Now pay close attention: This world's Recreation, Education, Intoxication, Denominations, Legislation, or Medications will never ever rid your heart, mind and soul of your own personal misery, guilt and sins. But what is needed most in our heart and mind? REGENERATION: The sure and lasting work of the Eternal Spirit. His work of divine Grace is Essential in the heart of every man and woman. But human nature rebels and refuses to seek the Holy Spirit's help and healing, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. Self-righteous human nature says, "I'm all I got, and I'm all I need."
The atoning soul-saving work of Christ Jesus for us is completely Finished, once and for all; but the work of the Holy Spirit in us must be done as well. First, at the New Birth when we become new creatures in Christ, and then day by day as we yield and walk in the Spirit with a willing heart desiring to please God the Father. Propitiation, Justification, Regeneration, and Sanctification are all works of the eternal Grace and Power of the Godhead, not by any man's merits or through any man-made religious acts.
Build your soul's eternal Safety only on the person and work of the Savior of the world - The Prince of Life, Christ Jesus Himself. The grand truth of the atoning Precious Blood, and faith in our Substitute whose name is Emmanuel, God with us. There is matchless Goodness and Sweetness that dwells in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The words of God are never appreciated and desired until the heart is given a divine appetite by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin, and may be trying to convince you of your most heinous sin (the rejection of Christ) at this moment. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
The Holy Spirit quickens, convinces, converts, consoles, guides, instructs, sustains, nurtures, sanctifies, perfects, matures. First, we must be fully convinced by the Holy Spirit of our deadly sinful condition. Until we yield and read our own spiritual blood work, we won't be convinced of our soul's terminal condition. To truly learn anything, we must be taught by the Spirit of God through the words of God. The Holy Spirit convinces us of our guilt, leads us to Christ Jesus the Truth, enables us to flee every false way through God-given Repentance, assists us in detecting sin, and discerning both good and evil. The Holy Spirit convinces us of sin, and brings us to the Savior's feet. The most malignant of all diseases are your own Sins lurking deep within you now. Your most fatal choice is to neglect the Savior, and your most deadly decision is to reject the Savior. The Holy Ghost must convince the sinner of his lost estate and gently persuade him to turn from sinning against God. Only the Goodness of God will ever lead us to Repentance.
Nothing short of divine Salvation from Jesus Christ will do. The only safe ground of trust is Christ's solid Foundation. The Holy Spirit brings upon us the dreadful conviction of sin, then He give us faith and conversion in Jesus Christ. There is no sound place in you whatsoever; you must be reduced to despair, and under a sense of your sins, be dragged through the thorn hedge, and locked up in the prison of conviction, and beaten with the ten-thonged whip of the Law, ready utterly to die and see the Savior through the bars, you call out to Him for mercy, and then Jesus comes into your cell and says to you, "Be of Good Comfort, thy sins are forgiven thee."
You must first feel that your entire existence up to this day has been a blank in the sight of God, an absolut insult to God, and that you're the sole cause of your own Misery. Nothing in your past or present yields any comfort, your dread your past and have no present hope, you then begin to bemoan yourself and say: Would to God I had never been born into this world? You lament because all you can do is Evil, and the things you once boasted about, they now horrify you. Only grievous burdens are to be borne by your soul without Christ. Your Sins will only bring you more despair, misery, confusion and hunger. Why seek ye the Living among the dead things of this world? The prodigal son in Luke 16 said to himself, "even these pigs have it better than me." You must be born again and renewed in your heart by the Holy Ghost Himself.
Be wise now: As humbly as you can, ask God the Father to draw you to His dear Son through the working of the Holy Spirit. Expose your heart to the words of God and the Holy Spirit of God. Religion says this: God does His part, and I do my part. But this is a Lie; God must draw you to His Son, or you will never truly come. (See Matthew 11:27; John 6:44; John 12:32) Only the Holy Spirit can open the inner ear of your soul and give you attentive listening, and the true desire to Understand the Gospel and Christ Jesus. You must be saved by divine Charity, and come to Christ as a thief, harlot, criminal, and beggar. Jesus said, All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. All that the Father giveth me shall come to Me, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.
