Herbert W Armstrong

   Once we have repented and are reconciled to Him through Christ, He also requires a continuation of that repentant state. That is an attitude of repentance. If we children of God become hardened to sin, then we no longer are in fellowship with Him, and our fellowship with Him has been cut off by our hand, by our doing. If we do not repent anew after being cut off — that is, if we harden our hearts in rebellion against Him — the judgment is already set: we will perish, and those who do that are referred to in Scripture as backslidden.

   And if we become a backslidden child of God, we are in effect even worse than those who have never repented, at least in God's sight, because the attitude becomes even more hard and more hostile toward God. If you don't believe it, hit the internet and look at the websites of some of those individuals who knew the truth, who understood the truth, who have turned back into the ways of the world. And their attitudes are portrayed as very hostile, angry souls, vicious in their tactics and their actions.

   In the New Testament, Christians around of every type, around the world, of every persuasion, believe that the New Testament is a new beginning. And it is — John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Christ. And John the Baptist, in preparing the way for Christ in Matthew chapter three, John the Baptist set the tone for the work of Christ and for the preaching of the gospel of Christ in the New Testament.

   Matthew chapter three, verse one (Matthew 3:1-3): "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying..." Notice it's a very simple and a very straightforward, very plain scripture and very plain message: "Repent you, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

   Verse three: "For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare you the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'" Now I take it from this text that John the Baptist was himself declaring that he was that one preparing the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. And he understood that his message was one of repentance.

   Many years ago, we were doing an evangelistic campaign in Springfield, Missouri. In the message of that evening, the subject had been on repentance, and one minister who was attending, a local pastor from that area, as he was leaving, became extremely negative and hostile. And as I was serving there as an usher and counseling, he and one of his members approached me and asked this question about repentance: "What is it? What do you mean that baptism unto repentance?" Because this is what scripture says — John came baptizing you unto repentance, and they took great umbrage at this.

   And of course, I turned to the scripture and read it to them so that they could understand that John the Baptist came and he was preaching a message of repentance from their past ways. And he was talking to religious people. He was speaking to the remnant of the last era of the Church of God in the Old Testament era, the last remnant of that church. And he said, "You must repent," because they had let slip the truths of God. They had not internalized the truths of God, but instead, they had developed their own system, their own way of worshiping God. And they equated that to an internalization of the law of God and the way of God. And they had totally missed the boat.

   So they were told to repent by John the Baptist who prepared the way for Christ. When Jesus began His ministry in Mark, I'm sorry, Matthew chapter four verse 17 (Matthew 4:16-17), we read Jesus began His ministry. Verse 16, starting in verse for the thought, the paragraph break: "The people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up."

   Verse 17: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'" Now, was Jesus echoing John? He used the exact same expression. He was using the exact same concept and thought that John the Baptist had used in pointing to Him. Or is there some other important lesson for us to learn from the fact that John the Baptist preached repentance to a people who believed themselves to be repentant, who believed themselves to be right with God and to be God's people? And Jesus continued that message as a continuation, beginning His ministry preaching repentance.

   As a matter of fact, Luke chapter 13, Jesus said — I tell you, Luke 13:3 — "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." He's talking in comparison to some people who had perished recently in a terrible accident. Verse five, continuing that and emphasizing that same thought, Jesus said, "I tell you, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." The message of Jesus, the message of John the Baptist was one of repentance, and most of the people didn't get it.

   In Acts chapter two, verse 38 (Acts 2:38), specifically beginning a bit earlier for the beginning of the thought — after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit had been poured out, some mighty miracles were performed, some miracles which attracted the attention of tens of thousands of people, mighty miracles in an effort or in an attempt to gain the recognition and the view of the people, the attention of the people. Mighty miracles were performed.

   You know, in my position, I am often hearing of the state of the church around the nation. And one of the things that right now I'm hearing and talking with some individuals about is this matter of Mr. Meredith mentioning miracles as an important aspect of the end-time work of God. And I think some people are misunderstanding something. I think many people do not understand what he is saying, and I don't think that we have apparently conveyed to our membership the importance of miracles — not to the church, not to ourselves, but to the world.

   Now, let me explain something. In the end of this age, Satan is going to perform miracles for the public, mighty miracles and mighty deeds and signs. And it is going to be imperative that the true God and that His true servants have the power to perform miracles to offset and counter the work of Satan the devil.

