Doctrine, Vol. 1, pp. 32-25. But this does not even intimate that we are born totally depraved. Such an idea is not in the entire passage. The dogma of inherited sin is not taught in the Bible; but if it were, it does not follow that man must have the Holy Spirit to come into his heart, separate and apart from the word, to enable him to hear, believe and obey the gospel. In preparing the plan of salvation God adapted the gospel to the needs of man as he is, and holds man responsible for not obeying it. The fact stands forth that man is a sinner as a result of his having transgressed the law of Jehovah. This man needs to be saved, and God proposes to save him. The question before us is: How does God bring the fact of man’s lost condition to his consciousness, and how does he lead man out of that sin to become a Christian?
Motive. All rational beings act from motive. Motive, then, is the power which produces voluntary action. If the gospel produces all the proper motives to move one to become a Christian, there can be no other power to move a free moral agent to become a Christian. The gospel presents to us the most powerful of motives, such as salvation, heaven, the love of God, and fear of punishment. Can man know these motives? Do they appeal to him without God’s sending the Holy Spirit into his heart to enable him to know the motives and to be influenced by them? It is conceded that Satan seduced Eve and led her into sin by placing motives before her. Eve, acting on these motives, departed from the Lord and became a sinner; but, according to the direct operation advocates, God is unable to reach the heart of the sinner by motives presented in the gospel without some additional power. Thus the strange theory is held out that God cannot accomplish as much by motive as the Devil did. Eve was as far from Satan as the sinner is from God; she was as free from the taint of sin as the sinner is from righteousness, even according to the theory of the most radical advocate of total depravity. The New Hampshire Confession, said, by Prof. W. J. McGlothlin, to be "the most widely used and influential statement of doctrine among American Baptist at the present time," makes this statement: "We believe that man was created in a state of holiness, under the law of his Maker; but by voluntary transgression fell from that holy and happy state." Hence, according to the direct-operation theory, Satan, by motive, led God’s holy servants to voluntary sin, but God cannot, by motive, lead sinners to do right. Who can believe that Satan is so much more powerful than God?
Ability. Has the sinner the ability to become a Christian? Without hesitation we affirm that he has, when properly instructed, the ability to forsake sin and obey the gospel, and that he has the ability to understand the gospel when it is presented to him. Otherwise he would not be responsible. Where there is no ability there is no responsibility.
Inclination. Inclination is a leaning or preference of the feelings, mind, or will. What inclined Adam and Eve to sin? What inclines a rational person to perform any act? What inclines people to become Christians? Is it possible that the stirring appeals of the gospel cannot stir up in a sinner’s heart any desire for the blessings offered?
Action. Can a sinner become a Christian? Keep in mind the fact that the sinner’s sinfulness does not exceed the holiness of Adam and Eve, that the sinner is no further from God than Adam and Eve were from Satan; yet Adam and Eve were able, when the way was opened to them, to voluntarily go into sin. So also the sinner is able, when the way is opened to him, to voluntarily obey the gospel. If sinners do not have the ability, it is not their fault, and they cannot be blamed. It must follow then that, if the sinner cannot become a Christian when the gospel is presented to him, God only is to be blamed for his remaining in sin. If the direct work of the Spirit on the sinner’s heart gives him the ability to act, then he is helpless till God sends him the Spirit; neither would he, in any way, be responsible till the Holy Spirit gave him the ability. If the sinner has the ability, but has no inclination till the direct work of the Spirit creates in him the inclination, then he is not responsible for not being inclined. We do not recall a clear-cut statement by the direct-operation advocates as to whether they think the Holy Spirit, by direct operation on the sinner’s heart, creates in him some new faculty enabling him to act, or whether he woes the sinner into favorable feelings towards the Lord, or forces him out of sin into salvation. But no matter about that, the fact is, the theory frees the sinner from responsibility till God sees fit to send the Holy Spirit into him. If the theory is true, then God damns a man for not doing that which he cannot do. But the scriptures nowhere intimate that the Spirit of God does, or must, accompany the word to make it either intelligible or credible, or to enable one to accept it. God gave the gospel to meet man’s needs as he is.
