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for you to be around in order to start blowing!
"The wind bloweth where it listeth,
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10212695782404934
November 13, 2018
A rhetorical but misguided question posed by
a sincere gospel-regenerationist (one who believes that the preaching of the
gospel is necessary for the work of regeneration by the Spirit of God; their
mantra is "no preaching, no regeneration"; this makes their
activities indispensable in the Holy Spirit's work of regeneration.
Nipps
@ Sing...In reference to John 3:1-8, Do you
think that the wind blows and then days or months later the leaves or grass
move??? The grass and leaves (elect) immediately are moved by the wind
(spirit).
Sing F Lau
@Nipps... a valid rhetorical question, but
quite misguided! Such a question misses the whole point of the illustration,
besides taking the illustration in the wrong literal sense! The moment the Spirit blows, the spiritually dead are quickened.
The point of the illustration is that the wind
blows INDEPENDENT of the preacher's presence and activity, i.e. the Spirit's work of
regeneration is FREE, SOVEREIGN and INDEPENDENT of human means and activities.
The wind DOES NOT wait until someone is there to observe the effects of its
activity. (According to some, unless there are men standing under the tree, the
wind can't and won't blow!)
In spiritual term, the way appointed to
discern or make manifest the regenerating activity of the Spirit is to preach
the gospel. If there are faith and repentance, then it is evidenced that the
Holy Spirit HAS worked... then you are seeing 'the leaves or grass move'
expected in your rhetorical question - a point which the illustration DOES NOT
deal with.
The effects of the Spirit's work of
regeneration can ONLY BE OBSERVED or BROUGHT TO light through the gospel
ministry.
"But is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
The passage states plainly, that life and
immortality - the effects of the regeneration work of the Spirit based on the
finished work of Christ - are brought to light through the gospel.
The gospel ministry is the means to bring to
light life and immortality that ARE ALREADY there. The gospel ministry CANNOT
bring to light what is NOT ALREADY there! It is not the means to bring life and
immortality. That's a devil's lie!
Imagine, you turning on the light in a dark
room; your turning on the light makes manifest the furniture that is already
there; your turning on the light DID NOTHING to bring the furniture into the
room!
Is that simple enough?
=====
Take a look here:
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2010/07/conversion-regeneration-and.html