FaithWillDo
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- Mar 1, 2023
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Dear Earburner,Almost my exact point!!
As I had said: "
The Holy Spirit of God IS NOT GIVEN yet to a person, that He is LEADING to repentance (metanoeo) towards God. At that time in a person's life, the mind of God, His Holy Spirit, only comes along side of us, but IS NOT YET permanently within the repentant sinner.
Only until he HEARS the gospel of Christ, of His shed blood for our sins, does he then understand that he must either answer Christ knocking to allow Him to COME INTO HIM, or let Him PASS BY. Rev. 3:20.
Paul came to the point of his repentance, when he "ASKED": Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonishedsaid[then asked], Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
It is the similar form of asking, as that of the thief on the cross: "Remember me, when you come into your kingdom".
Prior to both cases, neither Paul or the repentant thief received the Holy Spirit, UNTIL after they asked/invited/answered, by opening up their "innermost being" to the call of Christ, through the event/circumstances that they were in.
Prior to them asking and/or requesting (being repentant believers towards God's call), neither one would have received the permanent Gift of God's Holy Spirit AT ALL, if they IGNORED Him.They would've been deemed by God as being unrepentant unbelievers towards Him.
During their encounter with Jesus, in both cases, the Lord was outside, but being along side of them.
When they asked/requested (repented towards God by the "early rain"), THEN after did the Holy Spirit enter into them, taking up His permanent INDWELLING presence within them.
No repentance (metanoeo), then NO INDWELLING Gift of the Holy Spirit!!
You said:
Almost my exact point!!
As I had said: "
The Holy Spirit of God IS NOT GIVEN yet to a person, that He is LEADING to repentance (metanoeo) towards God. At that time in a person's life, the mind of God, His Holy Spirit, only comes along side of us, but IS NOT YET permanently within the repentant sinner.
Only until he HEARS the gospel of Christ, of His shed blood for our sins, does he then understand that he must either answer Christ knocking to allow Him to COME INTO HIM, or let Him PASS BY. Rev. 3:20.
No, your "point" is not even close to what I have been presenting to you. The Spirit is given first so that the person will respond to the Gospel. Only then will they will repent and call Jesus "Lord". Their repentance happens solely because Christ caused it to happen. Unless Christ comes to a person and gives them the Early Rain of the Spirit, they would NEVER repent or have any faith in Christ. Christ is the one who "chooses" to come and who chooses to give the person the Spirit. After Christ does this spiritual work, the only thing the person will do is repent and call Jesus "Lord". They have no choice in the matter. It is Christ who is "within" the person who causes them to "will and do of His good pleasure" (Phi 2:13).
The person has no ability to "choose" differently than what Christ has caused them to decide:
Prov 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
You said:
Paul came to the point of his repentance, when he "ASKED": Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished
It is the similar form of asking, as that of the thief on the cross: "Remember me, when you come into your kingdom".
Prior to both cases, neither Paul or the repentant thief received the Holy Spirit, UNTIL after they asked/invited/answered, by opening up their "innermost being" to the call of Christ, through the event/circumstances that they were in.
Prior to them asking and/or requesting (being repentant believers towards God's call), neither one would have received the permanent Gift of God's Holy Spirit AT ALL, if they IGNORED Him.They would've been deemed by God as being unrepentant unbelievers towards Him.
That is not what scripture teaches. Your beliefs are stealing from Christ and the spiritual work that He does to save a person. You have changed Christ's true Gospel into the "another gospel" which mixes a person's own works with the works of Christ. When a person accepts Satan's false gospel, they are committing the sin that leads to death and they are fallen from grace.
You said:
During their encounter with Jesus, in both cases, the Lord was outside, but being along side of them.
When they asked/requested (repented towards God by the "early rain"), THEN after did the Holy Spirit enter into them, taking up His permanent INDWELLING presence within them.
No repentance (metanoeo), then NO INDWELLING Gift of the Holy Spirit!!
There are ZERO scriptures which teach this false belief of yours. The Early Rain of the Spirit is given beforehand so that a person will repent and accept Christ. The person has no say in the matter because Christ changed their heart and mind to make the choice that He wanted them to make. They are the workmanship of Christ and they contribute "no works" toward their own salvation:
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Look what Christ said to Peter:
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Peter's confession was caused by God giving Peter the Early Rain of the Spirit and not by anything that Peter had within him beforehand.
When Christ is ready to save a person, Christ will come to them by His own choosing and freely give them the Spirit. With the Spirit within the person, the person's heart and mind will be changed so that they can only call Jesus "Lord".
1Cor 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.
You do not believe what God's Word actually teaches, and for that reason, there is no reason to continue this discussion. Showing you more and more scriptures is not going to change your beliefs. You are at the mercy of Christ to come to you and change your heart and mind with the Latter Rain. I recommend that you pray for understanding, and if you are one of the Elect, Christ will give you the Latter Rain of the Spirit which will heal your blindness. There really is no other way to be saved. You, me and the rest of mankind are at the mercy of Christ to save us. He is the Savior and mankind can add nothing to His work. When a person believes that they can (and must), they are fallen from grace.
Joe
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