DIRECT INFLUENCE DOES NOT CHANGE CHARACTER. That there have been some instances in which it seems there was direct spiritual influences even on sinners is not disputed, but did such operation change character, or convert a sinner to God?
Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s dream was of God, but it in no way changed his character. See Genesis 41:1-57.
Enemies Restrained. When the children of Israel reached the land of Canaan, they were constantly beset by enemies, looking always for an opportunity to strike them. This opportunity came three times a year when all the men, as required by the law, went up to Jerusalem to attend the feasts, thus leaving their homes and borders without protection. What an opportunity to their enemies! But God in some way exercised a restraining influence on these heathen enemies. His promise to Israel gave Israel assurance: "Neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou goest up to appear before Jehovah thy God three times in the year" (Exodus 34:24). Of course these heathen nations knew not that their desires were held in abeyance by the God of Israel, neither were they at all benefitted by such spiritual influence.
Balaam is another striking example. See Numbers 22:1-41, Numbers 23:1-30, Numbers 24:1-25. By invitation of Balak he went to curse Israel, but every time he opened his mouth to pronounce a curse God caused him to pronounce a blessing. It is said that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Numbers 24:2). Still Balaam was a degenerate prophet who loved the hire of wrong doing (2 Peter 2:15), and taught Israel to sin (Numbers 31:16; Revelation 2:14). Thus in spite of the direct work of the Spirit on Balaam, he grew worse and worse, finally coming to a miserable end, forever disgraced (Numbers 31:8). Also Balaam’s ass was enabled to speak; but, of course, the direct influence on the beast produced no change in her (Numbers 22:28-30).
King Saul, disowned and cast off by the Lord, with murder in his heart started in quest of David. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he prophesied (1 Samuel 19:18-24). Of course it produced no moral improvement in him.
Caiaphas. In a council to plot against the Lord Caiaphas was inspired to make a clear prophecy concerning the Lord (John 11:47-53). Caiaphas was not morally improved by this direct influence which enabled him to prophesy, but continued as an enemy of the Lord. In fact, no one can prove that direct operation, or direct spiritual influence, ever affected a change in the character of a person thus operated upon, nor that such influence was ever wrought on any one for the purpose of converting him to the Lord. THE SPIRIT CONVICTS OF SIN.
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you. And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:7-8). It is not stated here clearly how the Spirit will convict the world of sin, but the method is implied in the statement that, having come to the apostles, he would convict the world.
Saul, or Paul, Convicted. Of course, to convict a person of sin is to convince him that he is a sinner. Paul gives us a concrete example in his own conviction. "I had not known sin, except through the law" (Romans 7:7). "Through the law cometh the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). He also declares that the Scriptures are profitable for reproof (1 Timothy 3:16). The word here translated reproof is the noun form of the same word translated convict in John 16:8. Hence the same thing is affirmed of both the Spirit and the Scriptures, or word. This does not mean that there are two ways by which sinners are convicted. It only shows that the word is the instrument, or means, used by the Spirit in conviction. The Scriptures are the words of the Spirit. People who do not know the Scriptures have no just idea of what sin is. The Heathen. The heathen, certainly above all people, need to be illuminated and brought to a realization that they are sinners; but never was one of them converted till he heard the word of the Lord. In the Scriptures the Holy Spirit speaks to them, and through these words convicts them. Every denomination seems to realize this, and so bend their efforts to send the gospel to the heathen. This, no matter what their theory or practice is at home, is a confession that they realize the only way to convert a heathen is to preach to him. The prayer system of conversion would be cheaper, as respects the heathen, if it would work. The Ninevites. The Ninevites were worshipers of idols, and in no sense in covenant relationship with the Lord. Their wickedness was so great that Jehovah determined to destroy them. To this wicked city God sent Jonah, declaring to them that within forty days the city would be destroyed. The preaching of Jonah resulted in the reformation of the entire city. Even the king bowed himself, and proclaimed that all should fast and cry mightily unto God, and turn from their evil ways. God says they repented (Matthew 12:41). The city was spared. If the work of the Spirit in convincing people of sin is performed separate and apart from the word there was no need for Jonah to visit Nineveh and preach to them; neither is there any need for the gospel to be sent to the heathen nations today. In the history given of the conversion of the Ninevites not one word is said about any influence brought to bear on them aside from the preaching of Jonah. If the direct operation of the Spirit was necessary to their conversion, then Jonah, in recording the matter, left out the essential thing, and recorded minor matters. This no careful and reliable historian does. If one could prove that they were converted by a direct power, he would convict Jonah of being an unreliable historian. The fact that Jonah did not mention any direct operation is proof positive that there was no direct operation in their conversion.
