A Letter of
Love
By Manuel Seymour
One of the most difficult things in life is to get the ones you love so
dearly to sit down for a heart-to-heart talk concerning their personal
relationship, or lack of relationship, with the eternal Creator of the
heavens and the earth - God. It is said there are two things one
does not discuss: politics and religion. Of course, as we all know,
this rule is never applied unless the person knows you have an opposing
view in the subject of religion. The real issue is not about
our personal views; rather, it is: Are we both in agreement with God?
Love is truly an unexplainable thing! Because of love it seems like
we can never fully say all that we would. Frankly, we do not want
to hurt the ones we love; but in so doing, we do extreme harm to them spiritually.
We are quick to share all kinds of good news except when it comes to the
greatest news of all; then, we shy away because we do not want to disrupt
the relationship we have. It seems we can be very blunt when it comes
to other matters without concerns of the relationship, but when it comes
to spiritual matters, we become verbally imprisoned.
Because I love you, I need to impress upon you the Good News of
everlasting life and the forgiveness of all of your sins through the blood
of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. When I think of you,
my heart swells with tears; and I pray that in the day of the resurrection
I will see you standing with me in robes of white before the throne of
the Lord’s everlasting love singing that new song of His great salvation.
It would truly break my heart not to sing with you before the throne of
God and of the Lord Jesus in eternity to come. With the utmost of
humbleness, I ask that you would please seriously consider this letter
of love that we may rejoice together in the presence of the Lord of Glory
for eternity. I love you enough to give this to you; please love
me enough to read it.
The Holy Scriptures tell us:
“In this
was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein
is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins.” (I John 4:9-10)
It
is not my intention to enter upon a theological discourse of the fall of
mankind in Adam. Let three passages of Holy Scripture suffice to
expose every man’s relationship to God if left in his natural born state.
1. “As
it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none
that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”
(Romans 3:10-11)
2. “For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)
3. “If we say that
we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
(I John 1:10)
No
matter how much I love you or how much you love me, the fact of the matter
is, we were born into this world as sinners. Other words used by
the Scriptures are “unrighteous” and “ungodly.” These, of course,
are not words that we would normally care to use in describing ourselves
to others. Because of all of our good traits and characteristics,
we perceive ourselves to be fairly good people. The problem is we
look through human eyes rather than through the eyes of God. As humans
go, we are quite good folk; but humans die, after that they must face the
judgment of God. So the question is not how do we see ourselves but:
How does God see us? The answer given in His Holy Word is that He
sees all humans in their fleshly state as sinners; that is why the body
must die and return to the ground from whence it came. “Sin bringeth
forth death.”
Now, when a person dies, his spirit separates from his body, which must
return to dust. But, where does his spirit go? The Scriptures
only give two possible destinations: heaven or hell. But, to which one
does it go? Well, that depends on the spiritual condition of his
spirit. A human in the natural state in which he was born into this
world has a spirit that is “dead in trespasses and sin.” This
means he is dead spiritually. Such a spirit cannot dwell in eternity
with the living God. The only place such a spirit can go in eternity
is to the great abyss of the Lake of Fire known as the Second Death.
Not exactly something we would envision for ourselves, is it? But,
truth is truth, which is sometimes very difficult to accept. Yet,
the sooner we accept the truth, the sooner we can do something about our
eternal destiny. The question is, “Do you care where you will be
spending your eternity?” I do care about your eternity and that is
why I am sending this letter of love to you! I want you with me before
the throne of the Lord of Glory forever! Yes, the natural man is
“condemned already”; yet, this condemnation can be changed into
justification through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. This process
called being “born again” creates a new spirit creature within man
that has complete forgiveness of sins and is guaranteed eternal life with
the Lord Jesus and the eternal Father just as if you had never sinned.
I truly pray that this will excite your heart to where you will want to
hear how this can be obtained by you. I love you; love yourself enough
to read more.
Jesus said: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God.” and, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the
flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”(John
3:3,5-6)
It is really very simple. The natural man is born out of the flesh
by a water birth. This natural man is also born out of sinful flesh;
which makes it sinful. It is the law of nature. A dog is born
out of a dog and has the nature of a dog. Man born out of sinful
man has a sinful nature, which has a spirit that is dead because of sin.
This follows the law of nature. If, however, the Creator - by His
sovereign mercies and grace - directs His Spirit to enter into natural
man and to give life to that dead spirit, it would be a birth out of the
Spirit of God. The law of nature being what it is, that which is
born out of the Holy Spirit must also be holy and without sin. Thus,
that newborn spirit would see and would enter into the kingdom of God.
Being born out of the Spirit produces a new spirit life. God is eternal
and by the law of nature that which is born of God is eternal. God
has no sin and cannot sin, thus, that new spirit born of God has no sin
and cannot sin. As it is written: “Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God.” (I John 3:9) The fleshly man
is sin and must die and return to the dust of the ground; but the new spirit
born inside man is born out of the Spirit of God and has no sin; therefore,
having the nature of God, the new spirit must live eternally with God.