   Now, I happen to be following constantly reports concerning the mother church and what is happening out there and what her focus is today. And let me tell you something — the church of Rome today is working very diligently to utilize the latest and the most current technology that is available there. They are focusing on utilization of technology in order to make their message and to enlarge the scope of their power around the world. They are aware, they are active, and they are alive.

   And also let me tell you that many of the daughter churches, whose leadership 50 years ago would have been violently opposed to any kind of an accommodation with the mother church in Rome — the leadership of today are making pilgrimages to Rome and are kissing the ring of the leader of the great false church. And so we are being set up for the end of this age. And so if we are doing the work of God, then we must focus on fulfilling the work of God in such a way as He has determined it's going to be done.

   And part of that is in getting the church of God back in focus as the apostolic church of God was in focus and preparing a people to do the work as the apostles did. Now, let's look at some of the things that happened in that period when the apostles began their ministry following the day of Pentecost, 31 A.D. Peter's shadow falling on a man who was crippled from birth healed that man and he rose, and other such incredible miracles were performed — not to the aggrandizement of Peter, but in order to gain the attention of the people, so that the message he was conveying would be listened to, would be heard, and they would view him as speaking with authority.

   And this is where then we are verse 41 (Acts 2:41). Well, going back, let's start a little bit earlier. When they heard the message that Peter had preached after these signs and so on, and he was telling them, "You are guilty, you have crucified the Savior, the one God has sent Jesus." Verse 36, now verse 37 (Acts 2:36-37): "When they heard this, implied, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'"

   And then Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." So calling was still was understood to be an important aspect that precedes repentance.

   "For the promise is unto you and to your children," verse 40 (Acts 2:40): "And with many other words did he testify and exhort saying, 'Save yourselves from this untoward generation.'" The generation they were living in was the generation that was going to come unglued. And they did, beginning about 65 A.D. From 65 to 70 A.D., that generation suffered as few generations in the history of man have, particularly those in Jerusalem, specifically those who were religious and were totally enmeshed in the political religious system of the Judean world.

   And so repentance for the forgiveness of sins and getting right with God was the message that John the Baptist preached. It's the message that Jesus Christ preached. It's the message that His disciples preached. In Mark chapter six verse 12, when Jesus began His ministry and sending out His disciples as a part of or adjunct to His ministry, they went out preaching repentance. Mark 6:12 — and Jesus in His preaching compared that generation in a very pejorative way to Sodom and Gomorrah.

   And we live in a time when one of the candidates for the presidency right now, Mr. Allen Keyes, Ambassador Keyes, has openly, openly attacked the policy of our current administration in Washington and of many, many state governments of, in effect, opening up and making the gay so-called lifestyle not only acceptable but one which may be encouraged and taught and given as an example in our institutions of learning, starting with our little children. Homosexuality is no longer simply an issue between an individual and civilization or society. Rather today, homosexuality is a way of life which those activists who are practicing homosexuals are seeking to make, in effect, acceptable — even more than that, desirable by the mainstream populace. They are on a crusade and they have an agenda. They have a cause, and I would say that cause is to make the majority like themselves so that they will not feel guilty or condemned.

   Many years ago, I was interviewed before or during the Feast of Tabernacles — something we don't like to do. Certainly, I never did. But as a coordinator of one of the largest feast sites in the US at the time, I was asked to submit to the indignity of an interview, and I accepted that. And I sat down and I analyzed the questions that I would probably be asked, and because homosexuality was an issue in that particular city at that time, I knew in my heart this would be an issue and I thought the matter through. I prepared for it.

   And sure enough during the interview, I think the third question I was asked, "Well, where does the church, the Worldwide Church of God, stand on the subject of homosexuality?" And I decided not to duck the issue. And I said, "The church, the Worldwide Church of God, is of the opinion that each of us has been a sinner and that sinners must repent. We accept all people who have sinned and we will continue to accept them upon repentance. And so my answer then again is: when they repent, they are most welcome."

   She wasn't argumentative thankfully, and we got on with the rest of the interview. Now, I'm not saying it sounded real good when I heard it that evening on the news. And as a result, I had a homosexual, a lesbian, approached me. She was attending the feast and she was in my face — she was angry and she was extremely agitated by the fact that I would imply that she had need to repent. And of course, I told her — well, that's all right, don't worry, you're ok. Or did I? Well, I think you know the answer.

