When does the Holy Spirit enter into us?

[bibleapologist]

And, lest it be forgotten, not all who were healed by Jesus made the request themselves, and not all who are healed by baptism into Jesus have made that request themselves.

Ah, but but we can reasonable assess that those people did in fact make the request in a suggestive manner.

The blind man of John 9 verse 7 did not verbally ask to be healed, but Jesus made clay and anointed his eyes… but he wasn’t healed until he made the nonverbal suggestion of acceptance of that healing by washing in the pool of Siloam.

God, whom according to Paul hardened Paraoh’s heart for the purpose of proclaiming His name throughout all the earth, in Romans chapter 9 Paul said…

Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.

This is not to say that Pharaoh previously had a soft heart, but just the opposite… Pharaoh had hardened his own heart, well before God had given Pharaoh up to his own hardness (Ex. 2:15)

Romans 9:18, taken out of text would seem to declare God’s soveriegnty to harden anyone’s heart, but when studying further we find that to “harden” Pharaoh’s heart was actually to deny to dispose grace. God was fully justified in hardening Pharaoh’s heart, becuase Pharaoh had already suggested a denial of grace.

By what rationale do you insist that all God’s dispensation of grace must be preceded by an indwelling of the Holy Spirit?

I don’t. But I also didn’t say that Baptism is the means for the dispensation of grace.

By what rational do you insist that the dispensation of grace is imposed by God in such a manner that it cannot be resisted.

Or, by what rational do you insist that grace must be dispensed by a righteous act of obedience.

It seems to me that you’re statement is colored with a hint of “irresistable grace”. Am I right?

It cannot be neglected that God gave man free-will, and God respects man’s ability to freely choose (read my article on predestination), to choose to harden your heart (according to Paul) may very well bring judgment. But, God has shown His mercy to us…

Rom 9:22 [What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
Rom 9:23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Therefore, I do not agree with you that grace cannot be resisted. Grace is not imputed to man, righteousness is imputed to man upon faith in God who raised Jesus from the dead…

Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Baptism is a righteous act, which may very well indicate a hunger for righteousness, or a desire to be clean… But, in no way demands grace from God (Romans 9:18). God did not promise grace if one were baptized, he promised grace to those who have faith in Jesus and His Blood - That is where justification occurs.

Rom 3:26 To declare, *, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the **justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ***
Rom 3:27 Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Rom 11:5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Rom 11:6 **And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. **

Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

According to the words of Paul, it is a dangerous thing to trust works for justification. To trust works is the same thing as rejecting grace… by which God is just in disposing blindness (spiritually). (Romans 11:7)

John
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