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The mystery of human life
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by revelation, the mystery was made known to me
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the purpose of man's existence
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Have you ever asked yourself why you're living in this world and what the purpose of human life is?
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No matter what type of person you are or what your profession is
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there are a few things which you like most people would agree with
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that is, money cannot satisfy man
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Neither can education satisfy man, nor can pleasure satisfy man
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Nor can success satisfy man
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Why?
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Because you have not yet realized God's plan.
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God has a plan. This plan has everything to do with man.
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In the Bible this plan is called God's economy [note 2] or dispensation (Ephesian 1:10).
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which in original language is oikonomia, referring to God's plan.
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God's economy is just God's entire plan for man.
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It explains the original destiny of man, as well as the meaning of human existence.
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How can you know God's economy?
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the four keys
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God has prepared four keys for you to unlock God's economy.
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These four keys are recorded in the Bible.
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Each of these four keys is equally important and indispensable.
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Please open your heart right now to quietly and carefully read through this booklet.
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You will then grasp these four keys, understand God's economy, realize the purpose of man
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and begin a satisfying human life
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The first key - God's creation
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unlocking the mystery of human existence
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Man has God's image
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Please read the following verse.
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And God said let us make man in our image after our likeness. (Genesis 1:26 a)
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God's creation of man is different from His creation of all other things.
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He created man in his own image.
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A glove is created according to the likeness of a hand with the purpose of containing the hand
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Likewise man was created in the image of God with the purpose of containing God.
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Man is a vessel.
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Now read the next verse
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God should make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, even us. (Romans 9:23 - 24)
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We are vessels of God
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God wants to be our content, as bottles are made to contain water,
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we are made to contain God.
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It is no wonder that knowledge, wealth, pleasure, and accomplishment can never satisfy you,
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for you were created to contain God.
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The part of man
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Please continue by reading the next verse
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May your spirit, and soul, and body be preserved complete (1st Thessalonians 5:23)
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Man is God's vessel
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The Bible divides this vessel into three parts
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The spirit, the soul, and the body, see diagram below
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The body is simply the physical body, belonging to the physiological level,
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contacting the things of the material realm and is the most superficial part.
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The soul as the mental faculty belonging to the psychological level,
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contacting the things of the mental realm and is a deeper part.
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The Spirit is the deepest part of man
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belonging to the spiritual level and contacts the things of God.
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For problems of the body, one may see a doctor. For problems of the mind, one may visit a psychiatrist,
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yet only God can solve the problems of the spirit.
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God's economy
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God wants to enter into man's spirit to become his content and his satisfaction.
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This is the purpose of human existence
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You are not merely created to contain food in your stomach or to contain knowledge in your mind
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,but you are created to contain God in your spirit
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The second key - man's fall
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unlocking the mystery of the good and evil nature of man
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the two natures of man
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since man was made in the image of God,
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he possesses a good nature that matches God's nature with virtues such as truthfulness,
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goodness, loveliness, wisdom, kindness and valor
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However, there is also an evil nature in man which wars against his good nature
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The Chinese metaphysicists refers to this war as a battle between reason and lust.
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Throughout history both in the East and West, those who understand human nature
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acknowledged the existence of this evil nature which the Bible calls sin.
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Because sin is in man, he is unable to carry out his good intentions
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No one likes to be greedy, jealous or murders.
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No one likes to be boastful, arrogant or deceitful.
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No one likes to be irritable, licentious or lustful
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No one likes to murmur, complain, or curse
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nevertheless, man cannot escape his evil nature.
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Please read the following verses
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For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells.
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For to will is present with me, but to do the good is not (Rom 7:18)
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but if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me (Rom 7:20)
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this is a portrait of man
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the fall of man
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Sin entered into man and caused him to fall see diagram below
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Sin caused man's spirit to be deadened and you, being dead in your offenses and sins (Eph 2:1)
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Sin caused man's mind to rebel:
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And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by evil works (Col 1:21)
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Sin caused man's body to sin
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Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to obey its lusts (Rom 6:12).
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The fallen man is like a damaged and untunable radio which cannot receive and play music,
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but rather meaningless noise
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He is also like a cup that has fallen into the gutter
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still having its original fine form, but now covered with mud
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Man cannot save himself
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Throughout history, man has tried every possible way to escape sin.
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But he has found that:
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Good works cannot save him from sin.
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Education cannot save him from sin.
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Ethics cannot save him from sin.
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Chanting cannot save him from sin.
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Religion cannot save him from sin.
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This picture of man simply depicts the battle between his good nature and his evil nature.
