The Holy Spirit’s Work Before Salvation

By Mark W. Christy, PhD

In the Old Testament (OT), God’s people, saved by faith in the revelation made available to them at the time, were able to repent and trust in God (e.g. Abraham, Job, David, Jeremiah). Both of these activities reveal the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. In earnest repentance, David cried out, “Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps 51:11).[i] David’s prayer reveals that in some way the Holy Spirit was an active part of his life as a believer.

Cornelius, like David, was able to access God’s throne room through prayer according to an angel who appeared to him in a vision despite the fact that he had yet to receive the gospel and the indwelling of the Spirit: “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4). Somehow, both David and Cornelius could exhibit the fruit of the Spirit’s presence and work in their lives even before having received the full indwelling of the Spirit made possible by Christ’s death on the cross.

In their fallen condition, both David and Cornelius existed as sinners and would have been completely unable to enter into God’s presence even if their prayers began with repentance. As John declares, “God does not hear sinners” (John 9:31). The Psalmist, who goes on to enter God’s presence via prayer despite his own sinfulness, also affirms that God hates sin, refuses to fellowship with sinners and even destroys them:

“For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong; 6 you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. 7 But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple” (Ps 5:5-7).

Given God’s complete unwillingness to allow a sinner to have access to His presence, the only possible solution to resolve this dilemma would be God’s coming to sinners and cleansing them of their sin so as to restore fellowship. Clearly, the OT saints and even Cornelius had benefited from this saving work of God (which is ultimately made possible by Christ’s death on the cross) and the ministry of the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 3:21-4:25).

Despite this saving work, the Holy Spirit was somehow not made fully available until the Pentecost. As John says, “the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (7:39). Jesus Himself tells the disciples to wait for the Spirit which eventually came upon and indwelled them at Pentecost (Acts 2). Exactly how the inner work of the Spirit in the lives of OT saints and that those who were indwelled at Pentecost remains a mystery.

In the case of Cornelius, it would seem that the Holy Spirit works in the heart of a believer even before their coming to full knowledge of the gospel in such a way that they respond in repentance and faith. This makes perfect sense because a believer remains dead in their sins and completely unable to enter God’s presence so as to seek His salvation. Thus, the Spirit must be willing and able to work in the hearts of any unredeemed individuals whom God is graciously forgiving and enabling through His work (done by the Spirit) in the heart (inner person) of the person who will be coming to salvation and receiving the indwelling of the Spirit.

[i]All Scripture references were taken from NASB1995.