Most people in the western world know of Jesus' crucifixion and the significance for salvation. It was God's ultimate sacrifice... himself, to pay for all the sins of all mankind; past, present and future. As such, there is only one sacrifice that is required, unlike the priests who continually submitted innocent animals to their death to pay the penalty for sin.
Because their is one death there is one "born-again" experience. Some call this "saved", because those born-again shall be! Just as there is one birth there is one rebirth. One rebirth only requires one payment for sin. Hence, there is only need for one crucifixion. Let's look at what Paul said about that:
Romans 6:4 "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.""Enlightenment is being "born-again". It is when a person is "born of the spirit" (John 3:8). That's the acceptance of God's inspiration that since all men sin, they can be saved, if they acknowledge that none can save themselves, but Jesus can by his own death on the cross! Abraham Maslow called spiritual enlightenment the "peak experience" and indeed it is! However, he missed one point; it MUST BE faith in Jesus Christ! (Acts 4:12).
There is one peak experience. If there could be more they could not be "peak". There is one "realization" that Jesus' death is the only way to salvation. Why? Because God chose only to die one time! There was one crucifixion. Now what if people had to be "born-again" again and again?
Those who have been enlightened have accepted God's gift which is the Holy Ghost. Those who are born-again have Jesus alive and well within their soul. It's not just God's Holy Spirit, God's essence, but now the "Ghost of Jesus" because God's Spirit experienced death on the cross as well when God forsook Jesus. (See my earlier blog on this doctrine at GHOSTS).
Jesus has one "Ghost" because he has one identity and because he died already and can only die a physical death one time! Therefore, my premise is that the crucified Jesus lives within each person who is born-again, and as such, the New Birth since Jesus' death is when Jesus' Holy Ghost enters into the soul of the new Christian!
If being born-again is being "saved", it is only possible to be saved from eternal death one time! If one was to "fall away", it is technically impossible to be "saved again" because that would imply that salvation from ETERNAL death can only happen more than once!
Those who interpret scripture have one of two beliefs: 1) that falling away is impossible or 2) that Christians can fall away. These two opposing doctrines are called "eternal" and "conditional" security, respectively. These passages confirm that "falling away" IS possible, so Herrin Doctrine is weighed toward conditional security; i.e., it is possible for those born spiritually to die spiritually, and "shall be saved" is at any time in the future. I believe that future time is at the time of mortal death.
If it were possible, and it's not, to be "renewed" or "born-again AGAIN" then those who did that would be crucifying Jesus again by shaming God. That shame is failure to accept God's sacrifice which he has already done once and for all! That would be killing Jesus again!
I am going to stretch doctrine a little bit now. For those Christians who are "born-again" and are not changed persons which they become at the new birth, they kill Jesus all over again and time and time again! It's a spiritual killing because as they continue to live in sin, God's gift to mankind is shamed.
The born-again experience is when they reason, "I must have Jesus to be saved!". This reasoning is thought before they see the light. That thought is faith, and it's by faith anyone shall be saved. Living a life of sin is remaining the "old person" while professing to be a "new person". The old person, the one who died when the new one was born, can only die once. At the time one first believed, that old person died. He cannot be resurrected. The new person took his place and lives forever... unless his faith dies. "Faith" or "trust in the purpose in Jesus' death' is for the duration of life. It is not merely at the instant in time at the time of enlightenment; it's STEDFAST faith which saves!
Jesus had an "Old Person" too. He was innocent, but carried all the sins of mankind on his back as he died for all mankind. His old person was burdened, not by guilt, but by our sins. When Jesus died he too became a "New Person" because all those sins were taken off his shoulders and buried in hell! They are dead forever never to rise again! Jesus can never be the "Old Person" again with that burden of corporate sin because they have all been paid! The "Old Person Jesus" can never be killed again for there is no need to ever do that!
When one lives a life of sin, it puts God's sacrifice to shame. It's Satan's endeavor to put sin back on Jesus' shoulders again, and that Old Jesus has already died. The New Jesus, his body now in heaven and his Ghost omnipresent already IS. Jesus will never have two Ghosts because he lives right now!
Now for the point I'm making: We will fail God, but we must hang onto our faith. We are in danger of leaving faith behind when sins are too many and too grievous. It's not that Christians lose their salvation, but Satan deceives them into giving up their faith.
They have some faith at the time of their rebirth. A little later those who fail to live the life of a changed person, lose a little more faith as they sin a lot. Perhaps they feel guilty, but sin anyway. The pleasure of sin draws them further and further away as sin compounds until faith erodes as God has no governance in their lives. Right then and there is the time when for them Jesus is needed to die again for them, but that can't be done. Sinners who are in apostasy, dig the Old Sacrificed Jesus up from his death and put him back on the cross. They have a need to kill Jesus again, but that can't be done!
What are sinning Christians to do? Change! Quit behaving and acting like the Old Person behaved and acted. Quit killing Jesus' again by shaming God by being unrighteous!
Look at the modern church. The Nicolatians have moved back in; those who practice the sin of Balaam. The modern church is now about wealth, prestige, pleasure; all the same fruits hanging on the forbidden tree. The church has become a den of thieves because they steal from God what is God's. The church is Holy Ground. Light shows, smoke and thundering bands are for the pleasure of the other gods; those corporate "selfs" who each seem to worship besides God.
When titles such as "Dr.", "Reverend", "Father" and such are the focus of the church it is the other gods being worshiped.
When unrighteous Christians are allowed to teach or preach, it's crucifying Jesus all over! It's killing Jesus again!
When the money goes for high pay and towers of Babel, it's for the other gods besides God. He has little use for those temples for mankind when he is the one who allegedly lives in the hearts of Christians. His Ghost takes no space and wherever Christians are is Holy Ground.
Sure we need buildings for teaching and studying the word. We can even praise God in those buildings. However, those buildings have become those obelisks of old where the people try to see God, but it's the building that prides the people who build it.
There is as much immodesty in the church as on the streets. Nearly as much cleavage is displayed at church as on the beach. Women and men dress in expensive apparel and Sunday becomes a fashion show. God doesn't need all that. He merely wants sincere hearts circumcised from all that!
Churches split because of the music. It's to God we must sing. People complain about the music because "I don't like that kind," but it's to God that we present it. The music of the world should never enter the church. We sometimes fail to know the difference, but God does! It's when it's for man and not him. If what we see and here is for our entertainment, it's not from God.
"Rock-and-Roll" can never be holy. God doesn't allow sin in to be in his face!
"Rock-and-Roll" means "back seat sex", going back to the late 1950s. Music which is used to tantalize is never holy! That doesn't negate the use of contemporary music of course, but it does the show behind it. God doesn't need incense any longer. His incense is our love. Smoke and mirrors aren't required to please God, but bowed knees are!
We are entertained six days a week. Our lives are full of fun. Sunday is for God and it is to be holy. On that day we are to do things God's way and God's way is one of praise, not entertainment. It's the day which we all should fast our pleasures and focus on the will of God.
Stop the killing! The church is dying and God is shamed by it. We can never kill Jesus again, but we endeavor to do so by putting him to shame. It's his church where Jesus is being killed. Please, please, stop the killing of Jesus!
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