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The third key - Christ's Redemption
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unlocking the mystery of the life and death of the Godman
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Who is Christ?
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Christ is the Savior sent from God to the world to solve the problems of human life
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He is the embodiment of the Triune God
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for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col 2:9)
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He's also God incarnated.
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the Word was God
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The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, full of grace and reality (John 1:1、14)
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Therefore he is both the complete God and the perfect man.
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See the following diagram
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He is more than a good man. He's more than a great man. He's more than a moral man
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He's more than a holy man. He is the Godman
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the death of the Godman
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This Godman was nailed to the cross to accomplish the work of redemption
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He died with three statuses
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first, as the Lamb of God
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He died to take away man's sin
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The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)
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Second, as the brass serpent that had been lifted up
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He died to crush the old serpent, Satan, and to deal with the serpent's poison within man,
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his sinful nature
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And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
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even so must the Son of Man be lifted up (John 3:14)
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as the grain of wheat, He died to release the divine life.
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...a grain of wheat... dies, it bears much fruit.(John 12:24)
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Now his death has taken away the sin which man has but should not have
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His death imparts into man the life which he needs but does not have
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The fourth key - God's dispensing
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unlocking the mystery of faith in Christ
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the two becomings of Christ
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God became flesh, born as a man called Jesus
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Please read the following verse: the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (John, 1:14)
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The Lord became the Spirit called the Life-giving Spirit by His resurrection from the dead
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Read the following verse: the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit (1 Cor 15:45)
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Since this Spirit is the Life-giving Spirit, He dispenses God with His life into His believers
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Hence, the Bible says he who has the Son has the life;
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he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life (1 John 5:12)
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Regenerating man:
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In his first birth man obtains a physical life
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When man receives God's life through Christ, he experiences a second birth,
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which the Bible calls "regeneration"
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God has regenerated us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead (1 Peter 1:3)
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Jesus said, unless a man is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3)
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A pig cannot participate in the sheep's kingdom and live a sheep's life by education, improvement or regulation.
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It must possess the life of a sheep.
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Similarly man cannot participate in God's kingdom and live a divine life by education, improvement or regulation;
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he must receive the life of God.
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The meaning of being a Christian:
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A christian is one who receives God's dispensing
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God first dispenses Himself into our spirit
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and then spreads from our spirit into our soul
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Finally, He fills and saturates our spirit, soul, and body with Himself
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The Bible calls this final stage, glorification.
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And whom He predestinated,
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these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified;
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And whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Rom 8:13)
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Through this, we can be transformed and conformed to the image of Christ
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Because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. ( Rom 8:29)
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This is the purpose of human life.
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This is the meaning of being a Christian.
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This is what God has planned for you.
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What must you do now?
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Now that you have realized God's plan
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You should do four things.
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First, turn your heart to God - repent
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Repentance is not to be remorseful.
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Repentance is neither to turn over a new leaf
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Repentance is to have a change in mind
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Previously you had your back towards God
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Whether you were doing good or evil, you were turned away from God
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Your mind was turned away from God.
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Now Listen to what the Lord Jesus said
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Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near (Matt4:17)
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Second, believe - receive
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To believe is not to nod your head
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nor to agree, nor merely to be appreciative
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If someone gives you a watch, it is not enough for you just to nod your head in agreement
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and admire the watch
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You need to receive it
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Believing is just receiving.
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Read the following verse
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But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God,
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to those who believe in His name (John 1:12)
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Third, confess - call
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Being a Christian is an open matter
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God requires that your heart believe and that your mouth confess.
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If your heart does not believe, you cannot be saved.
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If your mouth does not confess, neither, can you be saved.
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But if you confess with your mouth Lord Jesus
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and believe in your heart that God has raised him from among the dead,
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you shall be saved (Rom 10:9)
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Fourth, be baptized - testify
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Baptism is a testimony before man.
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All believers should be baptized in order to be saved,
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not only before God, but also before men.
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the Lord Jesus said
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He who believes and is baptized shall be saved,
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but he who does not believe, shall be condemned (Mark 16:16)
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Through baptism God transfers us from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God
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For this reason the Lord Jesus said, truly truly I say to you
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unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5)
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Now please pray
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Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I need you. Come into my spirit.
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Take away my sin.
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Fill me that I may have the life of God.
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I receive You right now as my Savior and life.
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I give myself to you.
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I ask this in your name, amen.
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Now you are clear about the mystery of human life.
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May the Lord bless you, and cause you to continue living in God's plan.
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If you would like to learn more about God's economy,
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and gain a deeper experience of the salvation of Christ
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do contact us for more discussion.