   I'm amazed when one looks at scripture and when we see what Jesus Christ taught concerning the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah and what Paul said concerning sodomy and homosexuality. I am amazed that people will try to use God and Christ and make their sin OK. I'm amazed. I would think they would simply walk away and say, "Well, that's not for me because I don't want to repent." But no, everyone wants to feel right.

   After the crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ, and after the infusion of the Holy Spirit, Acts 3:19 says Peter preached, "Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

   Now in Matthew chapter 18, Christ taught a lesson to His disciples. Apparently His disciples had aspirations for positions of power, much as those who aspire to political office today. And apparently they were at that time not fully converted — that is, they had not fully internalized the program, the plan of Christ; they didn't understand it yet. And so they were striving for positions of power, much like people in our day have done, unfortunately, in the church.

   And Jesus called little children to Him in Matthew chapter 18, to use as an illustration, as an example and a lesson to His disciples to teach. Matthew chapter 18 verse one (Matthew 18:1): "At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus saying, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said, 'Truly, I say unto you, except you be converted and become as little children, you shall, no, not rather, enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receives me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.'"

   Now, Jesus is teaching a lesson in humility here and a lesson that we must come to the point where, you know, little children aren't really terribly concerned about power positions. They may be concerned about things, but they are not concerned about positions of power as are big children who have grown up and have learned that there is advantage in gaining positions of power in government — and positions of power are converted into, of course, money, economics, things. But Jesus taught that like little children, we must be converted as little children.

   In Acts chapter eight, verse 22 (Acts 8:22), there was a man who sought power in the church — and you know the story. He was baptized, his name was Simon Magus. After his baptism, when he saw that power was conveyed by the laying on of hands, he sought to purchase with money this power because he was a power freak. He was seeking after power for the sake of power and for the sake of money, to continue his old way of life as a priest of merism, no doubt. And of course he was rebuked and he was told to repent: "Repent therefore of this your wickedness and pray God, ask God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you" — because it went deeper than his lips, it went all the way to the core of his being. But he didn't — he refused to repent. And so he died; he died in his sins.

   Now, God is very merciful, has been down through time. Was the preaching of repentance by John the Baptist and by Jesus and by His disciples unique in the history of relations between God and man? That question keeps coming to my mind. In other words, what I'm saying is: beginning with John, beginning with the New Testament — is this the first time repentance was preached? Is this the beginning of the gospel of repentance and conversion?

   Well, let's notice something. Let's — I'm not going to turn to all the scriptures, but I'm going to call your attention to them. What was the work of Enoch? Enoch lived from about 3282 B.C, 3380 B.C. to about 3000 B.C. He had a son named Methuselah whose name was in effect a prophecy that when he dies, then the destruction comes. And the warning was for the people to repent, to turn around. Now they had corrupted themselves totally by the days of Enoch, and it was imperative for certain, for the work of God, that one person be called to do this work, to do the work of proclaiming the gospel, if you please, of that time — the warning message to the world that they would not be destroyed without warning.

   Noah preached after God called him and he began the work of preparing the Ark for 120 years. We could stack the lifetime of Mr. Ames and myself together, and that's about the period of time of Noah's preaching. Or maybe it's just his lifetime — I'm not sure now. He's more like Methuselah's age, isn't he?

   Following Noah and following the flood, there were 3, 3 men. Two of those men remained relatively faithful immediately following the flood. As far as I can tell, Shem and Japheth seem to have had a measure of character and righteousness. Ham, the one son did not — apparently Ham was corrupt. He was corrupted early on. Certainly his sons were. And you know the story of what happened to Noah. And I don't — it's not my purpose to go into that, but simply I want you to understand that there was a degradation of the knowledge of God and worship of God immediately following the flood.

   And by the time of the Tower of Babel, once again, the earth had become totally corrupted. And so it was necessary for God to act. He called a man thereafter by the name of Abraham. Now, Abraham was called out of a pagan religion. He was from a stock apparently from the Shem line, but he was in paganism as far as we can know. And yet God saw in this man the character and the ability to do a work, to do a job.

