Resisting The Spirit

Morning Bible Study Lesson

"Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?" (Acts 7:51,52 KJV)

The Spirit bears witness with the word of God as it is preached, especially the gospel of Christ. When that word is preached, the Holy Spirit attends it, and works to bring the word to the attention of all who hear it, and when that word is resisted and rejected, the Holy Spirit has been resisted and rejected.

All unregenerate or unsaved men, who are "stiffnecked" and "uncircumcised" in "heart" and in "ears," resist the word and Spirit of God. What these lost sinners did, when hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ from the mouth of Stephen, is what all lost sinners do when they hear it, for it opposes their natural thoughts.

"Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal..." (Genesis 6: 3 NIV)

There is a common striving or contention with all men by the Spirit of God, and this "striving" is first in the "conscience" and operative through the moral law of God written upon the nature of man. (Romans 2: 15) This work of the Spirit of God upon the spirit (mind or heart) of the sinner is intended to "convict" and to "condemn" man for his sins and rebellion against his Maker. In the scriptures, the Spirit is seen doing this work immediately and mediately through his word, whether written in the heart or on tables of stone. The preaching of the gospel by the Spirit, said Jesus, would "convict the world of sin." (John 16:8)

Every Christian, or every person who has been made humble (saved from stiffneckedness), and who has been "circumcised" in heart and ears, did at one time resist the gospel and the witness of the Spirit to it, before he believed it.

The difference between those who resist lies in the fact that some resist successfully, while others find their "resistance" overcome.

Peter speaks of "them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven..." (I Peter 1: 12 KJV)

Thus, to resist the gospel is to resist the Spirit.

Two powers (or forces) are at work when a sinner is hearing the gospel of Christ. One power draws and pulls towards God and the truth, and one power pulls and draws away from it. They are antagonistic, one positive and one negative.

What then, in the end, makes the difference between one person, who's power to resist is insufficient to overcome the power of the word and Spirit, and another person who's power is sufficient to overcome it? Or, to state the same in a different way, who's power is greater, in a given case, the power working to overcome the depraved natural resistance (God's power) or the power enslaving the sinner (the power of sin or Satan)?

The difference ultimately is in the degree of power the Holy Spirit exerts upon those who are brought to give up all resistance and lovingly believe and embrace the gospel. In the case of the elect, they are sovereignly overpowered, every restraint powerfully overcome, just as Christ did for the two Demoniacs of Gadara. With the non-elect, who resist the Holy Spirit, as they did that day in Acts 7, before Stephen, God chooses not to "turn up the volume" on his power.

We must ask ourselves, in regard to those who heard Stephen preach, what or who made the difference in the hearers? Why did some resist, did not succumb, and were not overcome by the power of the gospel and Spirit, while others were overcome by the power exerted in the preaching and saved? Is it some biological difference in nature, or in the psychology or sociology of the individuals, or in environmental or accidental factors that affect each individual?

"For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory (boast or brag), as if thou hadst not received it?" (I Cor. 4:7)

We must say that God ultimately made the difference, not the hearers themselves. Paul clearly affirms that God makes (causes) men to differ, and this is especially true of salvation or men's acceptance or rejection of the gospel and truth of God. If men differ from one another, it is because God made them to differ. The difference cannot be ascribed to men, at least not as a first or efficient cause. If they could so ascribe the first cause to themselves for this great difference, then they could boast, and could affirm that the thing they have, the thing that makes them different, is something not caused by God, or due to his sovereign and discriminate, yet just, "giving" or "granting." Men are different, in the matter of salvation, and in their response to the gospel, because one is "given" (or "receives") something, from God, that another is not given, and therefore does not "receive."

"...the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded." (Romans 11:7)

God's choice of an individual "to salvation" (II Thessalonians 2: 13) is the cause or sole reason why one obtains salvation. The "credit" therefore goes to God, the "author" of salvation. He is the one primarily "responsible" for the salvation of an individual.

"What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." (Romans 9: 14-18 NIV)

Those who heard Stephen preach and stubbornly rejected it, even to the point of martyring that holy man, were "hardened" against God, and were not shown mercy and compassion by God, and their rejection of the gospel gave evidence of their "stiffnecked" and "uncircumcised" heart, and of their non-election.

