Expert: Dr. Ronald E. Shultz - 11/26/2006

Question
Do you have sin in your heart (mind)now?
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
THE WATER THE SPIRIT THE BLOOD
John 3:5
Jesus answered, Verily, Verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
1John 5:7,8
For there are three that bear record in heaven,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost:
and these three are one.
And there are three that bear witness in earth,
the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood:
and these three agree in one.
In the Old Testament the Day of Atonement
revealed the future Salvation through Jesus Christ.
Once a year, the High Priest (Aaron) would lay his hands
on the head of a living goat called the "scapegoat."
This act, was to pass all the sins of Israel
for that year, onto this sacrifice.
The sacrifice (death) of this scapegoat would have been meaningless...
if the sins were not passed onto it first.
In the same respect…
The sacrifice (death) of Jesus on the cross, would have been meaningless...
if all the sins of the world were not passed onto him first.
John the Baptist, through his mother Elisabeth,
was a descendant of Aaron the High Priest;
and was the last Earthly Priest to represent all mankind.
John, the Earthly Priest met with Jesus, the Heavenly Priest
at the Jordan River.
Matt 3:13-15
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John,
to be Baptized of him.
But John forbade him, saying,
I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him,
Suffer it to be so now:
for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.
Then he suffered him.
(for thus means… Baptism by the laying on of hands
is the most appropriate, just, and fitting manner
to "pass on" the sins of the world)
As in the Old Testaments' "shadow of things to come"
John the High Priest passed all the sins of the world
onto Jesus (the sacrifice) at this water baptism.
John the Baptist was a significant part of our Salvation !!
What did Jesus himself say about John?
Matt 11:11
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:
Matt 3:16,17
And Jesus, when he was baptized,
went up straightway out of the water:
and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him,
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove,
and lighting upon him:
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.
John1:29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.
The sacrificial requirement of passing all sins onto Jesus
had been correctly accomplished.
(the WATER)
The Spirit of God had descended.
In the form of a dove
(the SPIRIT)
Jesus would now proceed on to the cross,
where he would accept the judgment for all sin....
IN OUR PLACE
(the BLOOD)
God sent his Son to save us from all sins.
(past, present, and future)
Jesus came to save us from all sins.
(past, present, and future)
When Jesus cried out:
IT IS FINISHED!!
Was it not finished?
Did he not save all of us who by faith
accept his water, spirit, and blood sacrifice?
Was it not completely sufficient?
All we have to do
is understand how this great salvation was accomplished
and by faith accept it as the truth and believe.
Remember, the sacrifice (death) of Jesus would be meaningless...
if he didn’t take all the sins with him.
Satan's plan, is that we won’t see the importance
of the water aspect of Salvation
and that while we profess to believe in Jesus,
we will still have sin in our hearts upon Christ's return.
If we fail to believe by faith in the water aspect of Salvation
and that Jesus took all the sins of the world
upon himself at his baptism;
we will be found still having our sins…
and we will not be fit for the Kingdom of God.
We must believe by faith, that Jesus cleansed our hearts of all sin.
We are no longer separated from God the Father,
but are now restored children of God without sin.
Jesus took all sin (past, present, and future) to the cross.
If we don’t believe this by faith and only preach the blood,
the sacrifice of Jesus would be meaningless…
as our faith would fail to represent
all the necessary aspects of true salvation.
Let’s take a look at the most important Holiday for Israel…
"The Passover"
This was a special day to remember and thank God,
for the Exodus from Egypt.
God told Abraham, that if he and his descendants
would enter into his covenant and be circumcised;
He would become their God, and they would become his people.
Circumcision was the "cutting off" of the foreskin,
signifying…the "cutting off" of sin and becoming Gods’ people.
Only those who were circumcised
were allowed to eat the meat of the Passover.
Just as the sacrifice (death) of Jesus on the cross
would have been meaningless;
if the sins of the world were not passed onto him first…
Participating in the Passover
without being circumcised, and being Gods’ People;
would also have been meaningless.
In the new Testament we find that… spiritually…
Rom 2:29
Circumcision is that of the heart.
Spiritual Circumcision… is spiritually "cutting off" sin,
thus becoming Gods’ people.
We do so by faith,
and believing in the Water, the Spirit, and the Blood.
We "cut off" sin,
by believing in faith, that Jesus took all sins to the cross.
We no longer have no sin in our hearts,
and the separation between us and God the Father;
has been eliminated forevermore.
If we don’t believe Jesus took all sins to the cross,
and just believe in the blood…
