1 John 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

Why this?

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

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"Christ in you the Hope of Glory" "The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God."

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Repentance is a rocky road best travelled in the day, when there is light, lest darkness comes, and I stumble in the dark...that is to say the Spirit of God will not always strive with man. I will therefore humble myself before the God of heaven and pray, who has called me with a holy calling...to walk this road of repentance..that leads to eternal life.

I have shared this before in another thread, but it is appropriate here as well.

It is of the utmost importance that we keep our hearts right before God, but how do we do that? (just decide in your heart that you will just love Him no matter what) Is it in what we say, or what we do, or both? A heart that is right before God submits to obedience, which is the essence of a pure heart. ...but obedience to what?

Take a look at Christianity today; it is not as it was. We have failed the grace of God, and the provision He has made for us to rule over sin in our lives. We have failed to access His power for godly living, which brings true joy and happiness, not sorrow and sadness, and suffering with no joy. But there is true joy in communion and fellowship with the Holy Ghost whom he has given to us.

Instead, we have entertainment today in the church, because we have no true joy, and as one preacher put it, entertainment is the devils substitute for joy. We have become slaves to decadence, with a sense of privilege, and an overindulging (self-indulging) of the senses.

Look at the reasons why people indulge the flesh in the first place, is it not to fill something that is lacking in the soul? Is it not to make one feel better, to give one a sense of well-being, of fulfillment? Is it not to give one a sense of joy and happiness and completeness? Is this not the reason why people drink to get drunk and indulge in ALL of the senses of the body, to numb, to make one feel better, and to give us joy?

I believe The Apostle Paul teaches us that God can and will give us all joy and fulfillment in our souls that we need. Be filled the Holy Spirit who completes us, and no longer indulge the senses of the flesh to do this.


Ephesians 5:18 (New King James Version)

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

I believe what the Apostle is saying is:

Instead of getting drunk with wine and indulging the senses, rather to be filled with the Holy Spirit who completes us. The Apostle Paul was not likening the infilling of the Holy Ghost with drunkenness or being drunk, but rather a turning away from the works of darkness, which is in the indulging the senses with sinful practices and uncleanness before God, and to rather be filled with the Holy Ghost who completes us, and fills that void in our souls. Has not the Lord Jesus said: "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14


In the beginning I believe Adam walked with God, where his body was filled with God's Holy Spirit - there was a communion there. God's Holy Spirit filled a part of Adam that completed him (Shekinah) and made him unique in creation, which made him the living temple of God.

Adam lost this when he, through transgression, fell. The Shekinah Glory of God lifted from Adam, the same way that the Shekinah Glory of God lifted from the Jewish Temple (the physical one before it was destroyed in 70 AD).

Since the fall of Adam, our race has sought to fill “that missing part” that incompleteness in us, by indulging in the senses of the flesh (which God has called sin). And without the Light of God (the Holy Spirit, who was, and now is the majestic presence or manifestation of God in man) man would grow exceeding dark and sinful (which is what happened), for without light, there can only be darkness…and if the light of your eye is darkness, then how great the darkness.

...but we are no longer in darkness (that is to say without the Holy Ghost), that we should indulge the senses of the body with all manner of sins and uncleanness.

Ephesians 5:8 " For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light"

This indwelling Shekinah presence of God in His temple is something that was always meant for man, we were created for this purpose - we are (that is our bodies) "living temples" of the Holy Spirit of God.


Now consider the Jewish nation how strict and how hard God was with them when they sinned. Example:

1 Corinthians 10
1 For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 and did all eat the same spiritual food;
4 and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them: and the rock was Christ.
5 Howbeit with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer.
11 Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come.
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Now consider that they DID NOT have the Holy Spirit who gives power for Godly living.

John 7:39
39 But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.


How much worse judgment do you suppose will be to us to whom the Holy Spirit has been given?

The Church received power for Godly living and testimony on Pentecost - and it is through the righteousness and grace of God that the free gift of the Holy Spirit is given, even to us, who through obedience to the faith in Christ Jesus are made righteous by His shed blood...in that He took away our sins, and in the absence of sin, the righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled; therefore, the Holy Spirit could come. It was not until Jesus Christ had ascended to the Father, after His resurrection, that the Holy Ghost could be given - which is the promise of the free gift.

