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Lesson 44 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 5
mandments. Our Nature Must Be Changed
But our loving and gracious God has
promised that He will begin to SHARE His very Two thousand years after the time of
own divine nature with us. He has PROMISED Adam, YEHOVAH God made this statement
to do this by BEGETTING US with His holy concerning His people Israel, and all mankind:
spirit -- PROVIDED that we will TRULY O that there were such an heart [such a
REPENT of disobeying His laws, completely NATURE] in them, that they would fear me, and
SURRENDER OUR OWN WILLS to the will of keep all my commandments always, that it might
YEHOVAH God, have FAITH in the cleansing be well with them" (Deuteronomy 5:29).
blood of the Messiah and are baptized. Then Notice that YEHOVAH God says carnal
YEHOVAH will place His holy spirit of LOVE man, of himself, does not have the ability -- the
and POWER within us, thus making it possible character -- to obey Him. WHY?
for us to BEGIN living by the eternal, royal law The carnal mind [the mind with which
of love and BEGIN DEVELOPING the very we are born] is ENMITY against God [it
CHARACTER of YEHOVAH God! HATES YEHOVAHs law] for it is not subject
God IS Love -- that is, His very to the law of God ... (Romans 8:7).
NATURE IS LOVING! (I John 4:8.) The carnal mind with which we are born
We are actually to PARTAKE FULLY REFUSES to keep YEHOVAHs LAW. This is
of His divine NATURE at the resurrection -- the REASON why man does not keep the royal
whereby are given unto us exceeding GREAT law of love. His HUMAN nature REBELS
and PRECIOUS promises: that by these ye against it. But the Scripture goes even further!!
might BE PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE Notice the words NEITHER INDEED CAN
NATURE" (II Peter 1:4). THINK OF THAT!! BE at the end of this same verse.
How marvellous! It is utterly IMPOSSIBLE for the
We may now be begotten of the spirit of CARNAL mind of man, of itself, to be subject to
the Father. And when we are later BORN YEHOVAHs Supreme SPIRITUAL law of
AGAIN, then we will be COMPLETELY com- love!
posed of spirit -- the HOLY SPIRIT OF Do you understand?
YEHOVAH GOD. We will then be Gods -- It is only by the MIRACLE OF
members of the God Kingdom -- COMPOSED SPIRITUAL BEGETTAL that one can BEGIN
of YEHOVAHs SPIRITUAL substance and na- to keep YEHOVAHs law! But even then we
ture by a new (our second) birth. still have to FIGHT against the evil pulls of our
Yes, GOD IS LOVE (I John 4:8). At carnal natures.
the resurrection WE ALSO WILL BE LOVE. The apostle Paul, who was begotten by
We will then be the very PERSONIFICATION YEHOVAHs holy spirit, recognized the contin-
of love. We will then LIVE love -- live by the ual evil pulls of his carnal nature. He said, We
royal law of love perfectly forever! (I John 3:9.) know that the law is SPIRITUAL: but I am
Then all our heartaches, sorrows and tears will CARNAL ... for that which I DO I allow not: for
be over. what I would, THAT DO I NOT; but WHAT I
YEHOVAH God is now fashioning His HATE, that DO I" (Romans 7:14, 15)
spirit-begotten children unto good works in Finally, Paul cried out, O WRETCHED
preparation for that glorious event (Ephesians man that I am! who shall DELIVER me from the
2:10). body of this death?" (Verse 24.) Paul knew that
But fashioning us unto good works is it would take a MIRACLE -- direct FROM
NOT EASY! YEHOVAH GOD HIMSELF -- to COM-
PLETELY CHANGE his human NATURE so
The Meaning of Marriage -- Part One
