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๐๏ธ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐น๐ต ๐จ๐ฎ๐จ๐ฐ๐ต: ๐พ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ถ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐บ ๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ถ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ต๐ถ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๏ธ ๐จ ๐พ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
- May 22
- 34 min read
Updated: Jun 11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Chapter One โ A Word to the One Who Believes He Is Good Enough
Chapter Two โ Getting Saved Has Nothing to Do with You
Chapter Three โ The Forgotten Moment That Changes Everything
Chapter Four โ The Death of Jesus Is Sufficient to Take You to Heaven
Chapter Five โ People Are Incapable of Understanding God Without the Holy Spirit
Chapter Six โ The Scriptures Speak: How Faith in Jesus Births You by the Holy Spirit
Chapter Seven โ The Bible Creates Your Faith in Jesus
The Sinner's Prayer
Final Invitation
Epilogue โ It Was Never About You โ It Was Always About Him
FOREWORD
A Word from the Lord โ
The High and Lofty One Who Inhabits Eternity
"For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy..." โ Isaiah 57:15
Thus says the Lord:
"I am the Lord. I can do all. I can do whatever I want. I don't need you for nothing."
These are not the words of a distant God โ they are the words of a sovereignย One. A God who owes no explanation, seeks no permission, and requires no assistance. He who spoke the universe into existence from nothing, who holds every breath in His hand, who numbers the hairs on your head and the stars in the sky โ this is the God who is speaking to you now.
He does not need your goodness. He does not need your works. He does not need your church attendance, your tithes, or your moral record. He is God โ and He alone determines the terms of salvation.
"I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from Me there is no God." โ Isaiah 45:5
What follows in these pages is not the opinion of man. It is not the doctrine of a denomination. It is the Word of the Lord โ the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity โ delivered to you in love, in urgency, and in sovereign grace.
Read it carefully. Receive it humbly. For the One who spoke these words needs nothing from you โ and yet, in His mercy, He is still speaking.
CHAPTER ONE
A Word to the One Who Believes He Is Good Enough
Do you find yourself questioning the justice of God โ wondering how a righteous God could sentence you to eternal fire? You believe in Jesus. You attend church faithfully. You pay your tithes. You have set aside the ways of the world โ the parties, the recklessness โ and you have built a respectable life. You are raising your children well. You are, by every measure the world offers, a good person.
And yet, none of that is sufficient.
The entrance into the Kingdom of God is not granted on the basis of moral conduct, religious attendance, or financial faithfulness to the church. There is only one door โ and it is the new birth. You must be born again. This transformation comes solely through faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ, who bore your sins upon the Cross. Yet many reject this truth, unable to reconcile why their goodness does not count before a holy God. They tithe. They attend. They even believe โ and still, they have never been born again.
I was shown a vision through film โ a parable of our time. Six souls aboard a vessel. Two were received into glory. Four were not. The two who ascended had one thing in common: they had been reborn by the Spirit of God. One was a devoted believer. The other was not โ but her mother had prayed without ceasing, and those prayers bore eternal fruit. She was born again before death came for her.
The others were not so fortunate. Two were taken by the enemy before they could repent. Two more โ though likable, ambitious, and full of life โ had never surrendered to Christ. One was charming and driven, pursuing the American Dream with wit and determination. The other was beautiful and searching, longing for love in all the wrong places. They were not wicked by the world's standards. But they had never placed their faith in Jesus. They had never been born again. And so, God withdrew His covering, and the enemy claimed what was his.
You, who are consumed with building a life in this world โ with business, with comfort, with the approval of others โ while giving little thought to the life that follows. You, who are pleasant and modern and well-liked, but have never truly reckoned with the Cross. Hear this clearly: the image you have cultivated in this world will mean nothing on the day you stand before eternity. Your charm will not move the enemy. Your reputation will not shield you. Your accomplishments will not speak on your behalf.
What will matter โ the only thing that will matter โ is whether you placed your faith in Jesus Christ and were born again by the Holy Spirit.
Tonight, God is calling you to the Cross. Not because you are wicked. Not because you are worse than others. But because He loves you, and He sees what is coming for you if you do not answer His call. He sees the enemy that awaits the soul who dies without Christ.
Look upon Jesus โ beaten beyond human recognition, broken for you โ and understand that this was done so that you would not have to face what He faced. His suffering was your substitute. His death was your door.
Who you are in this world does not get you to heaven. Only your faith in Jesus does.
The Cross is before you. The choice is yours. Choose life.