An understanding given by the Lord Jesus Christ to me:

The power of sin is in the Law (as delivered to Moses), and the wages of sin is death...for through the Law, I have knowledge of sin and sinned revived and I died. (This is the Law of sin and death)

But the law has no power over me anymore...and why does it have no power over me?

... it is because I have no sin...and because I have no sin, I am not under the law.

If I had sin, the law would have power over me, and I would be under the law, but now I have no sin and am therefore not under the law.

Is this a heresy? No it is not, let me explain.

I have no sins because of the Blood of the Lamb ...that Jesus took my sins away and nailed them to the cross (I am crucified with Christ). When God looks at me, He sees only the blood of the Lamb applied to the door posts, not my sins. (This is the sinless perfection I am referring to) God sees no sins through the blood of the Lamb! Now, is the blood applied to the doorposts? ...this is what should be asked about.

I am not saying that I have obtained sinless perfection in the flesh, or cannot be tempted to sin, or that I am sin free and without fault in my life, I have many faults...I am saying that only through the cross of Christ I have no sin, because Jesus took them away with His death.

Whether you accept this or not, this is sinless perfection! ...yet not by works of the flesh, but only through faith in Jesus Christ. (righteousness by faith) This is not so hard to understand. So I then, fulfill the law of God by being sinless, just as He commands, yet not by works, but by faith in the cross of Jesus Christ to forever remove my sins – righteousness by faith and not by works.

But righteousness by faith came for a purpose...even a new creation, which God has through the Holy Ghost birthed in me. Just as it is written: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

When we consider how God judged the Jewish nation because of sin, how shall WE escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

And this is why the Holy Ghost could be given freely to us:

"Where there is no sin, the Law of God cannot condemn, but is fulfilled."

Jesus Christ, with His own blood entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption for us. It was not until sin was removed (through the cross of Christ), and the righteous requirements of the law were fulfilled (absence of sin), that the Holy Spirit could come, who wrote the laws of God on our hearts rather than on tablets of stone...even as it is written "I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds."

It is a common statement with Christianity of today that we have to live with the so called "sinful nature" in this life as long as we live, that we have no power over it for godly living. And indeed, this is the definitely the case when someone does not have the Holy Ghost.

And this is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (as revealed to me by the Holy Ghost): and that is to say it is okay to sin because I am under grace, and because Jesus took away my sins, and where sin abounds, God’s grace much more abounds, and therefore it is okay to sin in the flesh, because through faith in Jesus my sins are washed away anyway, so why not just allow sin and don’t worry about godliness too much seeing how that Jesus took away my sins. Go ahead and indulge the senses of the flesh, the sins are all paid for anyway – so go ahead and eat, drink and be merry.

Much of what the Holy Ghost had revealed to the early church through the Apostle Paul was truly taken out of context. This satanic attack, this doctrine of the Nicolaitans, permeated the early Church so much so that the Apostles had to address it in letters – see here:

The Apostle Paul had written:

Romans 3:8
8And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just.

The Apostle Peter wrote:

2 Peter 3:15-16 (New King James Version)
15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

James also wrote:
James 2:20
20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Our Lord Jesus through the Apostle John wrote:
Revelation 2:14-17
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…

And this doctrine has filled much of today’s church as well, and is why judgment comes, and the clarion call to repentance is going out yet once again.

But God has given us power over sin, which is in the Blood of the Lamb!

Some teachers of Christianity today take the Apostle Paul's writing totally out of context when he stated:

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. Romans 7:18-20

...they read this as though we have to live with no power for Godly living.

But the Apostle was referring to life "before" the Holy Ghost was given.

And they miss what he says next in his line of thought, and teaching which is:

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh (because we could not keep the law through the flesh because we did not have power for Godly living), God (did) (by)sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh (took away the sins - so that power for holy living could be given by the Holy Ghost who lives in us):

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us (absence of sin through the blood of Christ), who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4

For if you live according to the flesh (For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do) you will die; but if by the (Holy)Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body (power for righteous and holy living), you will live. Rom 8:13 (parenthesis emphasis above is mine)

And this is why, I believe, judgment comes. ...because we have neglected so great a salvation...which is the God life in us through His Holy Spirit.

