Wow, I learn something new every day--not that you meant it (you actually deny it)--but I do like this connection between "in Christ" and "in God's kindness", and "not in the flesh, but in the spirit", and "in faith". "The kindness of a savior". I think this is helpful.
Reader....
Notice this verse below...., in the Context of becoming a Christian, .......or not, as i explain it.
1.) "come to the Knowledge of the Truth".
Ok, lets look at WHO...is = THE....Truth....
This is Jesus, Himself......John 14:6........."I am, The way , THE TRUTH.... and The Life"".
This is all connected.....as "I am the (only) way to the Father, and that is The Truth, I am,..... and when you come to Me for Salvation, i will give......."eternal LIFE, to all who will believe".
See that?
Now, lets say, im preaching to 450 people in a Local Church in Romania, today.
The Pastor told me last night...>"tomorrow a lot of my people will bring their unsaved loved ones, because they wanted to hear a real "evangelist".
Now, that is my Q......as now i know there are people who came prepared to receive from God.
And what is the "call of an evangelist"? We are to take the Cross of Christ and present it, everywhere, so that the Holy Spirit can call people to come and receive what Christ has accomplished for them, on The Cross..... = God's 'Gift of Salvation".
Now, let me show you how this.... "come to the knowledge of the truth"..... will bring one person in the congregation to Heaven, and the other sitting next to them, will leave ..... LOST..... exactly the same as they arrived.
So, there i am...in the Service....and im sharing how their SIN is keeping them eternally separated from God... and how The Blood of Jesus is offered for their Sin.. How they need God's Forgiveness, and its FREELY given.... and how much God loves them and wants them to become a part of His Eternal Family.......and will they come?????......will they take God's Forgiveness.?????
Im asking them.
And on the front row you have : Mihal and Elena.
So, both are hearing the "preaching of The Cross"...... and the Holy Spirit is moving in this room.....and both of them are enlightned by Him, in their Hearts, exactly the same.
What happened?
They have been brought to """""the knowledge of the TRUTH""""".......that Jesus is their Savior and they need to be SAVED.
This REVELATION they are experiencing, is the Holy Spirit showing them "The Truth".
This is....Jesus who said....>"If i be lifted up
(on The Cross) I will DRAW all people to Me"....
So.....What happens next?
Mihal, is weeping... weeping....and smiling......because He has Given God His heart faith in Christ and God has responded with SALVATION, as God always will to anyone's Faith in Christ.
whereas.....
Elena......She started to give God her Faith....but then.......The Devil said to her in her mind...>..."""well, if you do that, you have to change your life completely.. you have to give up your boyfriend who deals drugs......and stop going to Discos, and stop smoking Marijuana every day.......you'll never have any more FUN... And you are only 19 yrs old Elena......there is more time later for this Christian stuff.....do it later when you are older......come back to this church later...""
Now Reader......see what happened?
One person Mihal..... "came to the knowledge of the Truth"" who. is JESUS....and did what God told them to do..>>"BELIEVE".... and God saved them instantly and for eternity,, and now they are "of the Household of God". A Born again, Son of God.
And the other...Elena.....DECIDED to WAIT.......after the Holy Spirit brought Her all the way to the "knowledge of the truth".....and She "tasted the Heavenly Gift" of the Holy Spirit's revelation,..... She KNEW IT WAS TRUE...... and She "willfully sinned" and rejected Jesus..... for now......"till later as the devil suggested".
Reader,
let me show you who is in Hell, today.....who is the most regretful.
Its all the Elena's who are in Hell, and know this..= ""
I knew it was true.....I Knew it was true....>I KNEW TO TRUST IN JESUS, and i didnt....>I waited"..
And they died before they ever trusted in Jesus.....and they KNEW to do it.
See.........Hell is filled with those..who "came to the knowledge of the Truth"....and waited and died LOST, thinking that "later i'll believe". 'i have more time"..
No they didnt., because Hebrews 9:27 is going to find you when you didnt expect it.......and neither did ELENA.
Reader, you can't be born again in Hell........so, you have to do it while you are breathing on This EARTH, because.... "now is the day of Salvation".....while you are still alive.