Isaiah 52:13-15 Living Bible
13ย See, my Servant shall prosper; he shall be highly exalted.
14-15ย Yet many shall be amazed when they see himโyes, even far-off foreign nations and their kings; they shall stand dumbfounded, speechless in his presence.ย For they shall see and understand what they had not been told before. They shall see my Servant beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know it was a person standing there. So shall he cleanse many nations.
CHAPTER TWO
Getting Saved Has Nothing to Do with You
Hear what the Lord is saying to you. If you believe that your good works, your moral character, or your personal goodness can earn your salvation and secure your entrance into heaven, you are mistaken. Getting saved has nothing to do with you.
Salvation is not a human achievement. It is the outcome of a divine conflict โ a battle between God and the devil โ and it is settled entirely by what Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross. It is His sacrifice that God the Father accepts as the basis for your entrance into heaven. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, when He makes you born again, that brings you into eternal life. You cannot make it on your own. Without Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, you have no path to God.
Monergism (mon-er-jiz-uhm)
Monergismย is a theological term derived from the Greek mono-ย (โoneโ) and ergonย (โworkโ), meaning โthe work of oneโ. In Christian doctrine, it refers to the belief that God alone is the sole agent in human salvation.
I believe in monergism because the Lord has shown meโthrough experience and scriptureโthat He alone is the effective agent in salvation.
This isnโt a conclusion I reached mainly through study or theological debate. The Lord taught me monergism by the way He has dealt with me personallyโby showing me, in lived reality, that He is the One who initiates, sustains, and completes His saving work in me.
Because I know the Lord, I can testify on His behalf that monergism is the truth: salvation is of the Lord. No one can come to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44). We are saved by grace, through faithโand even this is not from ourselves; it is Godโs gift, not a result of works (Ephesians 2:8โ9). It is God who gives repentance (2 Timothy 2:25) and grants belief (Philippians 1:29). And it is God who works in us both to will and to act according to His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
Salvation is Godโs work from beginning to end: He chooses, calls, gives new birth, grants repentance and faith, and keeps His people to the end (John 6:44; Ephesians 2:8โ9; Philippians 1:6).
Every response to Him is a gift from Him. Apart from Christ I can do nothing (John 15:5), and it is God who works in me both to will and to act according to His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
So if I believe, repent, obey, and persevere, I cannot boastโas though I supplied the decisive power. All glory belongs to the Lord, because from Him and through Him and to Him are all things (Romans 11:36).
Theological Meaning
Divine monergismย holds that every step of salvationโeffectual calling, regeneration, faith, and perseveranceโis entirely the work of God, without any human cooperation in bringing about salvation. This view is central to Calvinist (Reformed), Augustinian, and Lutheranย soteriology, and is often linked to unconditional election and prevenient grace.
It teaches that the Holy Spiritย is the only efficient agent in regeneration, giving believers spiritual ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart to understand Godโs Word. Without this divine work, the natural human will is incapable of turning to Christ.
This contrasts with synergism, which affirms that salvation involves both Godโs work and human cooperation.
Etymology
The word monergismย comes from:
mono-ย (Greek monos, โoneโ)
ergonย (Greek ergon, โworkโ)
-ismย (suffix denoting a doctrine or belief).
Key Points
Divine monergism: Salvation is Godโs work from beginning to end.
Humanistic monergism: A less common view (associated with Pelagianism) that humans alone determine their salvation.
Opposition to synergism: Synergism sees salvation as a cooperative effort between God and man.
In short, monergismย in Christian theology most often means the doctrine that God alone effects salvation, making Him the sole author of every step in the process.
"Sovereign Grace"
Salvation is entirely a work of God, independent of human free will.
"For the grace of Godย that brings salvationย has appeared to all men."ย โ Titus 2:11
"...the goodness of God leads youย to repentance?"ย โ Romans 2:4
"We love Him because He first loved us."ย โ 1 John 4:19
Human nature is fallen and "dead" in sin; therefore, the initiative for salvation rests solely with God.
"And you wereย dead inย your trespasses and sins."ย โ Ephesians 2:1
The human will isย enslaved to sin and incapable of choosing God on its own. This confirms what Scripture has always declared โ that the bond of iniquity rooted in human nature is the totalย depravity of all humanity.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast."ย โ Ephesians 2:8โ9
"So thenย it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy."ย โ Romans 9:16
The decision to save an individual is made by God in eternity past, rather than being a response to a future choice made by the individual.
