WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

WHAT DOES IT TAKE?

To be a son or daughter to God? The first prerequisite is to have a knowledge of God. Where do we get this knowledge and how do we obtain it? And after we obtain it how do we express it? Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. When speaking of "faith" Paul says that it comes by hearing the Word of God, but if one just hears alone without obeying what they hear through their understanding of who God IS, it does no good to just hear alone. Then later on in Romans Paul says Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Can one hear and disregard what they hear? YES, absolutely and therefore their hearing is just a noise in their ears. Hearing does NO GOOD if what one hears is not followed in obedience. This is where the given measure of faith comes into play! QUESTION: If God has dealt i.e. given every man a measure of faith before they HEAR in Romans 10:17, is the hearing then necessary to the obtaining of faith? YES absolutely! The hearing is like a fuse to the dynamite stick, it ignites the faith already given. Therefore, then to become a son or daughter of God means to hear and obey (by the measure of faith given) to what you hear. Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. [But one does not follow God for the hope of reward. One follows God because they love Him.] So it's extremely necessary to first have a correct knowledge of God and His love for you as an individual aside from just being a church member listening to sermons and attending church and bible studies.

Where do we start? That is the 64 million dollar question, but in this case, it's a question that carries your eternal fate in the balance. So where then do we start? He's a man called Jesus but he is much, much, many times more than being just a man and the GODMAN Immanuel God with Us. Everyone who has ever read and studied the word of God knows that Jesus IS GOD. God the FATHER Himself even called Jesus GOD. Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

His name Jesus means SAVIOR, but Jesus is much more than just your SAVIOR, He is the GOD who left heaven and condescended to become a member of the fallen human beings that needed to be rescued from themselves, their selfish fallen natures. Prior to His condescension, He was the Creator of the race He would later save from themselves to become one with the created race some 4000 years after He created them after they were steeped deeply into SIN as the fallen race. He knew before He was ever born on Earth as the (only Begotten Son) of God that He would come as the (Son of God) for the purpose of redemption. He even knew His mission before He ever created the race that they would fall into SIN. The fall in Eden wasn't an event that just arose out of the blue, God knew before it occurred that IT WOULD occur.

Eve's selfishness arose in her perfect sinless mind. This is one reason why SIN is called the "Mystery of Iniquity!" How could sin arise in the perfect unfallen mind? It FIRST did so in heaven in the mind of Lucifer. It's the (self) that resides in all of humanity "infused through Satan the Devil within humanity" because of the fall of Adam and Eve! Did God create human beings to have inherent possible selfishness within themselves? Had He NOT done so Eve would NOT have fallen, she fell for the temptation because she allowed (self) over God before she actually fell into sin. The same holds true for the fallen Lucifer! Lucifer had withing himself the same thing all of God's created beings have. [It's called a "FREE WILL", selfishness then comes from the wrong exercise of the free will.]

Ask yourself this question. Does God if He so chooses to (be so) have the capability to be selfish? REMEMBER, before you boo-hoo the question that GOD is GOD and nothing is beyond His reach. Is being jealous of another a selfish trait? YES most definately!

What does Jealous mean? Mans Definition: Strongly wanting someone else's position, advantages or possessions, (Which is Coveting) Suspicious or unduly suspicious or fearful of being displaced by a rival, (Which is SELFISHNESS for the human being BUT NOT for God) Protective and suspiciously watchful, A feeling of jealous envy (especially of a rival), Zealous vigilance. When God spoke this Exo 20:5(b) for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, is He then telling us that He is capable of being (selfish) Himself? NO! Absolutely NOT!

God's jealousy is NOT human jealousy! God's jealousy carries the definition of A feeling of jealous vigilance (especially of a rival) (Zealous vigilance) as defined above. God's jealousy and mankind's jealousy are as far apart as Heaven and Earth. Now, look at the entire verses of the FIRST COMMANDMENT of God in the context where the word jealous is found.

Exo 20:2-6 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. [I MUST BE NUMBER ONE] Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: [An IDOL] Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; [If you bow to another god other than God, you hate God] And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, [ALONE as their God] and keep my commandments. The context is in context that God ALONE is GOD, and there can be no other observable God by His people. He ALONE is to be GOD! This is the Zealous vigilance i.e (jealousness), it has nothing to do with (envy, human jealousness, selfishness, coveting, protective and suspiciously watchful, A feeling of jealous envy (especially of a rival as man defines JEALOUS).

