Most of the contention on the Forum is between those that are indwelt with the Holy Spirit and those who do not have the Holy Spirit.
The condition for receiving the Holy Spirit is that God must see you as perfect and complete "In Christ". God will not impart his Holy Spirit to those who are outside of Christ. The Holy Spirit is only given to those who have come to Christ as repentant sinners to be saved by him. They are believers in the Gospel. They have heard the Gospel and believe that Jesus has victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil and in doing so has reconciled them unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. The Holy Spirit is only given to those who have faith in Christ and his Gospel and are resting and trusting in Christ alone for their salvation.
"This only would I learn of you, Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law (because you did something or became something) or by the hearing of faith" (hearing and believing the Gospel) Galatians 3:2.
Faith and the Spirit only come by hearing and believing the Gospel.
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (the Gospel) Romans 10:17.
This may also be known as being born again by the word of God, which is the Gospel.
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God (the Gospel) which lives and abides forever" 1 Peter 1:23.
The natural man or person hears the Gospel, but he does not believe it or have faith in it.
"For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it" Hebrews 4:2.
They heard it, but they could not believe it or have faith in it. It was foolishness to them.
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Without the Holy Spirit the Christian knows nothing. The Holy Spirit is the Christians teacher and guide, John 14:26. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals the Gospel to us and causes us to understand and believe it, John 16:14. What the natural man has is religion, he reasons everything from his religion. He takes the New Testament and turns it into his Torah. All that he can see or understand is the law. He is blind to the Gospel because he does not have the Holy Spirit who is the teacher and revealer of truth.
The condition for receiving the Holy Spirit is that God must see you as perfect and complete "In Christ". God will not impart his Holy Spirit to those who are outside of Christ. The Holy Spirit is only given to those who have come to Christ as repentant sinners to be saved by him. They are believers in the Gospel. They have heard the Gospel and believe that Jesus has victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil and in doing so has reconciled them unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. The Holy Spirit is only given to those who have faith in Christ and his Gospel and are resting and trusting in Christ alone for their salvation.
"This only would I learn of you, Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law (because you did something or became something) or by the hearing of faith" (hearing and believing the Gospel) Galatians 3:2.
Faith and the Spirit only come by hearing and believing the Gospel.
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (the Gospel) Romans 10:17.
This may also be known as being born again by the word of God, which is the Gospel.
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God (the Gospel) which lives and abides forever" 1 Peter 1:23.
The natural man or person hears the Gospel, but he does not believe it or have faith in it.
"For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it" Hebrews 4:2.
They heard it, but they could not believe it or have faith in it. It was foolishness to them.
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Without the Holy Spirit the Christian knows nothing. The Holy Spirit is the Christians teacher and guide, John 14:26. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals the Gospel to us and causes us to understand and believe it, John 16:14. What the natural man has is religion, he reasons everything from his religion. He takes the New Testament and turns it into his Torah. All that he can see or understand is the law. He is blind to the Gospel because he does not have the Holy Spirit who is the teacher and revealer of truth.