Does the Holy Spirit join our fights or do we join His?

[Flopfoot]

Just wondering exactly how it works.

Does a Christian choose a good work to do and then when the Holy Spirit sees him trying to do it (or hears him pray for help), He jumps in and tries to help the Christian with this good work?

Or does the Holy Spirit choose the good work to be done, then directs the Christian to do it and then (of course) helps him to do it?

 

[DavidFilmer]

Flopfoot:

Does a Christian choose a good work to do and then when the Holy Spirit sees him trying to do it…

No. We can do nothing good (and cannot even begin to do something good) apart from the Holy Spirit. So the Spirit does not join our fights, because without the Spirit, we aren’t even on the field of battle.

But we have free will to participate with the Holy Sprit in particular acts. Thus, we may not provide for the needs of the sick because we choose (of our own free will) to provide instead for the hungry. We should be motivated by the Spirit in either case, but we have the freedom to choose how we will contribute to goodness (just as we have the freedom to choose how we will contribute to sinfulness).