RECONCILIATION.
ALL THAT PERTAINS.
"His divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue" (2 Peter 1:3). The force of this passage will be better appreciated if we understand what Peter means by the phrase "through the knowledge of him." He uses the expression a number of times, and it is, therefore, easy to determine what he means by it. It will be seen that "knowledge of God" and "knowledge of Christ" means knowledge that is revealed concerning them. "For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:8). We may be idle and unfruitful in the knowledge revealed to us concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can be neither idle nor unfruitful in what he knows. "But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). We may grow in our knowledge of Jesus Christ, may grow in the knowledge revealed concerning him, but we cannot grow in what he knows. Hence, it is plain that by "knowledge of Christ" Peter means that knowledge which we have concerning him, that is, the knowledge revealed in the Bible. Peter, therefore, affirms that we have in the Bible everything that pertains to life and godliness. Hence, we have in the Bible, not only everything that is essential to life and godliness, but everything that pertains to life and godliness, that is, everything that in any way belongs to life and godliness. To pray for a power or a means of godliness or spiritual life separate and apart from the Bible is to deny that Peter knew what he was talking about; and no one who understands and believes what Peter says would pray for any additional power, any power separate from the word of God, to produce life and godliness.
TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION.
The use of the eyes and ears in conversion.
Ability and responsibility.
The Great Invitation (Matthew 11:28-30).
The Parable of the Sower.
The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
QUESTIONS.
State some theories held by people concerning the operation of the Holy Spirit in conversion.
State the theory of inherited depravity as held by some.
What is meant by being born "in" a language?
What does David mean by "brought forth in iniquity"?
Show that David does not teach in Psalms 58:3 that we are born away from God.
Show that Jeremiah 13:23 does not teach inherited sin?
How does Paul say we were dead?
What does the word "nature" sometimes mean?
In what sense do we suffer as a result of Adam’s sin?
Does not all life, animal and vegetable, fall under the same penalty?
What is motive?
What moves rational beings to act?
What motives does the gospel present?
Can you think of any higher motives that could be presented?
How did Satan seduce Eve?
What motives did he present to her?
Was the act of Adam and Eve voluntary?
As to character what was the condition of Adam and Eve?
What does the direct-operation theory involve as to the relative power of Satan and God?
What about ability and responsibility?
What is inclination?
What inclined Adam and Eve?
What inclines sinners to become Christians?
Can you show that the sinner’s sinfulness does not exceed the holiness of Adam and Eve?
Show that, if the direct-operation theory be true, the sinner is not to blame if he does not obey the gospel?
Can you prove that Pharaoh’s dream was from God?
What power did God exercise over the nations around Israel?
Were they conscious of that influence?
Did it reform or change them in, character?
Show that the direct operation on Balaam did not improve him.
What enabled King Saul to prophesy?
What about Caiaphas?
Quote John 16:7-8.
What is it to convict sinners?
To whom was he to come that he might convict the world?
How does Paul say he knew sin?
Explain how the Holy Spirit convicts by words.
Why preach to the heathen nations?
What do the actions of all denominations show as to what they think is necessary to convert the heathen?
Tell about the results of Jonah’s preaching to the Ninevites.
What need for Jonah to preach to them?
What do reliable historians record?
Prove that there was no direct operation in the conversion of the Ninevites.
What is reconciliation?
How were the apostles to bring about this reconciliation?
Prove that this excludes the idea of direct operation of the Holy Spirit.
Quote 2 Peter 1:3.
What does "knowledge of Christ" mean?
Prove that 2 Peter 1:3 excludes the idea of direct operation of the Holy Spirit.