   And He states it that "I have — I know that he will command his children after him." In actuality, that is not really well translated, and I think some of the other translations make it much better. And it's in saying that — now I have known him in order that, I think that's the Jewish translation, in order that he may command his children after him. Abraham was called to teach his children so that then his children could be used to teach all nations, that all nations might have access to the knowledge of the true knowledge of the creation and of the relationship and interaction between God and man from the time of creation down through the ages.

   And so he was used to prepare a family. Following that, after that family had grown large, God called Moses, and Moses preached to that family then and also, we're told, he preached to the gentile — that is, the mixed multitudes who were with them. But I want you to notice something. And let's just take Deuteronomy chapter four because there's quite a bit in the Old Testament, the account in both Deuteronomy and Leviticus and particular about which bears on this message and this point, this truth.

   Deuteronomy — let's start in chapter four verse 41, Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. That the slayer might flee thither. That is there could be cities of refuge, and so on. And a, I'm sorry I went too far down, I want verse, let's start back in about verse, no let's start in verse 21 (Deuteronomy 4:21-28): To get the flow and the thought, verse 20. "But the Lord hath taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance as you are this day." That is His inheritance. "Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me for your sakes and swear that I should not go over Jordan and that I should not go into that good land which the Lord your God has given you for an inheritance. But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan, but you shall go over and possess that good land."

   "Take heed," verse 23, "take heed unto yourselves lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He has made with you and make you a graven image or the likeness of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. When you shall beget children and children's children, and you shall have remained long in the land and shall corrupt yourselves and make a graven image or the likeness of anything, and shall go and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him to anger" — OK, it's a foregone conclusion. He knows that they're going to do it. He knows human nature. He understood that every man has one foot of clay in Psalm 2. And women, of course, we won't discuss.

   "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto you go over Jordan to possess it. You shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed." OK, it's a warning at this point. He is giving them a warning and He's telling them what will happen. First of all, because it's understood, because of the nature of man, it's understood what they will do. And secondly, then it's very apparent what God will do in response.

   "And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and you shall be left few in number among the heathen, whether the Lord shall lead you. And there you shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." Now, that's actually, I think that's dual in the sense in the context that is given here — you're going to serve them first of all because of their idolatrous inclination, because they want this unique and new way of worship. And secondly, once they have corrupted themselves spiritually speaking, then they will serve indeed by their labor and by the loss of their substance who will become enslaved.

   "But if from thence," verse 29, this is the key: "But if from thence you shall seek the Lord your God" — if you repent — "you shall find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul," a witness to them that sin must be accompanied or followed by repentance to become right with God once again.

   "When you are in tribulation," verse 30, and "all these things are come upon you even in the latter days, if you turn to the Lord your God and shall be obedient unto His voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not forsake you neither destroy you nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swear unto you. For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you since the day that God created man upon the earth and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there has been any such thing as this great thing is or hath been heard like it before?"

   "Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as you have heard and live? Or has God essayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations, by signs and by wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm and by great terrors according to all that the Lord your God did for you in the land of Egypt before your eyes?" Unless rather unto you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God — there is none else beside Him. Out of heaven He made you to hear His voice that He might instruct you. That is, He performed signs and miracles in the preparation and in the establishment of the nation of Israel as His people, as His church.

   So the history of the church then is one of calling and of response and of establishment and of sin going into sin, followed by a need for deep repentance. Now, the history of the church, as we see it in Revelation 2 and 3, is again following virtually the pattern of the Old Testament Church. It follows precisely the pattern of the Old Testament church: establishment by signs and by miracles, by great miracles, followed by a decay and falling away into heresy, following away into pagan idolatrous religious systems, followed by repentance, followed by once again more decay and more apostasy all the way to the end of this age.

   Now then, we have, I think we have seen that the Old Testament Church and the New Testament Church are almost a mirror image, one or the other. There are some differences — New Testament Church had God's spirit, and we have often said, I think we have often said that but they didn't have the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they were not able to obey God as we are. How naive, how naive we were and how cocky we have been!