The Holy Spirit must apply the scriptures to your soul and heart with the working of His mighty power. Just give up: Your self-righteousness or any religious act can never raise you from your inward spiritual death. The Holy Spirit must commend the word of the Gospel to your conscience and understanding. The Holy Spirit must quicken you and give you true consciousness of your sinfulness, danger, and inability. You must be brought down from being commendable to condemnable, from strength to nothingness and weakness, from attractiveness to wretchedness, the glory of man is withered up, and you begin to truly feel defiled and sense your evil thoughts within. (See Mark 7:21-23)
The invisible working of the Holy Spirit brings all of man's self-excellency to naught, and destroys the pride of man. The flesh profiteth nothing, the flesh relies on works, and insanely persists that it has something it must do to help save itself. Only the Holy Spirit can translate you from death unto Life, from darkness to Light, from the power of Satan unto God, from the power of darkness to the Kingdom of God's dear Son.
Nothing great or small remains for you to do: JESUS died a bloody death in your place and paid your entire sin debt with His own sinless Blood. He left His lofty throne on high, He stooped to do and die. Everything was fully done for you, long long ago. It is Finished! was JESUS' cry from the Cross. Weary, heavy laden Soul, why do you toil so? Cease your doings, for all was done by the Lamb of God. Until you cleave to Jesus' Finished Work alone by simple Faith, your doings are deadly things, and all your doings will end in Eternal Death. Cast your deadly doings overboard, fall down at JESUS' feet, and instantly you will be made Complete in Him. Christ in your heart will drown the taste and addiction you have for the lusts of this world. (See I Peter 1:14; I Peter 4:3)
My conscience, heart and soul must Rest on the sinless Substitute's Blood Atonement for sinners. My mind must be absolutely divorced from every other confidence. You see, I must rest comfortably upon who the Father has set forth to be the Propitiation, the Finished Work, the Blood and Righteousness of Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh. (See Matthew 11:28) Being born again of the Holy Spirit is like regaining consciousness after being in a long dark sinful COMA. Only the Grace and Mercies of God can bring your Soul out of this deadly COMA. Your Sins put you in this COMA, but only DR. JESUS can bring you out.
When you are born again, your appetites and affection are altered, converted, reversed heavenward. You begin to love Jesus Christ, holiness and purity within, and being to strive after inward purity, and have communion with God and the witness of the Holy Spirit. Sure and certain pardon of sins are sealed home to your heart. You begin to be in communication with God, and then you start to discern leading, warnings, consolation, instruction, directions of the Holy Spirit. You actually begin to enjoy communicating with God the Father. The divine nature of the New Birth begins within your Soul from a single seed being planted by the Holy Spirit: the Word of Faith. (See Romans 10:8)
Be still, be small, be silent, draw nigh to God, renew your strength, then speak for Christ. Live in the Holy Spirit, and then you will Live by the Father, and you will live for Christ. Intimate communion with the Father, loving adoration, heartfelt gratitude, confession of sins, humble petition, childlike confidence, and holy resolution. I will call upon Him as long as I live, and continue in Prayer. Communion with Christ is the only place where your Soul will find true REST each day. After you are born again, you will be freed from the fear of death and the dread of the wrath to come, and from superstitious idolatry such as the adoration of the virgin Mary. Salvation from above brings childlike simplicity toward JESUS, plainness to our speech, quietness and peace to our hearts, rest unto our Souls, sense of security and courage, childlike confidence in the Father, trusting in Him without a doubt, and a childlike spirit which adores the dear Father.
Now remember Soul, Don't Forget: This world with its cunningly devised spells and seducing spirits is going to try its best to distract, deceive, conform, and doom you. Recreation, Education, Intoxication, Legislation, Denominations, or Medication will never ever rid your heart, mind and soul of your own personal misery, guilt and sins.
