# Can one resist the Holy Spirit?



## InSlaveryToChrist (May 18, 2010)

You heard the argument: "Can one resist the Holy Spirit?"

"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, _ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye._" (Acts 7:51)

Acts 7:51 is very commonly used by Arminians to defend their sovereign free will.

However, Acts 6:10 seems to refute the point made by Arminians in Acts 7:51:

"_And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people._ Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. _And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake._ (Acts 6:8-10)

Apparently there is a way that the Holy Spirit CANNOT be resisted. Does this mean that the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted in any circumstances? No, I don't think so. It is up to God to make His Spirit irresistible. How else could people BLASPHEME the Holy Spirit? If they cannot experience/taste the Holy Spirit in some sense, as Hebrews 6:4 implies as possible, how can they RESIST it as some have done according to Acts 7:51?

Do we agree on this?


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## Jack K (May 18, 2010)

I'd say the workings of salvation are not even an issue in Acts 7:51 because Stephen isn't inviting his hearers to become believers. Stephen's just scolding them for being opposed to God's work in the world and, in particular, the Spirit's work of witnessing to Christ through the early church leaders.

But even if his hearers were resisting a call to be saved, we'd make a distiction between God's general call that goes out to all men and can be resisted and his effectual call which cannot.

So I think I mostly agree with you, but I'm not sure what you mean regarding Hebrews 6:4. Again, I don't think it applies to Stephen's listeners. Those guys clearly hadn't tasted anything of God's heavenly gift or his Spirit.


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## InSlaveryToChrist (May 18, 2010)

Jack,

What I meant by Hebrews 6:4 is that it's not possible to resist the Holy Spirit, unless you first taste or experience it. Why? Because the Spirit is INVISIBLE. I find it quite hard to resist something you cannot see coming, so it must come in first and then be rejected.

It is possible to be a partaker of the Holy Spirit and not be born-again though.


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## Peairtach (May 18, 2010)

It is possible to resist the Holy Spirit if He wants you to resist Him effectively.

When He comes in irresistible saving grace, you can't resist Him.

Why does He strive by common grace operations in the hearts and lives of some who remain unconverted? Well, one reason is that they are left with even less excuse for their unbelief.

The Apostle Paul resisted as effectively as anyone, "kicking against the goads", but when the Holy Spirit moved from common grace operations to the saving grace operation, Saul was converted at exactly the time and place God wanted him to be converted.


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## MarieP (May 18, 2010)

InSlaveryToChrist said:


> "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, _ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye._" (Acts 7:51)
> 
> Acts 7:51 is very commonly used by Arminians to defend their sovereign free will.


 
Actually, this verse isn't in the Arminian's favor after all. The stiff necked and uncircumcised of heart ALWAYS resist the Holy Spirit!

That's not to say that they aren't empowered by Him or used mightily by Him.

BTW, I don't get how Acts 6:8-10 would refute the Arminian's argument?


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## InSlaveryToChrist (May 19, 2010)

MarieP,

Arminians say they CAN resist the holy, saving call, no matter what the circumstances. Yet what we see from Acts 6:10 is this,

"And they were NOT ABLE to resist the wisdom and THE SPIRIT by which he spake."


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## Jack K (May 19, 2010)

InSlaveryToChrist said:


> MarieP,
> 
> Arminians say they CAN resist the holy, saving call, no matter what the circumstances. Yet what we see from Acts 6:10 is this,
> 
> "And they were NOT ABLE to resist the wisdom and THE SPIRIT by which he spake."


I think your theology is sound with regard to the Spirit's saving work being irresistible. But I don't think this particular passage supports that point. The Freedmen being "not able to resist" the Spirit with which Stephen was speaking does not mean they were saved. Clearly they were not. They continued to oppose God. Rather, it means they were unable to refute Stephen's preaching and helpless to stop the Spirit's work among those who _were_ elect. So in frustration they turned to lies and violence.

Samuel, I appreciate your desire to assert that the Spirit's effectual call to the elect is irresistible. For sure, there are Bible passages that speak powerfully to this truth. But based on the context, I'm not sure Acts 6:10 is one of those passages.



InSlaveryToChrist said:


> Jack,
> 
> What I meant by Hebrews 6:4 is that it's not possible to resist the Holy Spirit, unless you first taste or experience it. Why? Because the Spirit is INVISIBLE. I find it quite hard to resist something you cannot see coming, so it must come in first and then be rejected.
> 
> It is possible to be a partaker of the Holy Spirit and not be born-again though.


I would agree, based on Hebrews 6:4, that there are people who somehow share in the Spirit's grace but ultimately fall away and are shown not to be elect. It seems most sensible that the "taste" they had was participation in the covenant community of the church rather than a full indwelling of the Spirit. Clearly though, they'd experienced something of the Spirit and their rejection is all the more serious for it.

But if I'm hearing you correctly, I can't agree that it's impossible to resist the Holy Spirit unless you first experience him. Romans 1:20-21 tells us that even those who've never heard the gospel are without excuse because they've sinfully refused to honor what should be plain about God. Resistance of the Spirit is our default setting. Every man resists God. But to some, the Spirit gives grace to stop resisting and come to him. And this grace to stop resisting is itself irresistible.

I know, it sounds complicated. The key is to understand there's a general call of God to obey him and have faith in Christ. All of us by nature resist this, and in that sense we can resist the Spirit. Then there's a specific "effectual" call to the elect in which our natural bent is overcome by the Spirit's new birth. In this we cannot resist the Spirit's work. He _will_ bring us to repentance, against our natural instincts. It's important as we read the Bible to recognize the difference.


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## InSlaveryToChrist (May 19, 2010)

> The Freedmen being "not able to resist" the Spirit with which Stephen was speaking does not mean they were saved.



I don't see myself even suggesting that would have been the case. I highly doubt they were saved.



> But if I'm hearing you correctly, I can't agree that it's impossible to resist the Holy Spirit unless you first experience him. Romans 1:20-21 tells us that even those who've never heard the gospel are without excuse because they've sinfully refused to honor what should be plain about God. Resistance of the Spirit is our default setting. Every man resists God. But to some, the Spirit gives grace to stop resisting and come to him. And this grace to stop resisting is itself irresistible.



I think I need to humble myself here. I totally ignored Romans 1:20-21, yet being fully aware of it. I think you're absolutely right here.


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## Jack K (May 19, 2010)

InSlaveryToChrist said:


> > The Freedmen being "not able to resist" the Spirit with which Stephen was speaking does not mean they were saved.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't see myself even suggesting that would have been the case. I highly doubt they were saved.


I misunderstood you then. My bad. I guess I would say Acts 6:10 does suggest that the Spirit gets what he wants, and indirectly we would say therefore his saving work cannot be resisted. But I prefer passages like John 6 _("All that the father gives me will come to me")_, that are more direct about salvation.

You've brought up thought-provoking stuff.


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