   Yes, they did not have the spirit of God. Yes, we have had an advantage by having the spirit of God, by being begotten of the spirit of God. But let me tell you that the spirit of God upon begettal is the germ, the seed. And unless the spirit of God is flowing through us, the spirit of mind of Christ is flowing through us by the spirit of God in an active fashion — if we let down, if we go to sleep, then we are no stronger or virtually no stronger than those who did not have the spirit of God or had it only as an adjunct to them or with them as in the Old Testament period.

   If we quench the spirit of God, if we do not drink in of the spirit of God, we do not internalize by our way of living. If in fact, we are not indeed being converted, then we will repeat the lessons of Israel and the lessons of the church of God in the period following that of the apostles.

   What about those who turned back into the unrepentant state back in the days of the kings of David and Solomon? Kings of Israel after the death of Solomon, the northern ten tribes split as you know into a separate kingdom, and it was necessary the king thought for them to establish an apostate religion. No, he didn't bill it as that. He didn't call it that. He didn't tell the folks in the northern kingdom, "Now, we have to apostate from the truth of God." He told them, "We have a better way. We have a new and a better way and an easier way to worship God. We don't have to go all the way down to that old temple in Jerusalem where those old Jews are and where those people who are..." I mean, you know, can you hear it? I can hear it now.

   Not only that, of course, he was very strong personality and a very strong leader. And because of his antipathy to the king of Judah and his personal hostility toward him, his personal hostility toward the Jews, because of the history of what had happened, what had transpired where he had been banished — you know the story, you might go back to the Kings and the Chronicles and read this story of how this division, how that separation was set up, how it occurred.

   But after the death of Solomon and after the establishment of the Northern Kingdom with an apostate religion, repeated warnings over approximately 209 years were given by the servants of God, prophets of God, from about 930 until 721, the time of the invasion and destruction of the Northern kingdom. Prophet after prophet after prophet of God warned and told them — 200 long years, God's servants preached and taught and sought to warn those people and to bring them back through repentance. Didn't change them. And so they were carried away captive and they never returned to their land.

   Now, those who remain loyal to David — that is Judah and Benjamin and part of Levi and Simeon — continued worshiping God, we understand the history of this, under the leadership of the priesthood. But unfortunately, with a steady decline in the spiritual and moral integrity of the nation and of the people — that is, even though they had chosen to remain loyal and faithful to the king, to David, and to hold to the worship of God under the leadership of the Aaronic priesthood, the Levitical system — they did not obey God. They did not internalize the law of God and the teaching of God and the way of God. And so they corrupted their way.

   And again, God sent His servants the prophets to warn Judah, the remainder of His church. And Jeremiah was one of those prophets. His work began in the 13th year of the reign of Josiah and it ended in the 11th year of Zedekiah with carrying away after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple at Jerusalem.

   This is a period of approximately 40 years — that is, for 40 years, the ending of the period of time of the continuance of Judah in the land. And after Israel had long since been gone, God's church, the loyal portion that which remained at the end of that time now from 721 to about 605 B.C. — so that's 115 years — Judah continued in the land. And then there was a deportation following Nebuchadnezzar's invasion, which was about 605-604 B.C. But he only carried a portion away and he left Judah essentially intact.

   He carried away such as the princes — Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel — into Babylon and others. That time, he took the cream, as it were, of the young folks and carried them into Babylon to be taught and trained so that he could integrate this portion of his now new realm. His new portion of his realm, he could integrate and he could syncretize between Babylon — this is the idea, to have their own people trained according to the ways of Babylon.

   But you know that didn't really work all that well, because there was a bit of resistance from Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel and others. But these are the main ones, and you have the record in Daniel of their example in the palace and in the capital city and how, in effect, to some degree — not totally but to some degree — it was Nebuchadnezzar who changed, not they. It was Nebuchadnezzar who learned some lessons and turned somewhat, not these young men, because they were indeed very strong spiritually. But that's another story.

   Now, for that period of approximately 40 years, there was a warning by the prophet Jeremiah. And from that time, Jeremiah constantly preached and taught, "Well, you must repent and you must change your attitude or you will be carried away." They refused constantly.

   The prophet Jeremiah — if you want to get a bit of history of it and understand what I'm talking about, read Jeremiah chapter one. It's kind of a — Jeremiah one sets the stage for the book quite nicely. But then down in Jeremiah chapter eight: "Moreover you shall say to them, thus says the Lord." God is telling Jeremiah: "Will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return?"