"...He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love. He predestined us to adoption as sons to Himself through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will."ย โ Ephesians 1:4โ5
"Yet to all who received Him, He gave the powerย to become sons of God โ to those who believed in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."ย โ John 1:12โ13
You are in Christ by God's doing, so that no one can boast before Him.
"...so that no flesh should boast in His presence. But because of Him you are in Christ Jesus..."ย โ 1 Corinthians 1:29โ30
Without divine intervention, no human would ever choose to turn toward God.
"...there is no one who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become worthless. There is no one who does good โ no, not one."ย โ Romans 3:11โ12
Godย enablesย the human will to respondย to the Gospel without overriding human freedom.
" And if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself."ย โ John 12:32
"For the grace of Godย that brings salvationย has appeared to all men."ย โ Titus 2:11
Your Will Belongs to God
Even your willingness to say yes to God is not your own doing. It is God who works in you, both to will and to act according to His good purpose:
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."ย โ Philippians 1:6
"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."ย โ Philippians 2:13
God does not need your help. He is fully capable of producing in you all the obedience required to please Him and to enter the gates of the New Jerusalem:
"Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."ย โ Revelation 22:14
This is a matter between God and the devil. It has very little to do with you.
What the Devil Did to You
Through sin, the devil erected a barrier between you and Godโone no human strength can breach. He took our power to choose from us. Inside, we quietly desire to choose good, but we cannotโbecause he introduced what Scripture calls โthe bond of iniquityโ into human flesh. Acts 8:23 warns, โFor I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.โย And Jesus declares the consequence of that bondage in John 8:34: โMost assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.โ
You still make real decisions, yet the fallen nature bends those decisions toward sin and away from God. The will may consent to what is right, but the flesh resists the doing of it. Paul spoke this with painful honesty in Romans 7:18โ19: โFor I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.โย This is why Scripture says in Romans 8:7, โBecause the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.โ
This captivity began in Eden. When Adam sinned, he did more than break a commandโhe opened the door to a corrupted nature that passed to every human being. Romans 5:12 declares, โTherefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.โย Romans 5:19 adds, โFor as by one manโs disobedience many were made sinners.โย And 1 Corinthians 15:22 states it plainly: โFor as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.โ
That sinful nature does not merely tempt youโit binds you. Jeremiah 17:9 exposes the root: โThe heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?โย Galatians 5:17 reveals the inward war: โFor the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.โย And Romans 6:20 names the slavery beneath it: โFor when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.โ
This is why the devilโs work was so devastatingโand why only God could undo it. 1 John 3:8 declares, โHe who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.โย Yet God sent a Deliverer, not a lecturerโOne who breaks chains, not merely exposes them. Hebrews 2:14โ15 proclaims, โInasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.โ
Here is the hard truth: you are bound to the very things you hate. Romans 7:15 confesses, โFor what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.โย And the cry of the captive rises in Romans 7:24: โO wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?โย But heaven answers with authority in John 8:36: โTherefore if the Son makes you free,ย you shall be free indeed.โ
The devil has made you your own worst enemy. Your fiercest adversary is not merely around you, but within youโyour fallen โself,โ the flesh that resists God and wars against what is holy. This is the truth behind the old Christian saying: โThe enemy - en-a-me.โ
What Jesus Did for You
Everything the devil did to enslave you, Jesus Christ came to undo. He didn't just forgive your sins โ He dismantled the very power that held you captive and restored your ability to choose God.
He Forgave Every Sin โ Past, Present, and Future
Jesus took the full weight of your sin upon Himself so that you could be made completely right with God. Romans 3:25 tells us that "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood โ to be received by faith."ย He who was without sin became sin on your behalf, as 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares: "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."ย And those sins are not merely covered โ they are removed entirely. Psalm 103:12 assures us: "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."
He Destroyed the Devil's Power Over You
Jesus didn't just save you from sin โ He publicly defeated the one behind it. Colossians 2:13โ15 declares: "Having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us... He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." This victory was intentional and complete. Hebrews 2:14โ15 confirms: "Through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."ย And 1 John 3:8 makes the purpose unmistakably clear: "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
He Freed Your Will Through the Holy Spirit
Before Christ, you were dead in your sins โ powerless to choose God. But through Jesus, that changed forever. Colossians 2:13 declares: "You, being dead in your trespasses... He has made alive together with Him."ย And 1 John 3:9 reveals the result of being born of God: "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."
