christiang

Belief absolutely comes first, hence why I have been saying the holy spirit comes through belief, but belief does not automatically grant you the holy spirit immediately. I will give you another example, look at this other passage in Acts, While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” (Acts 19:1-2 [NRSV]) You assume that just because you believed you automatically received the holy spirit, but I am telling you no, because in accordance with other scriptures, you cannot sin once you receive the holy spirit. As such, since you yourself have affirmed you still struggle with sin, you make it known that you have not yet been baptized in the holy spirit.

You're not understanding this correctly, receiving the holy spirit is the point of salvation, because the correct word rendered as "salvation" is "delivered". Once you receive the holy spirit, you become literally delivered from your sinful nature. That is when you are "delivered", otherwise rendered as "saved", etc.... which all means that you have been freed of sin, you are delivered from your sinful nature. That is also the point of sanctification, because the living spirit of God is inhabiting your body, you cannot be sanctified without the holy spirit, mere belief does not sanctify you, the holy spirit does, which comes through belief in Jesus Christ.

Indeed, but both are believers, whether a true or a false one. Did it not occur to you that the distinguishing factor behind a true or false believer is sin? Hence "by their fruits you shall know them." And also, these scriptures, We know that every one being engendered of God does not sin; but the one engendered of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. (I John 5:18 [ABP]) for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4 [NIV]) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9 [KJV]) No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. (1 John 3:6 [NASB]) As such, if you still sin you are actually a false believer, because sin is the difference between a true and a false believer, whether you still sin or not. Yet while you are still alive, you have the opportunity to crossover from false believer to true believer if you actually stop sinning, and receive the holy spirit and become perfected. I don't know how else to put it for you, God, while very merciful, is also very severe. If he did not spare Israelites who had been delivered from Egypt, and even committed just one sin, in the ministry that came through Moses, rest assured he will not spare you on your continuance of sins after believing, in the ministry that came through the son of God! These are words of admonishment, that you may realize that you cannot continue sinning.

That simply isn't true, because even in the Book of Acts we see that Cornelius, who had believed in Jesus Christ, and had even been baptized with water, had not yet received the holy spirit. Believing and receiving the holy spirit are not the same thing and they do not necessarily happen at the same time, and not everyone who believes receives the holy spirit, for I've even seen believers in Jesus Christ that are living as homosexuals thinking that they too have the holy spirit! Although the holy spirit comes through belief, he doesn't just come only with belief. The belief needs to grow into other things, like full repentance (stop committing every sin that violates the Law of God) and humility as was required by Jesus Christ (sell all your possessions and properties), and giving to God your offerings of righteousness (giving to the poor and being full of good works). Sadly, most everyone fails in one area or the other, thinking one thing is not a sin when it is, or believing in false teachings, or various other things. The way too life is indeed very narrow. The holy spirit is the final seal of salvation, and once you receive him, you are sealed as one of the few that are chosen of God, and you can never lose him nor lose your salvation, and never sin either. And at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the sealed will be gathered together to meet the Lord in the air, and will become glorified, exalted, and given authority to rule on the earth as sons of God in the kingdom established by Jesus Christ. But you cannot come to rule in his kingdom unless you first take the form of a servant as he also did, before he became glorified and exalted. And neither can you inherit his kingdom unless you are first born of spirit, which means to be baptized in the holy spirit, and be freed of your sinful nature, for a slave who still sins cannot inherit, but a son who has been freed can. The truth of the matter is that you still struggle in your sin because, and I'm not trying to condemn you nor offend you, you have not received the holy spirit. The holy spirit is supposed to free you of your sinful nature, so it no longer becomes a struggle against your own nature, but rather, you literally walk free of sin, and your new struggle now becomes against the principalities and angels of wickedness that will all of a sudden come against you, as any who becomes sealed of the holy spirit will suffer and be persecuted, even here in America.

Hi there, the point of perfection is not when you first believe, nor when you stop sinning on your own accord, but when you become baptized with the holy spirit. As the purpose behind the baptism of the holy spirit is not just to give you power from on high, but also to sanctify you, which means to free you of your sinful nature, which then literally causes you, as is mentioned in scripture, to be "free from sin", "perfected", and "cannot sin again". It is not your own doing, because you yourself cannot free yourself of your sinful nature, but the doing of the holy spirit. Receiving the holy spirit is not just some figure of speech, as I hear people frequently say, "I have the holy spirit", but live lives contrary to what the work of the holy spirit does in accordance to scripture, but it is a literal spirit that enters the body, and is always evidenced with a sign of power, usually speaking in different languages unknown to you or prophesying. Just as there are unclean spirits that can possess and control the body, so there is a holy spirit that is an actual being that enters into the body and instantly changes your heart, which is the "circumcision of the heart", and removes your evil desires. This is what is written and how is has been recorded in scripture. Many disbelieve because they simply do not understand, there is much false teaching, leading many people to unwittingly continue in their sin, even as remorseful and as infrequent as it may be, to their own destruction.

It has nothing to do with religion, it has to do with lifestyle. Just as the first beast symbolizes kingdoms that had lifestyles that were sinful, so does the second beast as well. And it deceives the world to buy into its financial way of life, music, movies, sexual deviancy, etc. It impresses the world with its power, and as such, it causes the deception.

Yes, why... do you not like me?

The second beast raining fire from heaven relates to the United States having military might to destroy cities with bombs and aircraft.

The US is not the seventh head, it is the second beast of Revelation.

I'm not trying to make you hopelessly lost, I am trying to get you to become baptized in the holy spirit. It's the only way you can become freed from sin. You prevent yourself from receiving him because of false understanding concerning him, and sin, based on teachings from your churches.

How many times must I quote the same scriptures? No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. (1 John 3:6 [NASB]) We know that every one being engendered of God does not sin; but the one engendered of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. (I John 5:18 [ABP]) for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4 [NIV]) Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9 [KJV]) So stubborn and cannot come to understanding.

This study goes over what the mark of the beast is in its two forms, the "name of the beast" and the "number of its name", and what it means to receive the mark on the forehead or the right hand. Also explains what 666 means.

Being freed from sin means that you never sin again, hence, Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36 [NIV]) Meaning if you still sin, you are still a slave. If you have been freed, then you no longer sin. If you still do, then you have not been truly freed and are still a slave to sin.

Of course I have sin, meaning I have sinned in the past. That does not mean I can carry on sinning just because I have sinned in the past. Otherwise I would be contradicting scripture that says that he who is born of God cannot sin, and that he who sins has neither known him or seen him.

Paul was speaking of his former man when he had his sinful nature, because following this passage, then he affirms thus, You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18 [NIV]) For the law of the spirit of the life in Christ Jesus freed me from the law of the sin and of death. (Romans 8:2 [ABP]) In nothing then is there now condemnation to the ones in Christ Jesus, not walking according to flesh, but according to spirit. (Romans 8:1 [ABP]) But you are not in flesh, but in spirit, if indeed spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, this one is not of him. (Romans 8:9 [ABP]) So clearly Paul is affirming that he is free from sin, and that he no longer walks according to the flesh that he described in that passage. You cannot walk according to both natures, you either are of one or the other. If you have received the holy spirit, "if indeed the spirit of God lives in you", then you walk according to the spirit, freed from sin, no longer able to sin, and thus, not according to your former flesh nature.