There are two primary issues in these verses the one is that God is GOD ALONE, the other is His COMMANDMENTS, His law that reflects His righteous CHARACTER. The Hebrew word for jealous is qannâ' kan-naw' jealous: - jealous. It means ONLY to be jealous as man defines "jealousy." God, however, defines jealousy from a different perspective, a jealousy which is a (jealous vigilance, the watchful care over) motivated by love for His creation whereas human jealousy is not at all motivated by love but by selfishness. It all hangs on the "motive" the root, the reason for the jealousy. For mankind it's selfishness, but for God, it's His love for His creation that is the motive for His jealousy as God.

QUESTION: Did Lucifer before his rebellion have the capability to be jealous? YES! Of course, that is why he coveted the Throne of God. Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Satan preys on the human beings inherent jealousy and selfishness because he knows that they are two of his own traits that cost him his place as the (covering Cherub) in heaven. God has created all of His created beings with the inherent personal (free will), [The Angels DO NOT serve God before His Throne because they were created to do so. Oh NO, they serve Him because they love Him and choose to do so! It's how we choose to use that free will that will determine our eternity with life everlasting or our eternal everlasting destruction. 2Th 1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

QUESTION: If Gods word says that the wicked will be destroyed with an "everlasting destruction" from the presence and power of the Lord, then why does YOUR church and preacher preach to you that the wicked will continue in the Lake of Fire to always be in the presence and within the power of the Lord who could if He chose to do so "deliver them" from some forever burning flame. The doctrine of eternal hellfire punishment IS NOT Bible truth friends, you are being lied to be deceived men dressed in sheep's clothing.

Human beings are NOT special in that they were created in God's own image, so too were the angels and all of God's created beings. [We are only made in His image in that as He as God has a free will, so to do His created beings also have a free will.] When the scripture states that God made mankind in His own image, it is NOT speaking of the physical being, but that of the spiritual being that resides in the mind of man. Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Many I have met who read this verse will argue that if the verse reads the way it reads, then that is what God meant, that we are created just like Him, and if I'm a physical being with a spirit, then so is God, and they can never learn with this mindset, even though God Himself says differently. If God created you or me in His own physical image then we would be (spirit beings) and NOT physical beings. Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

So the first prerequisite for becoming a son or daughter of God is to know who God IS. Human jealousy is a character trait of Satan (infused) into humanity at the very second Eve closed her jaws down on the forbidden fruit, it does NOT come from God. God's jealousy is altogether a different trait than the jealousy of fallen mankind. When Adam and Eve before they sinned, they were both made perfect in mind and body. Did either one of them have the satanic trait of human jealousy within them before they fell in Eden? Absolutely NOT! They were perfectly sinless in thought and deed. Was satanic jealously used by the devil against Eve when he tempted her to sin against God? YES absolutely, it was this same satanic jealousy that replaced the perfect zealousness for God's character by the both of them Eve first then Adam.

When the scripture states: Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. And in Heb 2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands. It is NOT speaking of fallen man! Paul makes this clear when he states: Heb 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

The arrogance and selfishness of fallen mankind reads into these scriptures what no longer applies to mankind. Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. In the beginning, man was given dominion over the Earth, but that dominion was forfeited and given over to Satan the very second the fall took place in Eden, and Satan then became the "god" little (g) of this world having usurped the dominion from man. 2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Look at the narrative Gen 3:1(b) Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Gen 3:4(b) Ye shall not surely die. Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Satan heard God tell Adam and Eve together which their name means (mankind). Gen 2:16,17 And the LORD God commanded the man, [Here we MUST consider the word (man) which means mankind. Mankind can only be considered (mankind) by the presence of the TWO who through procreation were the parents of (mankind). Eve was the female aspect of MANKIND, and she was present with Adam when God gave (man i.e. mankind) that would come through the both of them as (man i.e. mankind)] saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

QUESTION: Was Eve then present with Adam when God gave this instruction? YES, SHE WAS! Look at these two verses Gen 3:2,3 And the woman said unto the serpent, We [My Husband and Me] may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Why did Eve use the word (We and the phrase God hath said) had she NOT been present with Adam, when the command was SPOKEN by God and given?