"One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" (Romans 9: 19 NIV)

"Then Job replied: "Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can a mortal be righteous before God? Though one wished to dispute with him, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand. His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?" (Job 9: 1-4 NIV)

In a sense, God and his will and word are irresistable, as these verses advocate and aver. Just as men are often "powerless to resist" (Daniel 11: 15; Judges 2: 14 NIV) other men and earthly powers, so are they impotent before omnipotence.

As God "deals (distributes or dispenses) to every man" his talents and gifts, natural or spiritual, and in varying "measures" or quantities, so also in the exertion of that divine power in his operations upon the heart of man. If God is ever "resisted" it is because he chooses to allow or suffer men to do so, and because, in one sense, he does not exert more power to convert a man than is working to keep him from it.

Power meets power in conversion and salvation. There is a power keeping the sinner from being drawn, and there is a power drawing. Which power is superior or is victorious? When a man is saved, do we not say that he was "overpowered" by the power of God, truth, and righteousness?

Men man "resist" God, as both Stephen and Job testify. A man is saved, however, when his "resistance" is overcome by some power greater than the power that binds him. He can resist God, but not successfully, or to advantage, or so as to disrupt the government of God or his control of his own universe.

"For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict." (Luke 21: 15 NIV)

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." (Psalm 110:3)

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." (Philippians 2: 12, 13 NIV)

Here are two examples of the working of "irresistable" power over the wills, decisions, and behavior of creatures. We have "irresistable" wisdom, the Wisdom of God, which men, in a sense, will not be able to "resist" or to "gainsay," that is, not able to "refute" or "disannul." Then, we have God promising to make men "willing" by an uncommon exertion of his power.

"If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 1: 19, 20 NIV)

But, all are naturally "unwilling" and "disobedient" to God, truth, and righteousness. The essence of salvation, as it is experienced and realized, is God making an unwilling heart a willing heart, and in making a disobedient and rebellious heart a obedient, humble, and submissive heart. Those who rebel and who never succomb, surrender, or yield to the power of God, as exerted upon them, show that God operated upon them with only common or ordinary power, while those who do otherwise do so because of uncommon and superlative power is exerted in their cases.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4: 7 NIV)

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..." (I Peter 5: 8, 9 NIV)

"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you." (Luke 10: 19 NIV)

Notice how the concept of "resistance" is integrally related to the concept of power, and of opposing powers, and of their interaction with each other. Notice also how the word "overcome" is also associated with the word "resistance." When a man is saved, his "resistance" is overcome, subdued, or conquered. The reason why one man overcomes evil power is because he is graciously given divine good power in sufficient measure to overcome it.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12: 21 NIV)

Evil is a "power" and good is a "power." We overcome one power with a superior power. How much power do we have to resist? Where can a person acquire this superlative power? How can a man overcome? By what power?

"...their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ..." (I Timothy 5: 11 NIV)

"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning." (II Timothy 2: 20 NIV)

Here is a professing Christian who lacks power to resist the evil powers residing in the depraved nature, or in what is called the "flesh" or "sinful nature." This "fall" was due to inability to resist the power of enticement, allurement, and temptation. Solomon said - If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small (that is, it is insufficient)." (Proverbs 24: 10 KJV)

"I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one...I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one." (I John 2: 13, 14 NIV)

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater (in power) than the one who is in the world." (I John 4: 4 NIV)

"for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (I John 5: 4, 5 NIV)

Notice how these verses show that the reason why one "overcomes" evil is because he has been given divine power to overcome it. This power is necessary and graciously given to those who seek it and ask God for it.

"You overpower him once for all, and he is gone; you change his countenance and send him away." (Job 14: 20 NIV)

"Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering." (Job 41: 9 NIV)

"O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived ; you overpowered me and prevailed." (Jeremiah 20: 7 NIV)

God "overpowers" men, both for judgment and for salvation. He "subdues" their wills "according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (See Philippians 3: 21 KJV) Notice how the word "overpower" is used with the words "prevailed" (or 'conquered'), and with "subdued."

"But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils." (Luke 11: 22 NIV)

It takes greater power, a "stronger" one, to overcome the natural resistance that we all have to God as sinners of "stiffnecked" and "uncircumcised" hearts and ears. If you lack this power, you ought to seek it from God, from his Holy Spirit, and from the word of God.