The Work of God in Overcoming the Separation

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Christ, in His death and through His substitutionary atonement on the cross, and in His triumphant resurrection, has overcome, is overcoming, and will fully overcome all these aspects of separation. Apart from the effectual work of the Spirit, no one would come to faith, because all are dead in trespasses and sins; we are hostile to God, and morally unable to submit to God or please Him because the pleasures of sin appear greater than the pleasures of God. For God’s elect, the Spirit triumphs over all resistance, wakens the dead, removes blindness, and manifests Christ in such a compellingly beautiful way through the gospel that He becomes irresistibly attractive to the regenerate heart. The divine saving work of the Trinity is the ground of our hope that our proclamation is not in vain in the Lord. The Spirit binds His saving work to the gospel of Christ, because His aim is to glorify the Christ of the gospel. Therefore we do not believe that there is salvation through any other means than through receiving the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Father in election, the work of the Son in atonement, and the work of the Spirit in regeneration is the empowerment of the proclamation of the gospel to peoples everywhere. The Holy Spirit does this saving work in connection with the presentation of the gospel of the glory of Christ.