The fact is she was present and she "quoted verbatim" the command to Satan with her own understanding, that even if she touched the forbidden fruit she would die, and she nor Adam knew what death was, death had not yet been experienced by either one of the perfect pair. Gods command to the (man) Adam i.e. mankind [Gen 2:16,17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, (Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: [Those fruit-bearing trees "outside the circle of the forbidden tree's location"] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the [A Specific location of the forbidden tree in the midst of the garden] thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.)

• Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. NOTICE: The word "tree" is singular. NOT Trees plural! The phrase "of every tree" is plural.
  
• Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. {Now a specific definite article a "tree" singular is identified, the (Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil).
  

· thou shalt not eat of it

· In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

FOUR statements from God to the pair in Eden.

Eve's quote to Satan (Gen 3:2,3 And the woman said unto the serpent, (We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: [Trees plural] But of the fruit of the tree [Specific definite article "the tree" identifying the one tree she was looking at at the time.] which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it), neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.Many preachers will tell you that Eve embellished the command of God simply because the command doesn't specify the phrase "neither shall ye touch it", but that is presumption on their behalf.

What is perceived by some to be missing from Eve's quote to Satan, that was in the original command form the mouth of God? This phrase [Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, is NOT missing but phrased by Eve in a different way with this phrase [We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden] BOTH phrases speak in the PLURAL concerning the trees. God's phrase [Of every tree [PLURAL] every tree speaks of ALL edible trees] parallels Eve's statement "the fruit of the trees" also PLURAL as it identifies all edible trees.] [Those fruit-bearing trees "outside the circle of the forbidden tree's location"] and but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] the [Specific location of the forbidden tree in the midst of the garden] the singular definite article "the tree."

Eve's statements to Satan

· We may eat of the fruit of the trees [PLURAL] of the garden.

· Of the fruit of the tree [SINGULAR] which is in the midst of the garden.

· God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it.

· Neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Take NOTE: Eve did NOT say my mate i.e. husband Adam told me, she said "God hath said" which means she heard God speak this command herself. [There were TWO trees located in the midst of the garden, Eve was standing at the forbidden tree when she spoke this] and the Tree of Life was NOT mentioned even though it too also stood in the midst of the garden. Gen 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When she mad her first statement to Satan "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden" Satan immediately knew he had her, because she stated "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden" revealed her mindset to the devil. Satan knew she was vulnerable to deception when he heard her say "the fruit of the trees of the garden". Did not the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" stand as one of those fruit trees of the garden? Yes it was and it was in the midst of the garden beside the Tree of Life which also bore fruit that perpetuated life.

Then Eve clarified her statement further when she said "Of the fruit of the tree [SINGULAR] which is in the midst of the garden", now we have a singular [specific tree] she did NOT say the plural "trees" and Satan knew he had her already because she left out the fact there were TWO trees in the midst of the garden where she stood. Satan knew her mind was focused on the one singular tree, the one she was forbidden to have, then he moved in for the spiritual kill. He accused God of lying to her when he told her "Ye shall not surely die" and followed it up with a truth that once she partook of the fruit she would be equal with God in her knowledge. He told her "Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes [Your complete Spiritual Understanding which in Eve's mind she perceived that to be a "good thing"]  shall be opened, [Revealed to You] and ye shall be as gods, [HERE is where Eve should have seen the deception when Satan used the word "gods" plural. Eve knew of ONLY one God, her Creator and she should have caught the deception, but as many today who are deceived because they cannot catch the deceptions when it right before them.] knowing good and evil. [This last statement made by Satan to Eve was the truth! [Don't kid yourself when it's to his advantage the devil can speak truth to you in order to deceive you, he does this in all the churches today through his agents standing in the pupits in America and around the world.]

Satan would NOT have used the character of God [God doth know] to Eve, had it been Adam who told her of the tree, he would have said Adam knows that when you eat. This is proof that Eve was present with Adam when God gave the command to abstain from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Remember God commanded the (man) which involved BOTH Adam and Eve together i.e. mankind. Adam did NOT tell her what God commanded, she was present when God gave the command, and Satan was also present and saw both Adam and Eve being given the command, that is why Satan said "God doth know", because he was present and heard God as well give the command to both Adam and Eve. When Eve said "God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it" also proves that Eve herself "heard" God speak the command, she did not say "my husband Adam told me", but that "God hath said!". God may have said but it's not recorded in scripture other than Eve's statement that is recorded "Neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die", just because it is NOT recorded as being spoken by God when He gave the command to the pair, doesn't mean that God didn't say it.