He Gave You a New Nature
When the Holy Spirit makes you born again, He doesn't simply improve your old nature โ He replaces it. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."ย And with that new nature comes the very character of God Himself. As 2 Peter 1:4 promises, you become "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
He Gave You the Holy Spirit to Overcome the Flesh
Finally, Jesus gave you the Holy Spirit โ not only to seal your salvation, but to mortify your flesh and sanctify the bond of iniquity within it. Romans 8:13 declares: "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."ย And Galatians 5:16 promises: "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."ย The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in you โ empowering you to walk in the freedom Jesus purchased for you.
What the Holy Spirit Does for You โ The Work of Sanctification
Obeying God requires effort on your part โ but it is never effort in your own strength. Every step of obedience is empowered entirely by the Holy Spirit living within you. This is what Scripture calls the mortification and sanctification of the flesh โ the ongoing work of the Spirit to transform you from the inside out.
You Were Set Apart for Obedience
This work didn't begin with you โ it began with God. As 1 Peter 1:2 declares, you are "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."ย Sanctification is not optional โ it is the very purpose for which you were chosen. And as you yield to the Spirit in obedience, your soul is purified. 1 Peter 1:22 confirms: "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren."
You Put Sin to Death by the Spirit
The flesh does not die on its own โ it must be actively put to death. But this is not something you do alone. Romans 8:13 makes the distinction clear: "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."ย It is the Spirit who gives you both the desire and the power to mortify what is sinful within you (Philippians 2:13).
You Break the Power of Sin by Doing Righteousness
Sin loses its grip when you actively replace it with righteousness. Daniel 4:27 gives this practical command: "Break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor."ย This is not merely avoiding evil โ it is the aggressive pursuit of good. Romans 12:21 echoes this truth: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
You Recondition Your Flesh Through Consistent Obedience
Just as an athlete disciplines his body through consistent training, you recondition your flesh through consistent obedience to God. Paul illustrates this powerfully in 1 Corinthians 9:24โ27: "Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things... I discipline my body and bring it into subjection."ย This is not self-effort โ it is Spirit-empowered discipline. Galatians 5:16 promises: "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."ย And as you consistently walk in obedience, your mind is renewed and your nature is transformed. Romans 12:2 declares: "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
You Cooperate With the Holy Spirit
Sanctification is not something done to you passively โ it is something worked in you as you cooperate with the Holy Spirit. Philippians 2:12โ13 captures this perfectly: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."ย You do the walking โ He provides the power. You do the obeying โ He provides the strength. This is the divine partnership of sanctification: your willing cooperation with the Spirit who lives within you, reversing the sinful nature and conforming you to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).
All He Asks Is That You Die
After everything God has done โ forgiving your sins, defeating the devil, giving you a new nature, and filling you with His Spirit โ you may wonder: what is left for you to do? The answer is both simple and profound: die to yourself. God does not ask for your perfection. He does not ask for your performance. He asks only that you surrender โ that you lay down your own will, your own agenda, and your own life, and let Him live through you.
He Gives You the Love You Need
You cannot even come to God on your own terms โ He draws you with His own love. Romans 5:5 assures us that "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."ย The very love that moves you toward God is a gift He placed inside you. He initiates. He sustains. He completes.
Your Old Self Must Be Crucified
The life God calls you to is not a reformed version of your old self โ it is a death and resurrection. Romans 6:6 declares: "Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."ย The old you โ the self-driven, sin-enslaved you โ must be put to death so that Christ can fully live in you. This is what Paul testified in Galatians 2:20: "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."ย This is not a one-time event โ it is a daily reality. Luke 9:23 confirms: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
Jesus Made It Plain
Jesus left no room for confusion about what following Him requires. In Matthew 16:24 He said: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."ย To deny yourself is to release your grip on your own life โ your plans, your pride, your preferences โ and hand them fully to God. John 12:24 illustrates it beautifully: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
Salvation Is His Work โ Not Yours
This is the truth behind the old Christian saying: "You do the loving, I do the dying."
Salvation was never your work. It never will be. From the first stirring of faith in your heart to the final transformation of your nature โ it is all God. Ephesians 2:8โ9 settles it once and for all: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God โ not of works, lest anyone should boast."ย And Philippians 1:6 gives you the assurance to rest in it: "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
All He asks is that you get out of the way โ and let Him.
"You Do the Loving. I Do the Dying."
(Devotional Prayer Given to Us By the Holy Spirit)
Which scriptures does the Holy Spirit use to say this: "You {Lord} Do the Loving. I {the human} Do the Dying."
