Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: SOUL / SOLE (03/02/23)
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TITLE: It's All On Me | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
03/06/23 -
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It's not in the hands of your father, your mother, your sister, or your brother. It’s not in the hands of your spouse, your best friend, or your worst enemy. Salvation is not the result of any ritual or ceremony performed by a priest, rabbi, or pastor.
The atoning Work of Jesus made the gift of salvation available to everyone (1), but one must be individually receive it through faith, at the time when one is presented with the unadulterated Gospel Message.
It is the pre-salvation ministry of God the Holy Spirit to make what would otherwise seem foolish, understandable (2), when it is presented.
When it is received, it is the Work of God that regenerates (3) what had been the dead spirit within us. It is the Work of God that seals (marks for identification) the soul as a child of God (4). It is God who gives the soul eternal life (5).
There is no power that can undo or enhance the regenerating and sealing work of God the Holy Spirit, nor is there anything that needs to be added to it. Adding further requirements to His atoning work amounts to blasphemy, as they insinuate that faith in His atoning work is not enough.
The “where” part is determined by one's own chosen response to the unadulterated Gospel Message. Nothing more; nothing less.
I say “unadulterated” because from the very beginning (6), there have been, and continue to be, those who would add further requirements, perverting the true Gospel Message.
God may choose to use a variety of different persons or means of communication to present the unadulterated Gospel Message to you.
The presentation can take place at any time, in any place, and under any circumstances that God chooses. This includes the article that you are presently reading.
The unadulterated Gospel Message explains the need (7), and the sole means (8) to be saved from the impending wrath of God (9) in store for all unbelievers, and the sole means of obtaining an eternally secure (10), personal relationship with God.
The unadulterated Gospel Message explains the eternally existing and divine nature of God the Son (11).
The unadulterated Gospel Message explains how, through His incarnation (12), He became the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity.
In His humanity, as the Lamb of God (13), He finished (14) His atoning Work on the cross.
The unadulterated Gospel Message concludes by warning of the consequences (15) of choosing to disbelieve it.
Sad to say, but there are many Church-going individuals and groups that are convinced that salvation is based, at least in part, on their relatively good behavior, good deeds, and their participation in the religious traditions (16) of men. Such individuals are in for a rude (17) awakening!
There is a place for good behavior and deeds in the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship, but if good behavior and good deeds earned a place in Heaven, the many followers of false religions (18) would qualify.
It is our individual decision(s) that determines where and how we will experience eternity.
Once the unadulterated Gospel Message has been presented to you, the “Nobody ever told me” excuse, is off the table!
Time and space do not allow for an extended elaboration on how one will experience eternity. But simply put, all unbelievers will experience the lake of fire, permanently separated from God and the things of God.
All born-again believers will experience the presence of God and have residency in Heaven. In addition to this, the born believers who became advancing disciples while here on Earth, will also receive additional rewards (19) and privileges (20) in Heaven, that are solely reserved, just for them.
Truly, where and how any given soul will experience eternity is solely in the control of the hands of the one we see in the mirror.
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(1) 1John 2:2 (2) 1Cor.2: 14 (3) Titus 3:5 (4) Eph. 4: 30 (5) John 3: 16 (6) 2Cor. 11: 13-15/Gal. 3: 1-3) (7) John 3:7 (8) John 3: 16 (9) Rev. 20: 15 (10) Rom. 8: 1 (11) John 1: 1 (12) Phil. 2: 7 (13) John 1: 29 (14) John 19: 30 (15) John 8: 24/Rev. 20:15 (16) Matt. 15: 9 (17) Matt. 7: 21-23 (18) Psalms 96: 5 (19) 1Cor. 3:14 (20) Rev. 2/Rev. 3
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