We are essentially eating the Passover…
without being spiritually circumcised.
We are attempting to be covered by the blood of Christ;
without first becoming Gods’ people.
Let's take a look at the book of Joshua
Joshua led Gods' people
to the Jordan enroute to the
"promised land".
When the Priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant,
stepped into the Jordan (known as the river of death);
The water was "cut off" and parted
leaving dry land so they could cross over into the
"promised land".
Forshadowing that Jesus was to be baptized by John the Baptist
at the Jordan;
and would "cut off" all sin forever.
So we could enter the "promised land"
by the Water, the Spirit, and the Blood
sacrifice of Jesus !!
If you are still in need of more proof....
study the Sanctuary and the Tabernacle:
Here you will find that the entry gate
as well as the entry to the Holy Place
was constructed of:
blue thread
(WATER),
purple thread
(SPIRIT),
and red thread
(BLOOD)
Food for thought:
In Noahs' time.... the people that didn't believe in the "water"....
were not saved by God,- but perished.
In Jesus' time...the people that don't believe in the "water" aspect of Salvation
and the "cutting off" of sin will likewise perish.
Remember, the sacrifice of Jesus would be meaningless
if he didn't take all the sins with him to the cross.
Either he took all the sins with him
and finished what he came to do-
and we are saved by faith
as we are sinless by his righteousness....
OR
we choose…not…to believe that all our sins are gone...
and when he returns we wont be able to stand and face him;
because we failed to believe the "Water" aspect of Salvation.
which would mean- we were never spiritually circumcised
to become Gods' people...
yet, we were trying to be covered by his blood.
When Jesus said: It is finished ... Was it not finished?
If the Son therefore shall make you free,
You shall be free indeed!!
Praise, Honor, and Glory
be unto Jesus Christ,
the Living Son
of the Living God !!
Accept his free gift of Salvation by saying a prayer similar to this:
Father in Heaven,
in Jesus name I pray… to thank you Lord…
for revealing to me that salvation is only found in your Holy Son Jesus.
I confess Jesus, I am a sinner, destined for hell.
I have broken all your laws and commandments.
Masses of sin are in me,
and I can do nothing but sin over and over again.
So I call upon your Holy name Jesus,
and accept and believe that you, take me as I am,
and that you have already taken all my sins with thee to the cross.
All I have to do is believe by faith
and my heart is cleansed of all transgressions;
and I instantly become a child of God
and thy Holy Spirit dwells within me.
Thank you Lord Jesus for being a wonderful loving God and Savior.
Truly You are most worthy of all Praise, Honor, and Glory. Amen.
Heb 10:12,14
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever,
sat down on the right hand of God:
For by one offering he has perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
1 John 5:6
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ;
not by water only, but by water and blood.
And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
1 Peter 3:21
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth now also save us
(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,
but the answer of a good conscience toward God)
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
Rejoice!!
You are now a child of God… a bright Light in a dark dark world.
Reborn of the water and of the spirit!!
Acceptable to God the Father because of the righteousness of Christ!!
Let your light so shine!!
Remembering always….
that faith without works is dead
and by works was faith made perfect.
James 2:12
So speak ye and so do, as they that will be judged by the law of liberty.
And walk ye in the Spirit…
LOVE, JOY, PEACE,
LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS
GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE.
PEACE THAT PASSETH ALL UNDERSTANDING
I….MYSELF….HAVE GREAT PEACE WITHIN ME;
FOR NOW I UNDERSTAND…
HOW JESUS HAS TAKEN ALL OF MY SINS
(PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE)
WITH HIM TO THE CROSS.
AND IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT,
HE HAS ALSO TAKEN ALL OF YOURS!!
WE ARE NOW ACCOUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD THE FATHER;
BECAUSE JESUS NOT ONLY TOOK OUR SINS TO THE CROSS,
HE HAS ALSO PAID THE PRICE FOR THEM….
IN OUR PLACE!!
IT’S SO SIMPLE…
IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE BY FAITH,
THAT JESUS HAS TAKEN ALL OF YOUR SINS…
WHEN HE RETURNS,
YOU WILL STILL HAVE YOUR SINS IN YOUR HEART (MIND)
AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAND
BEFORE HIM AND HIS BRIGHTNESS.
YOU CAN BELIEVE YOUR SINS ARE GONE AND PAID FOR;
OR YOU CAN HOLD ON TO THEM AND PERISH;
BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T ACCEPT HIS FREE GIFT OF SALVATION.
IF YOU ACCEPT THIS FREE GIFT OF SALVATION,
YOUR HEART IS EMPTIED OF ALL SIN-
AND THE TRUE HOLY SPIRIT CAN THUS ENTER.
THIS IS THE REBIRTH THAT JESUS SAID YOU MUST HAVE
PRIOR TO ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS BEFORE THE FATHER,
AS WE HONOR HIM,
BY HONORING HIS SON JESUS
AND ACCEPTING HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
AS OUR GARMET THAT GOD THE FATHER LOOKS UPON-
AFTER WE BELIEVE
THE WATER, THE SPIRIT, AND THE BLOOD.
William Wilbur whom_seek_ye@yahoo.com

