without which no one will ever see the Kingdom of God, (Jn 3: 3). Believe God, and you will see. He will prove His Word is authoritative and powerful unto your salvation. He will give you a purpose for your life on earth, at the end of which you will dwell with Him forever in Heaven. That is a promise, God ‘s promise, (Ps 23: 1-6; Jn 3: 16; Col 2:10). Be circumspect (sensible). Make sure you are a child of God, yourself, then ask Him to lead and prepare someone with whom you might share the beautiful love of God and His Master plan of salvation for them as He did for you. Confess your sin, forsake your sin and turn to receive Jesus into your heart and you will be made complete in Jesus. No jibber jabber required.
Ronald Sider quoted Peter Gillquist as saying, “All the evangelism in the world from a church that is not herself holy and righteous will not be worth a hill of beans in world-changing power.”¹¹ So many born-again Christians are living just like the rest of the world that the world has lost respect for the Christ they proclaim and the profession of themselves as Christian and any desire for attendance at their church, which to them has lost meaning and relevance to their lives. So-called Christians are slow to the apprehension of their differentiation between living in the flesh vs. living in the Spirit.
THE ANSWER
Keep reading the Holy Bible, believing God by faith, discerning the truth, testing the spirits, believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, in Whom you are made full (filled with the Holy Spirit, so the enemy of God cannot touch you)! You learn how to test the spirits in this book. Don’t let a day go by before you read, and study the Scriptures, intentionally, and diligently! “It is written,” says God, therefore He gives His Word legal authority. Believe God, Elohim; God the Father, God, the only-begotten Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God has the power to cast body and soul into Hades in Judgment Day. God’s decision, to cast someone into hell, is a sobering thought. Be sure that you know the Truth and are known by God this side of eternity. He loves you and me, and gave His only begotten Son for you and me, to save us. As a gift, God enables you to love God and love your neighbour. Show compassion to your neighbours, so some are rescued from the pit. Whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life complete upon receiving Jesus, (Jn 3: 16; Col 2: 10). That is indeed a fantastic promise for you and me to know, this side of eternity, we will have eternal life in Heaven, based on faith in Jesus Christ by God’s grace. Shout this message from the mountaintops.
When you receive Jesus, the Christ, you become seated spiritually in the heavenlies, in Christ Jesus, (Eph 2: 6). Your eternal life has begun and is secured in Christ. Jesus has a place prepared for believers, (John 14: 1-6). Why not love and serve the God (Elohim), who has given you eternal life upon receiving Christ, His only begotten Son? Why not choose Life, instead of death? Sider adds that the pulpit has ultimate accountability for their example, their non-Christian philosophy, or lack of sound biblical teaching, and their deeds that fall short of God’s expectations of called shepherds who are to feed the sheep.¹² Take time, to feed the sheep.
Dr. Martin Luther, in his Enchiridion, writes of pastors, that their preaching and teaching in the churches of his day is deplorable destitution.¹³ Today, in many respects, there is no difference. Sider explains why in his book entitled The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience. He reveals that salvation without ethical transformation leads to hypocrisy, for God is not being imitated in His holiness.¹⁴ A person needs a vital experience with the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a need for true repentance (genuine conversion led by the Holy Spirit, for by grace you are saved by faith, to be seated in Christ in the heavenlies, and in Him made new for performing useful work; therefore, you become a child of God and His friend. As a disciple in the Will of God for believers you become conformed to the Son of God). The Gospel of Jesus and discipleship, led by His Holy Spirit, must be preached from the pulpit and taught in classes, for true church growth and Christian imitation of God for the world to see and believe God, ( Eph 2: 5-10, Jn 1: 12, Jn 3: 16-17, Col 2: 10, Acts 16: 31, Rom 12: 1-2, 1 Jn 5: 1, 1 Jn 2: 23, 2: 29, 1 Jn 4: 4, Rev 3: 20). Jesus says, “For this is the will of the Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son and believeth on him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day,” (Jn 6: 40). He that does the will of the Father will have eternal life.
Through the following research study, the author develops an answer that determines a man’s hoping God knows him, i.e. Not knowing God knows him. A person's final state in eternity is set, whether or not God knows one. The author does not use experience to create theology but shows that Scripture validates the experience. The author provides a standard theology for soul-winners to begin their development of a sound Christian, biblical, Protestant, conservative, evangelical theology which will give them a solid theological foundation personally and for soul-winning based on believing God by faith. God is delighted and leads His ‘Called ones’ into a proper bible and theological study pleasing to Him. He gives grace to man to intersect with Him at the Cross for the newness of Life, for living the Christian life appropriate for a true Christian, and honourable service to God for the conversion of souls, who contribute to the building of His Kingdom, so that He be delighted.
As God says to humankind, “Return to Me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts,” (Mal 3: 7). Church leadership needs to return to God for positive church growth built on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that church leadership can be glorifying and pleasing to God. Then, He responds favourably unto man. Any ‘alternative truth’ is a lie which does not lead to eternal life in the Presence of God.
The answer entails getting back to original biblical Faith, older versus contemporary theological works, and the true, versus the softened Gospel for the making of true converts. Real converts are made complete in Jesus Christ, known by God in Judgment Day, not just for increased numbers in the pews and offering plates so that one might boast of being like a pastor of a megachurch, where all that seems to count is money. Nor is self-centred ecstasy God’s plan. Converts added to the true Church, by the Power of the Holy Spirit is God’s plan and full-time business in building His Kingdom. Love, Christian life of righteousness as a model, and service for others to enjoy the salvation of God is what is expected for the proper Kingdom motivation and the favour of God in ministry. Humankind needs to fear (respect reverentially) God and His Word for their lives to be fulfilled and their eternal destination, Heaven realized, complete through faith in Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH STUDY
Supposing, you were having lunch with a group of fellow-workers, and someone walks up to you and says, ‘You may be saved, but you do not have the Holy Spirit in you.’ What a denial of the deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Such a lie, you may think. This false teaching was told to the primary subject. This false statement has become the incitement for the author’s qualitative study and thesis. A leading question in this study is: How can a person know that one is known by God this side of eternity and will be known by God in Judgment Day?
A biblical understanding of salvation develops out of this study, and a need for a standard, biblical, conservative, evangelical theology arises, so soul-winners have a guide for their understanding of Salvation (man’s need and God’s perspective on salvation, since it is His business) and soul-winning out of which the Lord indeed grows His church.
A Christian belief system is the philosophical basis for this thesis. Yielding to God as our Stay is critical for the survival of Christians and Christianity to help Marvin (primary subject) understand salvation and assurance (God will know that one in Judgment Day) for himself and others. True church growth is the explanatory objective of this qualitative study. Would Marvin be assured of salvation based on his self- centeredness or, by God’s grace and his love for Jesus and to tell and feed others that they too would become hidden in Jesus, comforted and led by God the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life, made complete in Jesus Christ? Marvin’s setting out to find God meant he would be digging into the Holy Scriptures to study, perceive, and agree with God and His Word for God’s approval of him. God delights in one coming to know and to understand Him, (Jere
