Quote:
Originally Posted by mizpeh
I never finished reading this thread. I can't even remember where I left off. Forgive me. I'll give this thread a fresh look. I'm working a couple of night shifts and hope to have some time to respond to your thoughts.
As for a believer sinning after receiving the Holy Spirit, I read what you wrote and disagreed with it in my mind. You cannot have it one way and not the other. Why would a holy God fill someone with His Spirit before their sins are remitted in water baptism even though they have repented and yet the same holy God will remain in a vessel who stumbles into sin? Sin is sin and God is always holy.  |
I was looking at this old thread and thought I'd give it a bump.
"Why would a holy God fill someone with His Spirit before their sins are remitted in water baptism even though they have repented and yet the same holy God will remain in a vessel who stumbles into sin?"
Because the "believing" vessel who stumbles into sin has already accepted that the sin he stumbled into was forgiven on the cross. Because the believer realizes his right standing before God is not based on what he does or does not do, but on what Christ already DID. Until we fully realize that we CANNOT fall out of his hands through an act of stupidity, we will never have entered into His rest. As long as we rely on our faithful conduct to perpetuate our right standing before God we simply do not fully rely on Christ.
The believer finds himself forgiven and alive in Christ. It's who he is... he is the forgiven, he is the just, he is the temple of the living God. The unbeliever who has not yet accepted the forgiveness of the cross has not passed from death unto life because he is not yet considered right standing in God's eyes until he believes the record God gave of his Son (
1John 5:11). The unbeliever remains in his sins, unjust, and spiritually dead because his soul has not been quickened to life..... because he has not believed.
The heart which passes into belief is the heart which passes into life. We are quickened by His life having been forgiven by His act of Grace on the Cross. We as enemies, were reconciled/forgiven by His act of Grace and being reconciled (being forgiven) we are saved by his Spirit of life (
Romans 5:10).
I have written the following phrase and posted the following verses for many years now without a single response.
He that believeth is passed from death unto life (John 3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:40,47; 11:25,26). The man who has faith in the forgiveness of the Cross is spiritually alive. Can you not see?
Lord, open the heart of Mizpeh to understand this simple truth. Let her truly find rest in your finished work.