Awakening to God
But I should point out that apart from this activity of the
Holy Spirit no one would ever come to Jesus.
After Jesus said that he would send the Holy Spirit to the
disciples to be with them forever, he added, “even the
Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
neither sees him nor knows him” (Jn. 14:17). By the world
John means the world of men and women who are separate from
Christ.
Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in leading
people to Christ, no one can either see, know or receive
spiritual things.
They cannot
see because they are
spiritually blind. As Jesus said, “Unless one is born anew,
he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3).
They cannot
know because the things of the Spirit “are spiritually
discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).
They cannot
receive the Holy
Spirit or Christ because, as Jesus said, “No one can come to
me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Jn. 6:44).
So what happens? The Holy Spirit opens blind eyes so that
the unregenerate may see the truth, unfogs their minds so
that they may understand what they see, and then gently woos
their wills until they come to place their faith in the
Savior. Without this work there would not be even a single
Christian in the world. By means of it the Holy Spirit saves
us and glorifies the Lord Jesus.”
- James Montgomery Boice,
Foundations of the Christian Faith