   Chapter eight verse five (Jeremiah 8:5-6): "Why has this people slid back? Jerusalem in a perpetual backsliding, perpetual backsliding. They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return," which is another way of saying they refuse to repent. "I listened and heard but they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness saying, 'What have I done?' What have I done? Everyone turned to his own course as the horse rushes into the battle."

   And I might say, what a parallel I see to the church of God, the greater church of God today. Everyone saying in his own way, "What have I to repent of?" Hit the internet if you wish, listen to some of the — or walk into some of the chat rooms and hear the chatter back and forth and the clatter that is going on and all of the ideas that individuals are coming up with, their own personal pet doctrinal concepts, which they always believed in, which they always believed Mr. Armstrong was wrong on. I hear it all the time.

   And then read Jeremiah eight verse five and six again, and you will understand what has happened in the church of God today and that it's not new. It has happened before again and again and again. But there is a warning, there is a very important warning for us in all of this.

   It is imperative, brethren, that we understand: Number one, God Almighty is consistent. He never changes. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes. When He came, when He preached repentance and conversion — that is, being converted, being changed — that message was the same message that He had given to the prophets of old, to the patriarchs.

   God created man, man sinned. God instituted a system, a sacrificial system whereby sinful man could portray his understanding of his guilt. That's what a sacrifice signifies — "I am guilty." And this is evidence that I have accepted that I am guilty. We live in a day when it is not acceptable to ask people to accept guilt. We have been taught by wacky psychologists that guilt will destroy your psyche, your little soul, and we need a good dose of guilt in order to repent. Each of us, we need a sense of guilt because guilt is good. It will bring one to repentance if applied liberally and with the spirit of God and a spirit and an attitude of conversion.

   And the sacrificial system gave an understanding of the need for an atonement by the shedding of blood. Animal sacrifices portrayed the need of the shedding of blood for atonement. Now man illustrated age after age his lack of comprehension and true repentance by corrupting that sacrificial system which God gave in the beginning. When Adam and Eve sinned, He slaughtered animals and made them garments.

   After the flood, one of the sons of Noah, as I mentioned, immediately corrupted himself and his family, and from him flowed the corruption of all of the families of Noah. By the time of the Tower of Babel, the apostle Paul had a great deal to say concerning the state. Romans chapter two verse one (Romans 2:1): "Therefore," he said, "you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself, for you who judge practice the same things."

   Now therein lies the problem. It is not wrong to see the sin, but it is abominable to judge another and condemn another and practice the same thing. This we call hypocrisy, and it is abominable in God's sight. "But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things." He's referring back to chapter one.

   "And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things? Let's talk about homosexuality. It doesn't matter what you want to discuss — the ways of this world. Those who have not repented and been converted, if we condemn them and yet we practice the same things of whatever it may be — do you think," He asks, "you will escape the judgment of God?" Verse three: "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?"

   God in His goodness gave man hundreds of years to repent before the flood. God in His goodness gave Israel 200 long years to repent before they went into captivity by the Assyrians. And He gave Judah again over 100 years, about 130 years, to repent before they were carried away into captivity. But He says, "In accordance with your hardness and your impenitent" — that means unrepentant — "heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

   You know what not repenting and going into tribulation, whatever it may be, or the lake of fire is simply going to be a manifestation of the righteous judgment of God. And those who say, "But God, this isn't fair, this isn't right, this is wrong. You are unfair and unjust" are simply going to be illustrating they had a chance and they refused it. God offered them space to repent and they rejected it.

   "Who will render to each one according to his deeds," verse six. The world doesn't believe this today. The world does not believe that He will render to each one according to his deeds. "Eternal life," verse seven, "to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor and immortality. But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness — indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, Jew first and also of the Greek. But glory, honor and peace to everyone who works what is good, Jew first and also to the Greek." Verse 11: "For there is no partiality with God."

   In conclusion, repentance and conversion are key to the relationship of God from creation to the end of the age. They are key to the relationship between God and man. And unless there is a genuine change of heart in a man or woman, there is no reconciliation with God through the blood of Christ.

   Christ preached this message, His disciples preached this message, and His servants down through the ages have preached repentance and conversion. Few have understood though that Christ and His apostles taught an ongoing conversion of the heart of man without which we will not see Him.

