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(Question:) Do [Latins] believe that the Holy Spirit will leave the believer if they don't do specific things?

FK: "The answer is unquestionably "YES"." ......

I think I need to correct this. [If a man does certain things the Spirit may become "dormant" such that the person is spiritually dead.] ...... Whether the Spirit actually vacates permanently the person, that's different. IF the Spirit actually left forever, then that person could NEVER repent!!! I don't see God giving up on us and returning to the fold (remember the shepherd parables?). The fact that a sinner CAN repent is proof that the Holy Spirit does not "vacate" entirely those whom He wills.

Thanks for your reply. Since we are talking about the indwelling Holy Spirit, as opposed to His influence alone, I don't understand your point about not being able to repent. Sinners originally repented before the Spirit indwelt, so (if the Spirit left) why couldn't they just do it again, theoretically? So, my understanding of the Catholic view was that the Spirit vacated, in most cases temporarily, until the person repented and then the Spirit would come back.

Seems to me that one who has quenched the Spirit (I Th 5:19) might not be able to tell the difference.

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great [is] that darkness! - Matt 6:22-23

Marantha, Jesus!

The primary effect of grace is the ability to repent, and the Holy Spirit is the source of grace.

Whenever a sinner repented individually, prior to the Pentecost, it was an extraordinary operation of the Holy Spirit in him.

Since we are talking about the indwelling Holy Spirit, as opposed to His influence alone,

Oh shucks. Now I'm going to have to think about it all over again. I get the "image" of indwelling, but I'll have to think about what it means. If the spirit "moves in", presumably (whether it's by grace or not and whether it's permanent or not) would there be a kind of "welcome" or "hospitality" or somesuch. Gotta think about it. Is 'indwelling" a big, rich concept in Protestant theology?

Dang! Gotta go polish my shoes for church!

Since we are talking about the indwelling Holy Spirit, as opposed to His influence alone, I don't understand your point about not being able to repent. Sinners originally repented before the Spirit indwelt, so (if the Spirit left) why couldn't they just do it again, theoretically?

There is a difference between being indwelt and the influence of the Spirit. Even before His indwelling, He is able to influence man. Obviously, it is not us who brings ourselves to original faith in Christ, but the Spirit's influence and effect within us. That influence is dependent upon our response to His promptings.

When we say the Spirit "left", that means His influence upon our lives has greatly diminished because of our hardness of heart and desire to fulfill the fleshy ways. It becomes increasingly difficult for one to return to Christ after returning to the vomit of their former ways. When the Spirit is active in us, we are more able to resist these temptations. The life of Christ within us is "dead" when we sin mortally, meaning, we have "lost" eternal life, we are lifeless without Christ. Does this mean Christ no longer keeps us alive? No, we mean that we no longer are effected by the Gospel to convert and repent and transform.

Regards