And millions are being deceived, misled into think­ing they are saved, when they are not!
       People have been taught, falsely, that “Christ com­pleted the Plan of Salvation on the Cross” — when actually it was only begun there. The popular denomina­tions have taught, “Just BELIEVE — that’s all there is to it; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are that instant saved!”
       That teaching is false! And because of deception — because the TRUE GOSPEL of Jesus Christ has been all but blotted out, lo these 1900 years by the preaching of a false gospel about the Person of Christ — and often a false Christ at that — millions today WORSHIP CHRIST — and all in vain! “In vain do they worship me,” said Jesus, “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:6-9).
       Man is mortal. Man has no immortality inherent within himself. Christ Jesus, only, of all men who have lived, has immortality (I Tim. 6:16). The penalty of sin is DEATH — the second, or eternal, death, from which there will be no resurrection. And ALL have sinned and come under this sentence. Only GOD has eter­nal life inherent in Himself (John 5:26) — only GOD has eternal life to give. And as the Father has life in — inherent in — Himself, so has He given to the Son, Christ, to have immortal life inherent within Himself. And through Christ, God gives it to us (I John 5:11-12) — and whoever has not Christ has not eternal life. Eternal life is a GIFT no man has until he receives it as GOD’S GIFT (Rom. 6:23).
       The BLOOD of Christ does not finally save any man. The death of Christ did pay the penalty of sin in our stead — it wipes the slate clean of past sins — it saves us merely from the DEATH PENALTY — it removes that which separated us from God and reconciles us to God.
       But we are SAVED — that is, given immortal life — by Christ’s LIFE, not by His death (Rom. 5:10). Christ is a living Saviour! He is not dead — He rose from the dead! We could never be saved by His blood alone, if He had not risen from the dead (I Cor. 15:17-18).
       We are mortal, without immortal life inherent in us, under penalty of eternal DEATH from sin — unless saved. To be saved, we must be born of God, who is a Spirit. We were born of human parents, and therefore we are human — flesh — dust — of the earth, earthy (John 3:3, 6; Gen. 2:7; 3:19; I Cor. 15:47-49). To be born of God, we must, first, now in this life, receive the impregnating LIFE — the Holy Spirit — from God. We are then merely begotten, spiritually — comparing to an unborn human babe still in its mother’s womb — not yet really BORN. We then become merely HEIRS of the Kingdom — not yet inheritors.
       Becoming converted means being CHANGED. When one receives the Holy Spirit of God, his whole viewpoint, his outlook, his purposes, goals, ways of thought — everything — becomes CHANGED! It is a renewing of the MIND — the Spirit of a sound mind. But he is as yet merely begotten. And, as the unborn babe must be fed, through the mother, and must develop and grow physi­cally before it can be born, so the converted human, now spiritually begotten, must be fed on the spiritual food of GOD’S WORD, and must GROW SPIRITUALLY — must grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ as He reveals His knowledge through His Word (II Peter 3:18). He must OVERCOME the down-pull of his human nature and achieve self-discipline. He must learn PATIENCE, must grow in LOVE, FAITH, and UNDERSTANDING. He must do the WORKS of Christ; and, in this spiritual growth — this life of active service — he must ENDURE persecutions and afflictions and trials UNTO THE END.
       It is only those who, during this Christian Spirit-begotten life, have grown in knowledge and grace, have overcome, have developed spiritually, done the works of Christ, and endured unto the end, who shall finally be given IMMORTALITY — finally changed from mortal to IMMORTAL at the time of the second coming of Christ (I Cor. 15:53-54).
       So, being, as we say, converted — receiving the Holy Spirit of God — is merely the beginning! Then begins a lifetime of LIVING under the GOVERNMENT OF GOD — by God’s laws which express His will, instead of by self-will and desire.
       A PERSON IS NOT EVEN BEGOTTEN OF GOD UNLESS HE IS CHRIST’S (I John 5:12). AND HE IS NOT CHRIST’S UNLESS HE HAS RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT (Rom. 8:9). One is not even converted — spiritually begotten — not even STARTED on the way to final salvation, unless and until he RECEIVES THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM GOD!
       The question, then — how to make the first BEGIN­NING of becoming a Christian — how to START on the Christian life — which leads to eternal life — is how to thus be CHANGED and receive God’s Holy Spirit!