The New Birth: How the Holy Spirit Brings Life and Enables Faith
The New Birth: How the Holy Spirit Brings Life and Enables Faith
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all." - John 6:63
"And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'" - John 6:65
"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." - John 6:37
These verses emphasize that faith is a gift from God and not something that comes from our own strength or effort. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that quickens us and enables us to believe in Jesus.
John 6:65 and John 6:37 create a syllogism
A syllogism is a logical argument that consists of two premises and a conclusion. In the case of John 6:65 and John 6:37, the following syllogism can be constructed:
Premise 1 (John 6:65): "And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'"
Premise 2 (John 6:37): "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."
Conclusion: No one can come to Jesus unless the Father grants it and all those granted by the Father will come to Jesus and will never be cast out.
This syllogism shows that the ability to come to Jesus and have faith in Him is not something that comes from our own strength or effort, but is a gift from the Father. The first premise establishes that no one can come to Jesus unless it is granted by the Father, and the second premise affirms that all those who are given by the Father will come to Jesus and will not be rejected.
In essence, this syllogism teaches that regeneration precedes faith and that faith is not something that we can generate on our own, but is a gift from God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that enables us to believe in Jesus and receive salvation.