There is a worldliness, a sensuality, a carnality, an all is well in our sinful state that has infiltrated the church of Jesus Christ, and has caused it to go to sleep.

But I cannot refer to the judgment of God without referring to His great and tender mercies for humanity (of whom I am the largest recipient of His grace)...because as it is written God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

And I am not talking about sinless perfection (in this life) here (we still have to deal with Eph 6:12 on a daily basis which is NOT the sinful nature), but they will be taken out of the way soon enough as per: Revelation 12:7-10

... but I am referring to the way into the Holiest of All, the very presence of God (the Holy Ghost in us) - the Divine life, which God in his mercy has freely given to us (the embryo or seed of God in us) the God life, the new creation, the new birth, the new man.

1 Corinthians 15:47-49 (New King James Version)
47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. (and the heavenly man was NOT sinful)

And this is why the judgment comes - a certain fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Because it is a sin to deny, or to refuse, or to not acknowledge the sanctifying life changing work of the Holy Ghost in us. (Having a form of Godliness, but denying the power for Godly living through cessationist doctrinal prose - no God life in them - the doctrine of the Nicolaitans).

Romans 8:9 (New King James Version)
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

We really need a true revival of the Holy Ghost...and we need a functioning body (Ephesians 4:11-13)


It is by God's grace and mercy alone that He gives us power for Godly living, power to overcome sin, power to become the glorious sons of God...by the indwelling Shekinah presence of God in His temple(our bodies).

John 1:12-13 (King James Version)

12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

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Repentance is a rocky road best travelled in the day, when there is light, lest darkness comes, and I stumble in the dark...that is to say the Spirit of God will not always strive with man. I will therefore humble myself before the God of heaven and pray, who has called me with a holy calling...to walk this road of repentance..that leads to eternal life.

Earendel,
You quoted Acts 8:14-17 as though I hadn't addressed the issue. However, if you read carefully, you will find the answer has already been given. For simplicity sake, here it is again:

"You must also look at the context theologically. What is going on in the history of God's dispensation of his grace?

In the book of Acts, we witness the beginning of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (i.e., baptism of the Holy Spirit), to all who believe. That is why those who had received John's baptism were now receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, thence forth, there was no more of "John's baptism", or EVEN THE BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE IN JESUS' NAME APART FROM THE DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (I should have written, "before the dispensation of the Holy Spirit"). Thence forth, those who believed were to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. There is a difference between the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" and the command to be "filled with the Spirit". That is why Paul emphasizes the importance of being baptized with the Holy Spirit at the beginning of this dispensation, whereas he later expresses that by the Spirit we were ALL BAPTIZED (1Corinthians 12:13) into one body, that is, the body of Christ. Furthermore, the later command to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) is in the light of the dispensation of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

We must understand the theological context, or else we can make dangerous mistakes, which stem from erroneous assumptions. In fact, if we seek a second experience apart from Jesus Christ, we are treading dangerous waters. This may lead us to look down on other believers, thinking that we are better and more righteous because we have attained a higher level of spirituality. This may lead us to downplay the work of Christ and His sufficiency. This may lead us to seek excitement rather than humbled obedience. This may lead us to seek something else, thinking that Christ is not enough.

As such, we must carefully examine the implications of our doctrines, because they may lead us where we don't expect or even desire to go."

I like what Tozer and Ravenhill used to always say: "There's never been anyone filled with the Spirit that didn't know when it happened."

A person knows whether they have been endued with power from on high or not. Its not just going around believing your filled, but seeking God til He fills you then knowing your filled.

Praise God for the promise of the Holy Spirit!

"In fact, if we seek a second experience apart from Jesus Christ, we are treading dangerous waters."