Remember, when Eve spoke this she was perfect in mind and spirit, so she would have no  inclination to speak any form of a "lie" so it can be safely believed that God did say "Neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." And it is recorded coming NOT from the initial command to "MAN" as recorded as God speaking it, but it comes from the perfect mind and spirit of Eve who until she ate the fruit was incapable of telling a lie, so we must believe that God did speak the phrase to them both when He gave the command because at this time it was impossible for Eve to tell a lie. It was only after the fall that she could have spoken any form of a lie. Therefore God must have said, "Neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Therefore, the command would read [Gen 2:16.17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: neither shall ye touch it lest ye die. for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.]

To become a son or daughter of God means to know your FATHER which is in heaven. In the garden of Eden the creator of Heaven and Earth with His own hands formed (man) from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of God which then animated the (man) to become a living "soul" a living being with the ability to serve perfectly as a son and daughter of God. Eve, was not an after thought of the Creator, she was planned by the Creator "in Adam" when Adam was formed. When the scripture states Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. This verse does NOT mean that Adam was a poor lonely soul grieving because he had no mate. It simply meant that to Adam, that he was a "one of a kind" the original human "monogenesis", it does NOT mean Adam was lonely and pouting because he didn't have a helpmeet. Adam was perfect in mind and spirit when he came from the hand of the Creator and there was no thought in his mind of being lonely, his only desire was to commune with God. It was the Creator who said Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

QUESTION: Why was it NOT good? Because God's purpose for His Creation of Adam was "procreation" and because Eve had not yet been created from Adam, that made it "not good". Procreation that had been planned by God from eternity past for His new creation made in His own spiritual image could not materialize as He had planned it without making the helpmeet for Adam, and that is what made it "not good" at the time. Adam didn't have the desire for a helpmeet, God had the desire for Adam to have a helpmeet, a mate. Adam understood this when he gave the designation of "woman" and called her Eve which means the mother of all living.

Eve was not an after thought of God that moved Him to say "not good that the man should be alone" the cursive words "It is" are added by the translators. Eve was planned before Adam's ribs had even been formed by the hand of the Creator. To be a son or daughter of God is to know and understand who GOD IS. This takes personal effort on the part of the "son or daughter", one cannot just find a church, attend that church, become a member of that church, make a decision on their own to follow Jesus Christ and become a son or daughter of God. YOU must know WHO GOD IS! Before you can make the choice of "self-sacrifice" which is the first step and that first step to become a son or daughter of God can only come from God Himself. Jesus made this clear when He said Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. No one can become a son or a daughter of the FATHER unless they go through Jesus Christ the Creator, and no man (son or daughter) can go through the Creator to their FATHER unless the FATHER who sent the Son draws them to the Creator. Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

One cannot just chose to be a Christian!

EXAMPLE: You cannot come to the personal choice one day to decide to be a Christian. You say, I have moved into a new area with my wife and family, I know it's important to have a good environment for my children, and I believe that God would want me to raise them to know Him. You decide to pick up the local paper or yellow pages and find a local church to get established in your new community. You find a church, and you and your family attend as a family. After a while after talking it over with your wife the both of you decide to join the church you have chosen thinking that is God's will for both of you and your children. Then you approach the pastor of the church and make your desires known to him that you and your family would like to become members of the local congregation. A date is set and scheduled baptisms into the church are planned. The date arrives and you and your family, along with the church membership all attend your baptisms and you're welcomed into the church with the right hand of fellowship by all your church members. Now you believe you're saved and accepted by God as a (son or daughter) of God.

Friend, nothing is farther from the truth! If you're not personally convicted of your personal need with the desire to "die to self" and allow God to live within you, then when you were baptized you simply came up from the waters a "wet sinner" and nothing spiritual within you took palce. Yes, tis true that ALL baptized sinners, still come up from the baptismal waters still a sinner "wet", but if your heart has been changed before you got wet, then after you got wet in baptism, then the Holy Spirit of God takes over and what was once a "dry sinner" before your baptism, you now become a "wet sinner" in which the Spirit of God can transform through sanctification unto life eternal, if (your self) has died before you were baptized. If your "self" did NOT die before you were baptized, then your baptism was a useless display of a sinner making his or her own choice to come to Jesus Christ. IT DON'T WORK LIKE THAT!

