DOCTRINAL ISSUES FACING THE CHURCH TODAY

God's command tells us to die to our fleshly desires by totally giving up our life and will to serve a Righteous God.. He is to be #1 in our life... This type of devotion that He asks of us makes the love we have for our families (expression of our greatest human love) seem as hate in comparison... Luke.9:23,24 "And He said to them all, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Luke.14:26,27 "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife and children and brethren and sister, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."... All in all a way of life that we can't see any of God's enemies being wooed into living... Dragging them would be a hard enough task...
All persons born have an even greater problem than just being one of God's enemies... They are DEAD ENEMIES (Spiritually Dead to God/With a Sin Nature)... Spiritually Dead Men are UNABLE to Walk With God/Talk To God/Hear God... An example is Nicodemus in John.3:1-8...Nicodemus came to Christ thinking that he understood His teachings... He also thought that these teachings had to come from God... Christ explained that he could not have any true understanding of the kingdom of God until he was born again(Spiritual Birth)...
Eph.2:5 "Who were dead in your trespasses and sins."...
Is.59:2 "But your iniquities have separted between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear."...
1Cor.2:14 "A natural man does not accept the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."...
The barriers caused by mans' sin nature make it impossible for anyone to understand the call of the true Gospel in his condition... Much less be willing to let go of those fleshly barriers and give his life to Christ...
Job.14:4 "Who can bring a clean thing out of a unclean? Not one."...
Jer.13:23 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do, that are accustomed to do evil."...
Today we see more calls than ever before to follow Christ...Thousands come down the aisle saying Yes to the call... However, there still remains many who do not choose to follow Him... When ask of those who readily accept... How do they come to Him so easily when others will not?... They credit their human will for their ability to say Yes... One man's will over that of another... How sad it is to hear that people think they have a more willing will than someone else... Because the Scriptures declare that it is God who breaks down any barriers that prevent His sheep from following Him... Many will hear the call and may bring Christ into their lives... But true followers are His Chosen and He brings them into His life on His Terms and by His ability...
Matt.22:14 "Many are called, but few are chosen."...
John.10:3 "To Him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear His voice; and He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out."...
John.10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"...
The scriptures tell of people coming to Christ and volunteering to follow Him... However, only those that He calls and commands to come will He give the ability to be His true followers... A good example of this is the parable in Luke.9:57-62... The first man came to Christ and said "Lord, I will follow the whithersoever thou goest"... Jesus knew the man's fleshly barrier and He used it to turned him away... Christ told him that He had no place to stay... The second man was Called and Commanded by Christ "Follow Me"... He too had a fleshly barrier... He wanted to wait for his inheritance... But, Christ broke the barrier down and told him to "Go preach the kingdom of God"... The third said to Christ, "Lord I will follow thee"... Christ rejected him and sent him off with his unbroken barrier... Another example of a willing volunteer to follow Christ was the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 19:16-26... He left sad... Because on his own he was unable and unwilling to break the barrier which prevented him from following Christ on Christ's terms...

In conclusion we believe the scriptures are clear on the following points:

1. Christ commands: His Sheep to Follow Him...	2.Christ changes: Their Nature/Heart/Will...
3.Therefore, His Sheep: Hear and Know His Voice...	4.Therefore, His Sheep: Willing follow Him In Truth...

Since it is God who gives His people the ability to be willing followers...It will be God who gets all the Glory for our reconcilation... And man's will and ability get none...
Phil.2:13 "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."...
John.1:12,18 "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will on man, but of God."...
1Cor.1:29 "That no flesh should glory in His presence."...

Again, how is one willing and able to come in truth to follow Christ... A quote from a good friend of our says it all:

"REGENERATION MUST COME BEFORE EVERYTHING"!!!!

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