I was just wondering how complicated and convoluted can we make things, especially the only plan of salvation.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost:
There you have it. The kingdom of God.
Without the Holy Ghost. There is no:
1. Righteousness
2. Peace
3. Joy
Finally, without the Holy Ghost, there is no Kingdom of God.
Seems simple enough to me. How complicated is THAT?
Just in case I might have missed something as to whether the Holy Ghost has an eternal importance in regards to salvation:
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Some folks sure can get squirrelly when you present the truth. I can hear it now in a whiny voice, "That don't apply to me, it says, 'if any
man,' and everyone can see I'm just a poor helpless woman."
Someone else might say, "It don't apply to me, I'm a trans-gender." Someone else might say, "I'm not sure if that applies to me or not since I'm not sure what I am."
Another might say, "UN-HUH Charlie Brown!!!!" It does not say "Holy Ghost," it says "Spirit of Christ."
Then, all of a sudden darkness seems to break out everywhere as the last flicker of flame from the candle of understanding dies from the lack of oxygen.
Some whisper softly and so soothingly in the cold, dark night air, "Just go to sssss leeeeeeep. Clooooooose your pretty little eyes, lean back and take a deep breath of this good sleeping gas. Everything is oooooooo kay. You are a goooood church member. Everything is already all taken care of. Have no fear. Don't fret your pretty little self. Just sssssss leeeeep. Aaaah, now! Don't that feel better? There is no alarm in sleep. Neither is there cause for concern and certainly no fear.
Soon the infused eternal sleep of death, like the sting of the scorpion, has taken hold. Finally, the last disturbing memory before eternal separation from this life and from this sunny side of eternity resounds in their memory but too late to do anything about it:
IPe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
But if this slumbering soul can awaken himself in time to go buy oil for himself, from the merchants of oil (that's me, an
Acts 2:38 preacher) before the midnight cry is made,
"Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go yet out to meet him," he has yet a little time to buy the oil and trim his lamp to be ready.
But, the thief, the murderer also, would steal away this message and leave the dying man alone with continued assurances that there is nothing to worry about or to fear. Just ssssss leeeeep. You don't have to receive the promise of the Father and get that there Holy Ghost...after all, neither John Wesley, D.L. Moody or Elvis Presly had it either...so why should you worry your little sweet heart?
Yes. Jesus paid it all. Yes, Stalin, Hitler, and the Boston Strangler too, all were free from the Sin of Adam since Jesus paid it all. The whole world is free by the work of Grace paid for on the cross. The counsels of heaven have declared all men free of Adam's sin by the price that Jesus paid. All of creation is free. That's why little children's conscience is free of guilt until they grow up and become aware of their OWN sin. Until, then, there is no repentance required of them since there is no sin laid to their charge. Those little children will go to heaven regardless where their sorry, ungodly parents end up.
When they become old enough to sin and have their conscience contaminated by the stain of sin, Jesus paid it all for them too by the same gracious act of the cross. Nevertheless, REPENTANCE is absolutely imperative, as is the Baptism that saves us. Grace has provided all things for the sinner who commits sin as well as the sin of Adam that was passed down upon every generation until the cross.
The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen could ever tell.... That love included you and I too, but it is given to us with a promise by which we can appropriate for ourselves the innocence of Adam before he transgressed, or the innocence of a new born baby before he is hold enough to become aware of the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH...i.e. "The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die."
Meanwhile, pay no attention to this stark raving mad, condescending, pompous preacher standing at the head of the way, sounding so loudly.
Just sssssss leeeeep.
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