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Original Message
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Have you ever heard that salvation is about a change of heart? Well that is part of the equation for sure, because an unrepentant sinner certainly can;t be saved if they are not willing to repent of the various evils in their lifestyle.
Here's a list in bold that Jesus pressed into me that shocked me but I was ready to receive it. I follow it with scriptural proof;
Not everyone who is forgiven has a love for God.
I prayed for all the children to be forgiven and Jesus showed me that just because they are forgiven doesn't mean they will grow up with a heart full of love for God. I, on the other hand, was seeped in enough sin that when Jesus began pulling me out I saw how much he loved me and I loved him unto obeying him for him having loved me.
We love him, because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19
Here is the biblical proof:
MOSES: Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
Numbers 14:19-22
You see, Moses asked God to forgive and he did. It is no problem for Jesus to forgive because he doesn't WANT TO REMEMBER people's crimes against him. God is THAT good. But Jesus made a point in this scripture, just because someone is forgiven does not mean they have a heart, or love for him.
It is likely that Jesus baptized his own disciples, or, if not, that he, God Almighty, forgave them their sins when they took the symbolic act of repentance of all sin through the ritual act of water baptism by John the Baptist. But as we know Judas, being forgiven, did not have a heart for God.
Not everyone who has a love for God is repentant.
The biblical proof is of course Judas and also king Solomon. They seemed to have a love for God but were unrepentant.
Not everyone who is repentant has the Holy Spirit.
Jesus pressed into me that everyone is repentant of at least one thing but very few people are willing to repent of everything.
I have met many people who are so seeped in sin, unrepentantly, that when trying to receive the Holy Spirit they could not. Their hearts were very hard that even the Holy Spirit could not enter; one of the those persons being my mother, a self-claimed Christian.
I cannot think of anyone biblically who was repentant but did not receive the Holy Spirit. That is because if you are repentant you MAY receive the Holy Spirit but if you are NOT repentant you CANNOT receive the Holy Spirit.
Also, I have met many repentant Christians who, when led in prayer to Jesus, received the Holy Spirit for the first time. Therefore before the prayer they were repentant but without the Holy Spirit.
Not everyone who has the Holy Spirit will pass God's final judgment.
This one shocked me. I was sure to the point of telling others that if you have the Holy Spirit you are guaranteed salvation, guaranteed heaven. And yet, looking back, I even knew and preached that one could LOSE the Holy Spirit and I have always preached that because of the many times I have lost the Holy Spirit.
Let's say I lead a person in prayer to receive the Holy Spirit just before their death. What do you think, are they guaranteed heaven? First, the scripture tells us not to say in our heart who is GOING to heaven or GOING to hell (Romans 10:6-7) as we are not the Judge. Then, also this from 1 Samuel:
(Samuel was looking for a king (David) to anoint with the Holy Spirit by the guidance and power of God)
And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:6-7
God rejected Eliab because of who Eliab chose to become. God looks for certain qualities which we can choose to develop or reject.
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Jeremiah 17:10
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
1 Corinthians 4:5
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
Proverbs 21:2
Belief in Jesus Christ allows one to escape going to hell. They are in a state of peace awaiting the final judgment of God. Just because they escaped hell does not mean they will pass the final judgment.
Let's use one of Jesus' prophecies.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 7:21-23
The context of not knowing Jesus is about not having received his Holy Spirit as many believers are ignorant of. They could be ignorant of it in knowledge or actually receiving it. So this, not having received the Holy Spirit and not passing the final judgment is different from having received the Holy Spirit and dying with it and still not passing the final judgment of God. God makes the final judgment.
The purpose of the Holy Spirit, then, is to help one get clean and sober and blameless and good and righteous and ready to be presented worthy to pass God's final judgment when that time comes. It may be so that some will die and are so far from being cleaned up but God, knowing their heart, and all things, would not judge them to eternal destruction. But some who die with the Holy Spirit may not pass the final judgment because, being repentant of some things, are not repentant of everything. But God, who knows even what they won't repent of, will not deny them his Holy Spirit which gives rest, protection, peace, truth and many promises to those who taste of it.
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