Here is the full, Scriptureโanchored answerย to your exact phrasing:
โYouย {Lord} do the loving. Iย {the human} do the dying.โ
The Holy Spirit never speaks this line verbatim in Scripture โ but He doesย teach this exact division of rolesย all throughout the New Testament:
God supplies the love
We supply the surrender (the dying of the old self)
Below is the precise biblical architecture behind that sentence.
โจ 1. โYouย {Lord} do the loving.โ โ God is the source of all true love
These are the passages where Scripture says love comes from God, not from human effort.
1 John 4:7โ8
Love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God.
Romans 5:5
โThe love of God is poured outย in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.โ
Galatians 5:22
Love is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of human willpower.
John 15:5
โWithout Me you can do nothing.โ Meaning: even love requires divine supply.
Summary:ย ย God does the loving because He is the source, and love is His nature expressed through us.
โจ 2. โIย {the human} do the dying.โ โ We surrender; God performs the death
These are the passages where the Holy Spirit teaches that the believerโs role is to die, but God performs the actual crucifixion.
Romans 6:6
โOur old man is crucified with Himโฆโ This is Godโsย action, not ours.
Galatians 2:20
โI have been crucified with Christโฆโ The human acceptsย the death; God performsย it.
Colossians 3:3
โFor you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.โ
Luke 9:23
โTake up your cross dailyโฆโ Your role: present yourself to death. Godโs role: apply the death of Christ to your flesh.
Romans 8:13
โIf by the Spiritย you put to death the deeds of the bodyโฆโ You choose obedience โ The Spirit supplies the deathโpower.
Summary:ย ย The human โdoes the dyingโ by yielding, surrendering, and presenting themselves to the cross. But the actualย death of the old nature is Godโs work, not ours.
โจ 3. Where the two ideas meet โ the partnership
These passages show the division of laborย between God and the believer:
Philippians 2:13
โGod works in you to will and to doโฆโ He supplies the love, the power, the desire.
Galatians 5:16
โWalk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.โ You walk โ He kills the flesh.
John 15:4
โAbide in Meโฆ and I will bear fruit.โ You abide โ He produces love.
โจ 4. So, what Scripture is the Holy Spirit paraphrasing?
The sentence:
โYouย {Lord} do the loving. Iย {the human} do the dying.โ
is essentially a Spiritโsummarized combination of:
Galatians 2:20ย โ I die
Romans 6:6ย โ God crucifies the old man
1 John 4:7โ8ย โ God supplies the love
Romans 5:5ย โ Love is poured out by the Spirit
Romans 8:13ย โ The Spirit kills the flesh
John 15:5ย โ Without Him we can do nothing
Put together, they teach:
Your role:ย surrender, yield, die to self.
Godโs role:ย love through you and kill the flesh in you.
This is sanctification in one sentence.
CHAPTER THREE
The Forgotten Moment That Changes Everything
"For the living know that they will die,ย but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward,ย and even their name is forgotten." โ Ecclesiastes 9:5
When a person dies, the world moves on quickly. The funeral is held. The words are spoken โ "ashes to ashes, dust to dust"ย โ and before long, life continues as though that soul never existed. The church mourns briefly. Friends grieve for a season. And then, the world forgets.
But for the one who has died, nothing is forgotten. Nothing is brief. Nothing moves on.
For the soul that departs this world without Christ โ without the new birth, without the covering of the Holy Spirit โ death is not a peaceful transition. It is the most terrifying moment a human being will ever face. It is the crossing from the familiar into a world of pure terror and horror, where there is no second chance, no mercy extended, and no voice left to cry out to. The unregenerate soul steps out of this life and into a darkness that Scripture describes as "outer darkness"ย โ a place of "weeping and gnashing of teeth"ย (Matthew 8:12, NKJV).
"Unless the Lord had given me help,ย I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death." โ Psalm 94:17ย
We do not talk about this enough. The church does not talk about this enough.
We comfort the living. We honor the dead. But we rarely stop to consider the desperate, silent cry of the soul that is leaving โ the one who, in that final moment, would give everything for a helping hand, for one more chance to hear the truth, for someone to have told them what was waiting on the other side of their last breath.
We cannot reach them after they are gone. But we can reach them today.
This is the urgency of the Gospel. This is why the message of the new birth is not merely a theological concept โ it is a matter of eternal life and eternal death. Every person walking this earth is one heartbeat away from that transition. And if they are not born again, they will enter a world they are utterly unprepared for.