This is Great News, but how do we as such sinful, ungodly creatures, spiritually
dead in these trespasses and sin, obtain this new birth out of the Spirit
by His mercies and grace? Well, the Holy Scriptures lead us right
to the answer. Remember, He said: “In this was manifested the
love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into
the world, that we might live through him.” (I John 4:9)
The answer is in Jesus Christ the Son of the living God. The answer
is not in religion or in some religious activity; it is in Jesus the Son
of God. If we desire to rejoice before the eternal throne of God,
we must find out exactly what it is about this Jesus that gives us the
answer of redemption. I love you enough to share with you the answer given
in the Holy Word of God; please love me and yourself enough to honestly
consider the God-revealed way to obtain eternal life and the forgiveness
of sin.
Remember, the Scripture said: “Herein is love, not that we loved God,
but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
The word “propitiation” simply means that God sent His only begotten Son,
Jesus, into the world to appease His divine justice against our ungodly
sins. Now, it also said that the reason was “not that we loved
God, but that he loved us.” Man in his natural state does not
love God. Oh, man makes many pretenses through various acts of religion,
but the reality is that he loves the religious activities, not God.
The sin nature of the flesh will never allow man to truly love God and
to be at peace with Him. This is why Jesus told the religious man
Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7) Something
beyond any act of the flesh is absolutely necessary for a man to enter
into the kingdom of God. This something is that God must bring forth
a new creation out of His Holy Spirit within the flesh of man; it is referred
to as the birth of a new creature - creature created by God with
an eternal purpose. The new creature is of God and is of like nature
with God - holy, without sin, and eternal.
Isn’t this extraordinary! Sinful man can be transformed inwardly
to a corresponding nature with God and the Lord Jesus Christ. But,
make no mistake, this new nature absolutely requires the power of God by
the Holy Spirit through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not one
element can be left out. The new birth, called salvation, is all
of God by His grace and His mercies. There is no act you can perform
to obtain it. As it is written: “And you hath he quickened, who
were dead in trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) The
word “quickened” means to “make alive.” Fleshly man is dead spiritually;
therefore, his spirit must be made alive, which is by the power of God
by means of the Holy Spirit.
How does one come to a real life changing knowledge of his sinful and lost
condition? Well, let’s refer to the Scriptures again. Jesus
in reference to the Holy Spirit said: “And when he is come, he will
reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin,
because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father,
and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is
judged.” (John 16:8-11)
God has sent forth His Spirit with power to convince the conscience of
spiritually dead men of their ungodliness, to give life to their spirits,
and make them willing to receive the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
As it is written: “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.”
(Psalm 110:3) Also, “It is written in the prophets, And
they shall be all taught of God, Every man therefore that hath heard, and
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6:45)
In the day that God sends forth his Spirit with power to make alive, convince,
and teach, the recipient is overwhelmed with guilt and godly sorrow because
for the first time he truly experiences and understands the reality and
the due penalty for his sins. He is taught by the Father the truth
of sin and that sin must bring forth eternal death. However, he is
also taught the Good News that in Jesus Christ one can be freed from the
penalty of eternal death and can receive the gift of eternal life, or redemption
from the penalty of their sins. It is this Spirit taught knowledge
in the souls of men that cause them to storm the cross of Calvary seeking
the blessed Lamb of God. Remember, he said: “Every man therefore
that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh to me.”
If the Father has made you to hear and has taught you of sin, of righteousness,
and of the judgment to come, you will fly for refuge to the very feet of
the Lord Jesus Christ crying out for grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
If you will not come to Jesus, it is because you have not heard or been
taught by the Father. Now, that ought to be an alarming thought.
Having ears to hear words does not mean that one hears in the heart.
The Spirit speaks to the consciences and hearts of men, not to the fleshly
intellect of men. The natural man does not, and cannot, receive the
things of God; they are foolishness to him. Therefore, in his depraved
wisdom he loses his own soul and is cast into the Second Death. Only
the Spirit can make one wise unto salvation.
On the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit convinced and taught in the
hearts of three thousand souls, it is said: “Now when they heard this,
they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of
the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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 ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38) When the Philippian jailor under
conviction asked: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved: And they
said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy
house.” (Acts 16:30-31) Jesus said: “He that believeth
on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
(John 3:18) It is also written: “He that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not
see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36)
The question is will you hear and believe? No one is too great of
a sinner that he cannot be saved. No one is too old that he cannot
be saved. If you will hear and be taught of God to the humbling of
your soul with godly sorrow over your sins, then come to Jesus, for there
is forgiveness and eternal life awaiting you. Jesus said: “All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I
will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do
mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the
Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise
him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40)
I love you and pray that you will love yourself enough to receive the testimony
of God because: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he
loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and soul!
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