Unless the FATHER draws you to the Son, you cannot just choose to go to the Son. Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. How does the Father (DRAW) you? By WHOM does He draw you? To WHOM does He draw you too? In John 14 Jesus is speaking to believers NOT non-believers. He begins with the prerequisite of "love" and "keeping the commandments of God". Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [THIS IS THE BELIEVER WHO HAS ALREADY SURRENDERED TO JESUS CHRIST] Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Joh 14:23,24 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Joh 16:7,8 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove [CONVICT] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

According to the word of GOD, in order to become a (son or daughter of God) the following are the perquisites before you become such.

• Personal conviction that you're outside of God's will for you. Joh 16:8 And when he [the Comforter ] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. If you are NOT reproved (Convicted of your personal SIN and SELFISHNESS) personally by the Spirit of God of your need of the Savior, then if you join a church and just decide to become a Christian, you are SELF DECIEVED. Personal CONVICTION of personal SIN and selfishness is the FIRST prerequisite for becoming a (son or daughter) of GOD! This personal conviction by the Comforter is the drawing by the Father to the Son. Only then can we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. Jesus must ALWAYS be your SAVIOR first BEFORE He can become your EXAMPLE.
• A personal LOVE for God must be developed within you to the degree it leads to the OBEDIENCE of His Commandments. So the SECOND prerequisite is a love for Jesus Christ and this can only be formed within you by having a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ from His word, NOT from your preacher/teacher. This means a personal effort on your part to actually desire and want to know in WHOM you have believed. 2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
• This (new found) love for Jesus Christ will then lead to the obedience of His commandments. Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  
• Today the churches teach a (false gospel) when they teach you that the (Commandments) i.e. God's Law is no longer required when God the Son Himself clearly states that we cannot love Him as the Savior and disregard His commandments. Many believe the lie because they want a "milk toasty" gospel one that doesn't require them to make any personal changes in their lives. They call it being "saved by grace" and tis true we are, but grace, saving grace doesn't negate the demands of the Law of God. It was God's GRACE that moved Him to identify SIN to man by giving them His law at Sinai. Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. If you negate God's Law in your life, you cover your personal SIN and you cannot identify it within yourself, therefore you believe GRACE covers your sin. LAW and GRACE cannot be separated, you can't have GRACE without the LAW and you cannot have LAW without GRACE. Does Law-keeping save anyone? NO! But law-keeping is the source of Christian Character because we love Jesus and desire to follow His word. The very last book in the Canon of God Revelations in the last chapter of the last book before humanities saga ends for all eternity, God clearly states that unless the Law of God is kept by His servants, they have NO RIGHT to even enter into heaven. Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

So far the prerequisites of becoming a son or daughter of God we have discovered are:

• A personal conviction of sin and selfishness.
• A developed LOVE for the Savior of the World
• The "Keeping of God's commandments based on your love for Him.

If any one of these three are NOT present BEFORE and AFTER you're baptized, friend you cannot become a (son or daughter) of God, no matter how long you've been a church member and claim to have been a Christian. Unless the FATHER draws you to the Son, you cannot just decide to become a Christian of your own choice. Yes, making the choice is part of becoming a son or daughter, but ONLY after God Himself has drawn you to Jesus Christ. Every apostle, every healed person in scripture was drawn by the Father to the Son, through the Son (who is GOD) who called the disciples with the command "follow me" were instantly drawn to Jesus in their spirits and left all including their own earthly father sitting in a boat to follow Jesus. You MUST be called before you can come it can be done NO OTHER way friend.

Jesus said Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen. The "many" here includes the entire world. Jesus is the Savior of the World, not just the Savior of many. The many are called through the Cross of Christ, but only those who respond to the call will be chosen by God as (sons and daughters) of God. The word "called" here in the Greek "klaytos' " means "invited" κλητός klētos klay-tos' invited, that is, appointed, or (specifically) a saint: - called. You cannot be appointed until you have accepted the "invitation", it was only after Jesus invited the disciples to follow Him, that they then became appointed as apostles. And the invitation can only come as one is "called". To just choose to become a Christian because you think it the right thing to do, is NOT being invited nor called by God.

