Page 20 - lesson24.vp

20 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 24

Christian. Notice how: begotten within you -- if you have truly been
The mind of a new convert is begotten at begotten by YEHOVAH God -- even though it
conversion by the spirit of YEHOVAH God. A LOSES CONSCIOUSNESS AT DEATH, your
NEW SPIRITUAL life actually begins! But the enemies have no power over. It is your RIGHT
spirit of YEHOVAH God is NOT ANOTHER to eternal life which no MAN can take from you!
CONSCIOUSNESS; it is spiritual life from But IF YOU WILLFULLY REBEL
YEHOVAH that joins with the human spirit IN against YEHOVAH God and become in-
the man and converts the conscious mind into a corrigible after the knowledge of the truth is
“new creature” -- or CREATION -- with the manifest to your mind, YEHOVAH WILL
potential of eternal life. DESTROY BOTH THE BODY AND ANY
Most people do not understand the CHANCE OF A FUTURE LIFE (“SOUL”) IN
meaning of the word “conversion.” It is a HELL-FIRE! You will be burned up! And from
CHEMICAL term. It means “to change the that there will never be a resurrection. That will
nature of." In other words, the spirit of be your end for all eternity! But more about this
YEHOVAH God, which is added to your mind in the next lesson.
when you repent and surrender your life to Him,
IS THE AGENT BY WHICH YOUR CARNAL “Body, Soul and Spirit”?
MIND IS TO BE CHANGED INTO A
SPIRITUAL MIND -- CHANGED from a being The pagan philosophers believed that
of corruptible flesh with a carnal mind INTO A man was an immortal soul in a material body.
SPIRITUAL BEING -- ACTUALLY COM- The Catholic Church has ADOPTED this view.
POSED OF SPIRIT, with the power of an But many PROTESTANTS today
endless life! Conversion, then, ultimately means CLAIM THAT MAN IS “BODY, SOUL AND
much more than a change of attitude. It includes SPIRIT." But as to which is immortal -- the soul
a change in composition -- A CHANGE FROM or the spirit -- they never seem quite sure! Now
PHYSICAL MATTER TO IMMORTAL SPIR- let us notice what THE BIBLE REVEALS about
IT! “body, soul and spirit.”
But this change does not take place all at 1. Does not the apostle Paul sometimes
once. It BEGINS WHEN YOU BECOME refer to man as “body, soul, and spirit”? I
BEGOTTEN by the spirit of YEHOVAH God. Thessalonians 5:23. Does this verse prove the
In this life what is changed is your attitude, your doctrine of the “immortality of the soul”? What
character, your mind’s outlook on life. It is NOT does the word “spirit” mean in I Thessalonians
UNTIL THE RESURRECTION THAT YOU 5:23? Turn to I Corinthians 2:11 for the
ARE TO BE COMPLETELY CONVERTED answer. It refers to the human spirit essence IN
into spirit. It is at the resurrection that this mortal man.
conversion is finally completed! 2. Isn’t it rather plain that Paul, in I
At death your conscious self dies. Your Thessalonians 5:23, is referring to the POWER
mind ceases to think (Ecclesiastes 9:5). But the OF MIND when he uses the word “SPIRIT”?
power or spirit of YEHOVAH God that begot And to the physical LIFE when he uses the word
the new spiritual life within you is reserved in “SOUL”? And to the FLESH when he uses the
heaven and will recreate your mind and your word “BODY”? WHAT’S WRONG WITH
character from the MOLD of your human spirit HAVING YOUR WHOLE MIND, your LIFE,
which has been asleep. For those still alive at the and your BODY PRESERVED BLAMELESS
moment of the Messiah’s return, the power of -- PRESERVED FROM THE PENALTY OF
YEHOVAH God will quicken or make immortal SIN -- in anticipation of the coming of the
their mortal bodies. That new spiritual life now Messiah? Compare II Corinthians 7:1 with I

DEATH -- Where Is Your Sting?