   Mr. Armstrong, I have heard say many times, conversion is a process — that is, it is an ongoing process. By the conversion process we're undergoing, by testing that is testing us for obedience and faithfulness, trying our endurance, teaching us how to submit to His governance.

   You know, I worked in the oil industry for a bit and I witnessed firsthand the conversion of crude oil into usable products. Crude oil is not really that usable depending upon, of course, the particular pay from which it comes. I have seen it so fine that you could put it into an automobile and use it — at least mixed maybe half and half with the refined gasoline, you could use it and drive an automobile with it. I have seen oil almost as clear as that glass of water right out of the well. One well in particular, a brand new wildcat that we worked on in West Texas was 12,000 some feet deep. One of — at least one of the pays, there were more than one, but the oil from that was like that water and we could burn it. I mean, just lay it out and it would ignite and burn almost like high octane gasoline.

   But that's an unusual kind of oil product. Most of the oil product is laced with water, paraffin and other impurities. So it has to go through a process of separation, separating by heating the product — the water comes off first, and then after that, you have propane and butane, the high octane gasolines and right on down the chain until you've come to the by-products such as paraffin and a host of other by-products. But it all comes through a very high temperature or heating process. That's how it's done — fracturing all that out.

   Steel is manufactured in the same way. You take iron ore and you heat the stuff and then you take out the slag and get rid of the impurities and you add other elements into it, and then you put it through a forging process either by a hammer process or rolling by heavy pressure. And you come — you develop individual type of steel or iron products. It all comes through or by the crucible of fire.

   Good character, spiritual character comes through trial and testing. The conversion process which we are undergoing — the process of converting us from carnal-minded individuals centered on self to spiritually minded individuals centered on others and focused on Christ and His example of giving, serving, living — comes in an ongoing process of and an internalization of that spirit, that attitude which Christ referred to as conversion.

   He said, "Unless or except you be converted as one of these, the little children, you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven." It ain't gonna happen, folks. We're going to be changed or we are not there, and the alternative is unacceptable. It just isn't acceptable to any of us.

   Conversion is humbling, but it leads to exaltation with Christ. Unconversion is remaining in an unfinished state because we are just like that raw material — iron, coal, oil or any number of raw materials which must be converted.

   You know, my mother used to make — she used to do a lot of baking and for icing, there were certain — there was one particular icing that she knew my dad liked and she would prepare. She would take sugar and I guess sugar and water and I don't know what all else, and she would add these things together and she'd bring it to a boil and she would convert these into candy, in effect an icing product. And she called it converting. That's what she called it. It's going from liquid and from individual elements into a finished product. It's not always easy, sometimes painful.

   But we have to ask the question — in which state — each of us should ask: In which state am I? Converted or unconverted? Am I really in the process of conversion? Am I letting the spirit of God and Jesus Christ convert me, or am I resisting conversion and holding to my own way, my self-will?

   Are you suffering sore trials? Many of our brethren are. I spoke the other day to Don Contardi, and he is suffering a sore trial. The cancer in his pancreas is or has grown since the last MRI or the previous MRI, albeit the doctors say he is free of cancer in any other part of his body — a very, very difficult trial. And I know he would appreciate again all of us praying for him.

   Are you suffering with those who are suffering trials? Are you succumbing to anger? There's a great deal of anger out there in the world. Do you resent authority? There are lots of folks who are being tested on the authority issue, whether it's in the home or on the job or in the church. We're all being tested ongoing on the matter of authority. I think the answer would shock us and should shock us at least into seeking through God's spirit and His power to overcome that unconverted state which we are in.

   Let me leave you with — if I can find it — a little story that I think is kind of cute, and this probably will not be on the tape, but it doesn't need to be. It's strictly — it's just my way of kind of lightening things after a what might be viewed as a heavy subject.

   Three churches — Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian — worked together to sponsor a community-wide revival conversion thing, right? And after the revival had concluded, the three pastors were discussing the results with one another. The Methodist minister said, "The revival worked out great for us. We gained four new families." And then the Baptist preacher said, "We did better than that. We gained six new families." And the Presbyterian pastor says, "Well, we did even better than both of you. We got rid of ten of our biggest troublemakers." I don't think I want to go further with that thought and to pursue that. I think it's better if we just terminate at this point.