-----Answer-----
Yes

Answer
Is there a point to these questions?  If you are one of the eradication of the sin nature folks I am not in your camp though I wish that doctrine were true. However, Scripture denies that concept.

Jer 17:9-10
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 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. (KJV)

Based upon these verses, I would say that it is impossible for me to answer that question accurately one way or the other for I might just be fooling myself.  Satan sometimes deceives people by making them proud and thinking they are sinless and others he disables by making them think they are the worst sinners on earth. The balance to that is that in my flesh I am nealry the worst sinner on earth but in Christ, I am justified.

All people have some sin in their heart that they have justified by their cultural standards, some preacher's sermon or personal misinterptation of Scripture.  No one in this life is absolutely pure. Only Christ walked the earth in a sinless state.  

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (KJV)

Being that I am human and in a sin sick world there are tempations and sins that so easily beset me as well as any human. Do I hate them? Yes. Did not Paul strugle as well in Romans 7? Yes.  A pastor or teacher is merely a sinner saved by grace with specific gifts that differ from another saint but we have not yet shed our humanity. There are many things that God has allowed me the victory over since my conversion but there are other things that I still struggle with and if I were to gain instantaneous victory over those God would show me other areas that need work on through His Spirit and His Word until the day I enter glory.  

I Jn 1:8-10
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (KJV)

One of the reasons these verses were given to Christians is that while we should never sin and should have continous victory He also knew that we would succumb to the world, the flesh and the devil at various points in our life and in various areas so we had to know that we still had an advocate with the Father.  This passage also shows that while we might confess sins we are aware of there may be others that we are ignorant of or maybe not aware of because of poor discipleship or some other reason thus He cleanses us from all unrighteousness.  Because of our sinful and deceitful heart God deals with us as children and we learn as we go. If God showed us all our wickedness at once it would proably kill us with grief and guilt.  I only thought I knew that I was a sinner when I was first saved because I had a small understanding of the Decalogue.  As I have grown God has shown me things in my heart that I did not know then and some things that I did not know even ten years ago and maybe even a year ago. Should I live another 26 years until I am 80 I shudder at what else He may reveal to me.  Paul said that in his flesh there was nothing good and I am not on Paul's level so I have nothing good as well in my flesh.  Shortly after salvation, I asked God to make me a Peter and a Paul and it does seem that I have more of their weaknesses than their strengths but God in His mercy and grace uses me even as He did Peter when he played the hypocrite in Galatia when Paul had to rebuke him to his face for it or like Paul when he lost his temper over John Mark causing him to no longer travel with Barnabas. Indeed, God has nothing to use but failures and all of His great servants were flawed and failed in one area or another.     

1 Cor 4:4-5
4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5 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. (KJV)

As greatly as Paul was used he still did not know how much of his ministry was wood, hay and stubble or precious stones. He left that up to God, forgetting the past and pressing on towards the mark and high calling of Christ even thirty years into his ministry when he wrote that.  Because of that I have the hope that God can use me as well since He called primarily the weak, base and foolish to accomplish His will to confound the wise and mighty with that type of person.  In those areas I amply qualified, so I am in the best position to be used by Him.  

So, if you were wondering if I am perfect, I can assure you that I am not and the only righetousness I have is beecuse of His blood and sacrifice.  I am a sinner saved by grace. As long as I stick to His Word when I teach and preach I can't go wrong and He is the potter making into the image of His dear Son and that image will not be complete until death or Rapture.  I am not all that I once was and I am not all that I desire to be but someday I will be more than I can ever imagine. Paul said that he was the chief of sinners and I am the assistant chief.  If Christ can save and use us then there is hope for everyone else. Maranatha!