A couple of things about that statement. First, I believe that only someone who has not been baptized in the Holy Spirit could make this kind of statement. The reason that I say this is because when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit their love and devotion to the Lord Jesus only deepens and intensifies, in fact so much so that they run out of words to praise Him and that is when tongues typically is spoken or sung. The Holy Spirit elevates Jesus in the hearts of the believers. that is why those baptized in the Holy Spirit are so bold to speak about their all consuming passion, Jesus. Secondly, there are dangerous waters in this subject. The very real danger of assigning the power of the Holy Spirit to something other than God...........brother Frank

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http://scottishwarriors.wordpress.com

Hi Alive-to God,

Its very possible that renouncer and I are warning of the same thing, perhpas renouncer could tell us if he is a cessasionist which would then answer the question.......brother Frank

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http://scottishwarriors.wordpress.com

Renoncer,

This is a clip from “ The Shantung Revival“ that may end this debate for you.
.Please listen to the whole sermon if you can. The audio is a poor quality but it is worth the effort.

“Dr. Culpepper, share with us now the greatest story that have ever come to the history of Christendom, the revival that came to the shantung province of China.”


Dr.Culpepper:
“ In the early 20’s we felt that were up against an impossible situation, so many difficulties that I can’t go into detail in telling, but we had some older missionaries who knew how to pray. And so many of our hearts were turned to God. Some of the missionaries from other boards decided to go home. There was no hope in doing the work here but we decided to pray, and as we began to pray the Lord seem to lay on our hearts a deeper hunger for God himself so we prayed some more and we prayed for 4 years and as a result of this praying we got under a deeper conviction of sin and the deeper we got under conviction for sin we had to make restitution and make things right with each other and take out all the sins in our hearts and there were sins in our hearts that we didn’t’ even know were there , they were covered under the rubbish . As we prayed and continued to pray and there were several people who helped us a great deal among those Miss Marie Munson and she was a Norwegian Lutheran missionary. One day she asked me: ” Brother Culpeper, have you been filled with the Holy Spirit.” and I couldn’t tell her because I didn’t know what it really meant and from that day I began searching the Bible and a great hunger for the fullness of the Holy Spirit came upon me and it took four years to get all the rubbish and everything straitened before the Lord and other missionaries had the same impression, the same feeling and so the Lord worked with all of us missionaries in North China Missions at that time , about 50 of us. And so the lord worked through Miss Munson and others of a very sensitive nature and as a result we became possessed with the idea that we had to meet God. And some times we would pray for an hour, two hours, and some times, a few times we prayed all night. And finally we prayed and we invited her to come to the mission and she told me: “ Brother Culpepper, a great revival is coming and it is going to begin with the North China Mission. I said: “ Why you say that Miss Munson.” She said : “Because God has a covenant in his word that has never been broken since the time He gave it to Solomon , and she repeated 2 Chronicles 7:14, and she said : “If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face And turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land . And she said : “You people above all the people I have seen have done that ,you have humbled yourselves, you have confessed to each other made restitution , you pray and you seek God with all your heart, and the Bible says we will seek him and find him when we seek him with all our hearts. And we have become possessed with a desire, a great hunger like the Psalmist said in the 42nd Psalm: As the hart thirsts for the water brooks so panteth my soul for thee oh God. when shall I come and see thee? And God gave us this hunger and the assurance that he was going to satisfy. And 4 years from the time we really started seeking from all of our heats, God came down in mighty power and he began in in other provinces and we in Shantung were fearful that the Lord would pass us and were where the seminary was and where the schools were. So about 40 of us gathered to pray for a week and while we were praying I came under a deep conviction of the sin of not being filled with the Holy Spirit. That was the last spiritual conviction. I felt that God would almost kill me if I didn’t’ get that real understanding of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And I got so desperate and prayed until 12 clock and finally I got my wife up and she got up and prayed with me so I got relieved and said; “ Lord, I will confess my neglect before all the people. They have bragged on me and have said that I am a fine missionary., doing good work , and I accepted the flattery and all.“ And I said : “I will confess tomorrow just how you showed me how sinful and hopeless I am. I am not worth a thing in the world. And so, when I confessed in the morning, the Lord did a wonderful thing and people stared confessing their sin falling on their knees. And that started and continued for 4 days and the house started to fill with people“…..…….( please listen to the rest of the sermon on this link)

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=652