<TITLE>07. Par 23-26</TITLE>L-23 And the minister, who talking, being a very good Bible student, said, "I'll answer your question when you answer mine. Do you think that a man could be so good that he wouldn't lie, steal, or do anything bad, but he would be so good that God would receive him into heaven without the Blood of Christ?"
No, of course not. You could not go to heaven without the Blood of the Lord Jesus, no matter how good you are. It's only self-made righteousness. And we're don't go to heaven on self-made righteousness, no matter how good you are. It's totally impossible for you to get to heaven on your goodness. It's the mercy of God that bought you at Calvary, and you are God's love gift to Christ. And if God gave a--a gift to Christ, Christ keeps His gift. "All that comes to Me, all the Father has given Me will come to Me, and none of them are lost. I'll raise them up at the last day."

L-24 Now, you might be emotionally worked up; you might have oil through your hands, or speak with tongues, or dance in the Spirit, or join the church, or some of the fantastics of today; and you could be lost, certainly. That's right. But if you are God's love gift to Christ, you are safe.
Now, your life will prove what you are. By their fruits you shall know it. If you're trying to make yourself act sweet, and humble, and so forth, then you are still outside the Kingdom. It's not... It's your own works then. And that's where the church, the people, so called the church, has so miserably failed, because it is in our own personal work that they feel that they merit the goodness and grace of God by what they do and how they live. But that has not one thing to do with it. It is the gift of God.
Your own conscience to shun you from hell, would try to make you, or you would shun from hell, rather, would try to make you to live good, and be right. A good citizen will do that, and not necessarily be a Christian.

L-25 I've seen many men who even denied the Name of the Lord Jesus, were fine people; that means humanly. Look how much better a man Esau was than Jacob. But he didn't have the conception to know that he had sold his birthright, 'cause he despised them, and was rejected in the sight of God. Which was far more of a gentleman, and a neighbor, and a--a man of works than what Jacob was... Jacob, his very name is "supplanter." You know what supplanter is; it's a deceiver.
So that's a--that... But Esau was a gentleman in every respect. But Jacob had recompense to that birthright. And regardless of what anyone called him... (If I would say it, you excuse the expression.) They could call him holy-roller, fanatic, or whatever they wished to, but he had respect to that birthright. That's his whole motive. No matter what it cost him, he wanted the birthright.

L-26 Now, notice. Now, in the bringing up of the church... Now, if the church only consists... If the Body of Christ is only to be controlled by intellectuals, theology, mental conception, then we are wholly depending upon the intellectual knowledge of man, if I make that clear. If the church only rests upon the intellectual, or how that man could set the church, build big places, and plush the seats, and the thousands of dollar pipe organ, and how he could preach his message in such a way that would--would get the people into the church, and join the church, and the more members on the book, the--the more--the greater it is in heaven...
Now, I--I want you to get this and never let it slip. If we only need the intellectual conception of man, we don't need the Holy Spirit. If the church is to be run and governed upon the intellects, the educational program, and upon the intellects of mankind, we do not need the Holy Spirit. And if It's to be run by the Holy Spirit, we do not need the intellectuals. It's either one or the other.


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