Do not let the people around you be forgotten before they are even gone. Speak the truth in love. Share this message. Be the voice that reaches them while there is still time โ while the door of grace is still open, while the Holy Spirit is still drawing, while they can still say yesย to Jesus.
"And how shall they hear without a preacher?"ย โ Romans 10:14 (NKJV)
The time to help them is nowย โ not at the funeral, not at the graveside, not when the words "ashes to ashes"ย have already been spoken. Now.ย While they breathe. While they can hear. While they can be born again.
CHAPTER FOUR
The Death of Jesus Is Sufficient to Take You to Heaven
Throughout this message, we have been exploring the work of the Holy Spirit โ how He makes us born again, delivers us from the bond of iniquity, mortifies the flesh, and sanctifies us for obedience. But the Holy Spirit's greatest desire is not to draw attention to Himself โ it is to point you to one place: the Cross where Jesus died.
Jesus confirmed this in John 15:26: "When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,ย He will testify of Me."ย And again in John 16:14: "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."ย Everything the Holy Spirit does โ every conviction, every revelation, every act of sanctification โ is designed to bring you face to face with Jesus Christ and what He accomplished at Calvary.
And at that Cross, we find one of the most powerful and comforting proofs of God's grace in all of Scripture.
The Two Criminals โ Luke 23:32โ43
When Jesus was crucified, two criminals hung beside Him โ one on His right, one on His left. Both were guilty. Both were dying. But one of them, in his final moments, turned to Jesus and said: "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom"ย (Luke 23:42).
He did not pray a long prayer. He had no time to be baptized. He could not attend church, read his Bible, or bear fruit in his daily life. He had no opportunity for the mortifying and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to operate in his flesh after that moment. And yet Jesus looked at him and declared: "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise"ย (Luke 23:43).
That man went to heaven the same day โ on the basis of faith alone.
Faith Alone Is Enough
This is the heart of the Gospel. The work of sanctification โ the mortifying of the flesh, the renewing of the mind, the bearing of fruit โ is for those who live. But the work of Jesus on the Cross is for those who die. And His work is enough.
Romans 10:9 declares: "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."ย That criminal did exactly this โ and heaven was his that very day. Ephesians 2:8โ9 confirms: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God โ not of works, lest anyone should boast."
Pour in the Oil and the Wine (Wine First, Then Oil)
In the Bible, wineย and oilย are more than symbolsโthey are a simple picture of how God saves a person and then fills that person with His presence.
The Wine Comes First: Jesusโ Blood and the Cross
Jesus took the cup and said the wine points to His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
โThis is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.โ (Matthew 26:28)
โThis cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.โ (Luke 22:20)โ
"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.โ (Ephesians 1:7)
This is why good is not good enough. Being a โgood personโ canโt wash sin away. The wineย speaks of the crossโJesus paying the price, cleansing the conscience, and bringing us back to God.
Then the Oil: The Holy Spirit and the Anointing
After God cleanses, He doesnโt leave a person empty. He pours in oilโa picture of the Holy Spirit, Godโs presence living within.
โBut ye have an unction (anointing) from the Holy One.โ (1 John 2:20)
โThe anointingโฆ abideth in you.โ (1 John 2:27)
โAfter that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.โ (Ephesians 1:13)โ
"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.โ (Acts 10:38)
This is the heart of what Iโve been saying about the anointing: when the Holy Spirit is present, God is not limited to one method. He can heal by a word, by faith, even at a distanceโbecause the power is His.
Oil and Wine Together
Jesus even gave a clear picture of this order:
The Good Samaritan โbound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine.โ (Luke 10:34)
Thatโs the message: wine for cleansing first, then oil for healing and restoration.
Everything in One Moment
In that single confession of faith, the Lord did everything:
He forgaveย the criminal's entire sin debt (Colossians 2:13)
He freedย him from the bond of iniquity in his flesh (Romans 6:6โ7)
He gaveย him the Holy Spirit and made him born again (John 3:5โ6)
He tookย him to Paradise that same day (Luke 23:43)
All of it โ in one moment. All of it โ by grace through faith. As Romans 5:1 declares:
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
The Lord Wants You to See This
God wants you to look at that criminal on the cross and understand: this is what My grace looks like.ย You do not earn heaven. You do not work your way there. You receive it โ through faith in the One who hung beside that dying man and said, "Today, you will be with Me."
John 3:16 remains the foundation of it all: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
The death of Jesus is not just sufficient โ it is everything.
