Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Hear / Here (01/26/23)
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TITLE: The Time to Hear is Here! | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
01/31/23 -
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The “acceptable time” of 1Cor. 6: 2 refers to the opening and closing of the window of opportunity for a spiritually-dead soul, to establish an eternal relationship with God.
Once born again, another window of opportunity opens up for one to learn of, and to execute, the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship.
The window of opportunity to be saved, opens the first time that he or she hears the unadulterated Gospel Message (1). This window closes at physical death (2), or before, if one has made a final decision, not to believe.
The window of opportunity to embrace post salvation discipleship, opens the day one is born again, and closes at physical death.For some, it may come sooner, if one becomes incapacitated, no longer able to study the Word of God (3).
No one knows when his or her departure is coming, or if incapacitation is in his or her future. God uses such scenarios as an unspoken testimony of the need to respond while the windows of opportunity are still open. Death or incapacitation can take place today for any one of us.
We are not held accountable for what we can not do, but are accountable for what we could have done when we had the opportunity to do so.
Here, in the Church Age, those who are never born-again (4), as a result of hearing, but disbelieving, in the unadulterated Gospel Message, will immediately find themselves in the torments of Hades upon departing this world. There, they will remain until the Rev. 20: 13-15 events take place, as a result of which, they find themselves being thrown into the lake of fire where they will spend all of eternity.
Here, in the Church Age, those who hear and choose to believe in the unadulterated Gospel Message while here on Earth, immediately find themselves in interim bodies (5) in the presence of the Lord (6) upon departing this world.
Hearing the unadulterated Gospel Message can take place at any time, in any location, under any circumstances here on Earth, and through whatever means of communication that God the Holy Spirit chooses.
” Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has (already) passed (past tense) out of (spiritual) death into (eternal) life (John 5: 24 NASB parentheses mine)."
Once the unadulterated Gospel Message has been heard, the “No one ever told me!” excuse, has been taken off the table for all of eternity.
It is the pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit that makes the unadulterated Gospel Message understandable (8), but God does not make anyone believe.
The decision to believe or not to believe is a choice that every soul has to make for themselves. This single decision determines the location of where one will spend all of eternity; be it in Heaven or Hell.
To embrace, or not to embrace, post salvation discipleship are choices (plural) that every born-again believer makes every day. These daily choices determine the quality of his or her post salvation spiritual life.
The quality of a born-again believer's post salvation spiritual life is determined by his or her daily choices to learn (9) and or to apply (10) the principles of the Word of God to all that he or she thinks, says,and does.
The quality of the post (after) salvation spiritual life of any given believer neither diminishes or enhances the integrity (11) of the salvation that he or she has already (12) received. The quality of one’s post salvation spiritual life determines how (w
ith or without 1Corinthians 3: 14 reward and Rev. 2 – Rev. 3 privileges) he or she will experience eternity.
God provided Fallen Man with the only means (13) the only way (14) for a spiritually-dead soul to be saved from the impending wrath of God (15), and to secure an eternal relationship (16) with Him.
To receive salvation while here on Earth, and to set the stage to receive the eternal rewards and privileges associated with discipleship in Heaven, one must (17) choose to respond, before the windows of opportunity close.
The time and place to hear and to respond to the voice of God calling is here on Earth.
(1) Romans 10: 17 (2) John 8: 24 (3) 2Pet. 3: 18 (4) John 3: 7 (5) 2Cor. 5: 1 (6) 2Cor. 5: 8 (7) 1Thess. 4: 16, 17 (8) 1Cor. 2: 14 (9) 2Pet. 3: 18 (10) James 1: 22 (11) Romans 8: 1 (12) John 5: 24 (13) 1John 2: 2 (14) John 3: 16/John 14: 6 (15) Rev. 20: 15 (16) Romans 8: 1 (17) John 3: 7/Matt. 7: 24-27
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