All these actions of the Lord cannot be explained here one by one,
however. Each one would need its own analysis with support from the
Word and illustrative reasoning. This is not the place for that. The reader
[who wishes to know more about them] should turn instead to the topics
that come later in the book: goodwill [§§ 392 – 462 ], faith [§§ 336 – 391 ],
free choice [§§ 463 – 508 ], repentance [§§ 509 – 570 ], and reformation and
regeneration [§§ 571 – 625 ].
It is important to know that the Lord is carrying out these salvation
processes in every single one of us all the time. They are the steps to
heaven. The Lord wants to save everyone; his purpose is to save all peo-
ple. Anyone who has a purpose desires the means to achieve it. The
Lord’s coming, his redeeming humankind, and his suffering on the cross
were for the sake of our salvation (Matthew 18 : 11 ; Luke 19 : 10 ). Because
saving people was his purpose and is his purpose forever, it follows that
having the powerful effects on us that were just listed is his intermediate
purpose, and saving us is his ultimate purpose.143 The producing of these powerful effects is the “Holy Spirit” that the
Lord sends to those who believe in him and who modify themselves to
receive him. The producing of these powerful effects is also meant by
“the spirit” in the following passages:
I will give a new heart and a new spirit.I will put my spiritwithin you
and I will make you walk the path of salvation. (Ezekiel 36 : 26 , 27 ; 11 : 19 )
Create a clean heart in us, O God, and renew a firm spiritwithin me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and let a willing spiritsustain
me. (Psalms 51 : 10 , 12 )
Jehovah forms the human spiritwithin us. (Zechariah 12 : 1 )
In my soul I awaited you at night. In my spirit,which is within me, I
awaited you in the morning. (Isaiah 26 : 9 )
Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O
house of Israel? (Ezekiel 18 : 31 )
And so on.
In these passages, “a new heart” means wanting what is good and “a
new spirit” means understanding what is true. The reference to God’s giv-
ing a soul to those who walk the path of salvation makes it clear that the
Lord has these powerful effects on those who do what is good and believe
what is true—those who have a faith that is connected with goodwill.
This is also clear from the mention of a “willing spirit.” The necessity for