1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” Commentary: Mission impossible for those that try to be Christians without the Holy Spirit! Just like taking Christ out of Christmas! Happy Holidays? Jesus said we must be born again! The religious Jews had a hard time when Jesus told them this? Jesus tells us our political position or rank in our culture will not save us! Remember Nicodemus? How can I go into my mother’s womb a second time? A spiritual birth is traumatic like a natural birth! You have to abandon trust in men and trust in yourself and cast all your cares on Jesus! You have to divorce yourself from the gods of this world! You have to lay everything on the altar! You sacrifice yourself like the sacrifice that was made for you by God on the Cross! Jesus told Nicodemus you only lack one thing to follow me! Sell all you have and give to the poor! He could not do it for he was a rich young man! You cannot hold back a few sheep like Saul did! You have to trust God when all your senses say no! You have to cut the anchor to your ship and submit to the will of the storm! Like Jonah you may have to confess Christ even though they throw you overboard to the sharks! Everything except Christ will fail you! My health! My name! My church! My family! My possessions! My house! My car! My political party! Christ will not fail you for he has promised to raise you from the dead! No mortal can do this! No mortal can help another mortal suffering from the same sin! No one but Christ can judge every human that has ever lived and forgive everyone who accepts his redemption! The Trinity created this world and after Jesus ascension he promised us he would send his Holy Spirit! To keep us secure until he raises us from the dead! Jesus has gone back to heaven to prepare a mansion for us there! How many mansions does he have to build? He just looks in the Lamb’s Book of Life and looks for your name there! Your title deed is in that Book! The title here on earth of your name will be removed from your house, vehicles, bank accounts, retirements and the only thing you get back is a death certificate! Right now you either have a title to heaven or hell! After death comes the judgment! Jesus will look to see if your name is in the Book? The Holy Spirit will confirm your salvation with his indwelling presence! The Holy Spirit gives you his power to keep your place in heaven while you work out your salvation on earth! The church without the Holy Spirit has no power here on earth! Are you trying to live without his power today? James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com