CHAPTER FIVE
People Are Incapable of Understanding God Without the Holy Spirit
One of the most humbling truths in all of Scripture is this: no human being can understand the things of God on their own โ including something as profound as God's sovereignty over their free will. It is not a matter of intelligence, education, or sincerity โ it is a matter of spiritual capacity. And that capacity can only come from one source: the Holy Spirit.
The Natural Mind Cannot Receive God
Paul makes this unmistakably clear in 1 Corinthians 2:14: "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."ย The unrenewed mind does not simply struggle to understand God โ it is fundamentally incapable of it. Without the Spirit, the deep things of God are not merely difficult โ they are completely inaccessible.
This is why Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3: "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."ย Seeing, understanding, and entering the kingdom are all works of the Spirit โ not the intellect. And nowhere is this more evident than in the tension between human free will and divine sovereignty โ a mystery that reason alone can never resolve, but that the Spirit makes plain to those who belong to Him.
Only the Spirit Searches the Deep Things of God
The Holy Spirit alone has full access to the mind and heart of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10โ11 declares: "God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God... No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God."ย What God knows, the Spirit knows โ and what the Spirit knows, He reveals to those who are His.
Isaiah 55:8โ9 reminds us why this matters: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."ย Without the Spirit as our guide, the gap between God's mind and ours is infinite. And 1 Corinthians 2:12 tells us the remedy: "We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God."
This Is His Work โ From Start to Finish
Thus, the Holy Spirit declares:
"Do you see how they are incapable of understanding Our work? This is My work. I do everything from start to finish."
And Scripture confirms it. John 6:44 records Jesus saying: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him."ย You did not find God โ He found you. You did not choose to understand โ He opened your eyes. Even the desire to seek Him is sovereignly given by the One who "works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure"ย (Philippians 2:13).
From the first moment of conviction to the deepest revelation of Scripture โ it is all the Holy Spirit. He is not merely a helper in your understanding of God. He is the source of it.
CHAPTER SIX
The Scriptures Speak: How Faith in Jesus Births You by the Holy Spirit
This is not the doctrine of man. This is the Word of God, established from the beginning and confirmed through the testimony of Scripture.
1. You Must Be Born Again โ Jesus Said So
"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" โ John 3:3 (NKJV)
The new birth is not optional. It is not one path among many. It is the only entrance into the Kingdom. Jesus Himself declared it โ not a preacher, not a theologian, not a tradition. The Son of God.
2. The New Birth Comes Through the Holy Spirit
"Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.'" โ John 3:5โ6 (NKJV)
Your natural birth brought you into this world. But only the Holy Spirit can birth you into the next. No amount of good works, religious ritual, or moral living can produce what only God's Spirit can do.
3. Faith in Jesus Is the Door to the Holy Spirit
"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." โ Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV)
The moment you place genuine faith in Jesus Christ โ in His death for your sins and His resurrection โ the Holy Spirit is given to you as a seal. Faith opens the door. The Spirit walks through it and takes up residence in your soul.
4. Repentance and Faith Release the Gift of the Holy Spirit
"Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." โ Acts 2:38 (NKJV)
This was the first altar call in the history of the Church. The prescription has not changed. Repent โ turn from your sin and self-reliance โ believe in Jesus, and receive the Holy Spirit. This is the new birth.
5. Confession and Belief Bring Salvation and the Spirit
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." โ Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
Salvation is not a feeling. It is not a family heritage. It is a transaction of faith โ confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in your heart in His resurrection. This is the moment the Spirit of God regenerates your spirit and you are born again.
6. God Gives the Holy Spirit to Those Who Believe
"He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" โ Galatians 3:5 (NKJV)
The Holy Spirit is not earned. He is received โ through faith, not works. Your church attendance did not earn Him. Your tithes did not purchase Him. Your good character did not qualify you. Only faith in Jesus Christ releases the gift of the Holy Spirit into your life.
The Conclusion of the Matter
You now have the testimony of Scripture before you. God has not left you without a witness. From the lips of Jesus in John 3, to the altar call in Acts 2, to the declaration of Paul in Romans and Ephesians โ the Word is consistent, clear, and without compromise:
Faith in Jesus Christ produces the new birth by the Holy Spirit. And the new birth is the only way to heaven.
The question is no longer whether you understand it. The question is whether you will receive it.