It's because of the self-called preachers and ministers and church members today standing in the pulpits and sitting in the pews around the world, that the church stands before God in apostasy and is called Babylon the Great. This doesn't mean that God doesn't have His people within the established churches, they are there, but they are sitting among many tares and unless they can identify them, the old adage of "misery loves company" will eventually (rob them) of their personal joy in Christ in one way or another as they will eventually become one of the tares themselves unless they follow Gods word here Rev 18:4,5 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

To become a (son or daughter) of God means to follow Him His way, not your own way. You cannot just decide to become a Christian because you think it the right thing to do. You must be "called, invited" and that invitation came long ago some 1989 years ago when Jesus died on the Cross for you His (sons and daughters) many of which will NOT be accepted or chosen because they have chosen to come to Him without being invited i.e. called. They have NOT been drawn through the Holy Spirit of God i.e. the Comforter, but have chosen in the case of apostate ministers and preachers who are self-called to a bogus ministry, teaching them lies about salvation and how it's obtained. For them, it's only "grace", but grace doesn't negate nor change the correct process of becoming a (son or daughter) of God.

There is but ONE WAY and that WAY is through Jesus Christ and one cannot follow Him by their own choice, one must be called, invited, through the Spirit of God convicting them of their need of the Savior. Any other choice is tainted with selfishness and is sin. Even when one decides to follow Jesus if it's not based on a personal calling it is selfishness and sin on the part of the one who decides to just become a minister or a Christian. One very obvious example of this selfish desire is Simon the sorcerer who thought he could buy the power of God. Philip was preaching the truth in Samaria. Act 8:9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one. When Simon heard his sermon Act 8:12,13 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. TAKE NOTE: Simon the sorcerer "believed and was baptized" but he was a "wet sinner" who hadn't died to "personal selfishness." Then Peter and John arrived in Samaria and prayed for the new converts. When Simon witnessed the power of God in the Holy Spirit, his (selfishness) materialized and was immediately recognized by Peter. Act 8:14,15 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. Act 8:17,18 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money. Some things are better left UNSAID!

Act 8:19-24 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

Take NOTE: Simons statement of "Pray ye to the Lord for me" after Peter telling him to of his own to "pray God", if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee" reveals that Simon's heart was NOT changed by his belief and baptism, for him he had no personal God, which verifies Peter's statement of "[Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.]" Yet today within the Christian community if one speaks up in this manner of open sin, they are accused of (being judgmental) towards the one who is called out for their open sin. This happens because the one who accuses of (judgmentalism) are themselves as Peter stated "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity" themselves and they don't know it.

There are many ministers and preachers standing in the pulpits of the churches who are "in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity" while they want you to perceive them as Act 8:10,11 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. They want you to see them too give them (heed, a man who "is the great power of God" to be given "regard" as a minister/preacher. Through their ministries and it's ONLY their ministries because it's NOT God's ministry they are fulfilling Matthew 24:4. Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Just as Simon the sorcerer bewitched the people so too do these self-called ministers who enter the ministry for self-gain. Some, no most of them buy their credentials online through diploma mills in order to perform marriages for gain, and to enter some unsuspecting church as a minister simply for gain. Their hearts are NOT right with God!

No self-respecting church should hire any minister without FIRST verifying their ministerial credentials as being given from a seminary education and even then NOT hire them to the position until after three full years of hearing his sermons and observing his demeanor. To monitor him or her with scrupulous scrutiny in every word and deed before they even consider having him/her as a pastor over the flock of God. When you ever hear any minister state something like this "my church or my congregation" get out of that church because that man or woman is a false prophet because they see themselves as the shepherd over the flock of God when the flock should be seeing Jesus as their shepherd. Any minister who speaks of the church membership as their church or their congregation is a false minister. Friends, it's the church of Jesus Christ alone and no man has the right to speak of the church as his or hers. NOTE: Zec 6:13(a) Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory. NOT some phony bogus paper mill credentialed minister without understanding and without the knowledge of God or His word.

The WATCHMAN !!!