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." โ 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV)
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Bible Creates Your Faith in Jesus
"So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."ย โ Romans 10:17
The righteousness that is based on faith does not ask you to ascend into heaven to bring Christ down, nor to descend into the deep to bring Christ up from the dead. It asks something far simpler. It says:
"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart."ย โ Romans 10:8
This is the word of faith. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek โ the same Lord over all is generous toward all who call upon Him. As the Scripture declares:
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."ย โ Romans 10:13
Yet the Apostle Paul presses further with a question that cuts to the heart of the matter:
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?"ย โ Romans 10:14โ15
Not all have obeyed the Gospel. As Isaiah declared:
"Lord, who has believed our report?"ย โ Romans 10:16
And so the answer is given plainly:
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."ย โ Romans 10:17
If you want to be saved โ to put your faith in Jesus and be born again by the Holy Spirit โ it is simpler than you think. The reason it is simple is this: God creates your faith in Jesus for you. He does this when you read about Jesus in the Bible.
God forgives your sins. He regenerates your spirit and mortifies the bond of iniquity in your flesh. He creates faith in Jesus within you through His written Word. And in the end, He takes you to heaven.
If you want faith in Jesus, open your Bible and begin to read.
I know you believe and understand that faith in Jesus brings the Holy Spirit to make you born again, and only repentance and the new birth will get you to heaven, it's time to get saved.
The Sinner's Prayer
The Confession of the Word of Faith in Christ the Lord
Please pray this prayer below and you will meet God the Holy Spirit instantly, and get born-again ...
The Lord says to you now,
"Welcome. The way is open".
EPILOGUE
It Was Never About You โ It Was Always About Him
You have now journeyed through seven chapters. You have heard the Word of the Lord. You have stood before the Cross. You have seen the criminal who entered Paradise with nothing but a dying breath of faith. You have been shown the work of the Holy Spirit โ from the first stirring of conviction in your heart to the final sanctification of your flesh. And through it all, one truth has remained constant, unmovable, and eternal:
Salvation belongs to the Lord.
It was never about how good you were. It was never about how faithful you were. It was never about your church attendance, your tithes, your moral record, or the life you built in this world. It was always โ from before the foundation of the earth โ about what Heย did.
"He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world."ย โ Ephesians 1:4
You did not find God. God found you. You did not choose to understand โ He opened your eyes. You did not manufacture faith โ He created it in you through His Word. You did not earn the Holy Spirit โ He was given to you as a gift, a seal, and a guarantee. And you did not save yourself โ He saved you, completely, by grace, through faith, so that no flesh would ever boast before Him.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God โ not of works, lest anyone should boast."ย โ Ephesians 2:8โ9
What Remains for You
If you have read these pages and the Holy Spirit has moved in your heart โ if faith in Jesus Christ has been created in you through the hearing of this Word โ then something has already happened inside you that no devil in hell can undo. You have been born again. The Spirit of God has taken up residence in your soul. Heaven has already marked you as its own.
"His presence within us is God's guarantee that He really will give us all that He promised."ย โ Ephesians 1:14 (Living Bible)
What remains for you now is not striving โ it is surrendering. Not performing โ but dying. Daily. Willingly. Joyfully. Taking up your cross, laying down your life, and letting the One who loved you before you ever knew His name live fully through you.
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."ย โ Galatians 2:20
A Word from the Lord to Close
The High and Lofty One who opened this book with a word now closes it with the same sovereign authority:
"I am the Lord. I began this work in you. I will finish it. You were not an accident. You were not an afterthought. Before the world was made, I knew your name โ and I called you Mine."
"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."ย โ Philippians 1:6
To the One Who Has Not Yet Said Yes
If you have read every word of this book and you are still standing at the door โ still weighing, still wondering, still holding back โ hear this final word:
The door is still open. The Holy Spirit is still drawing. Grace is still extended. And Jesus, who hung on that Cross beaten beyond recognition, who looked at a dying criminal and said "Today you will be with Me in Paradise"ย โ that same Jesus is looking at you right now.
He is not asking for your perfection. He is not asking for your performance. He is asking only for your faith.
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."ย โ Romans 10:13
Call on Him. Now. While you breathe. While you can. Before the forgotten moment arrives.
It Is Finished
The Cross was not the beginning of God's love for you โ it was the proof of it. Everything that needed to be done for your salvation has already been done. The debt has been paid. The enemy has been defeated. The door to heaven has been opened. The Holy Spirit has been sent.
All that remains is your yes.
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."ย โ Revelation 3:20
This book was not written to impress you. It was written to reach you. And if it has โ then the Holy Spirit has done what He always intended.
World without end. Amen.
ย All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted.ย This message may be freely shared for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
