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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, August 21, 1979
Page 3
angels barred anyone from going back in--or having access to the tree of
life (the HOLY SPIRIT)--God said, in effect, "You have made your decision.
You have rebelled against me, denied me as your GOD, your Revealer of know
ledge, your Ruler. Therefore I sentence you and the WORLD that shall be
born from you to 6000 years of being CUT OFF from me--except for the VERY
FEW I shall specially call into my service to prepar� for the KINGDOM OF
GOD."
Jesus confirmed this when He said:
Father which hath sent me draw him... "
"No man can come to me, except the
(John 6 : 44).
Now the nation of ancient Israel was specially called by God the Father
for a special purpose--even though they were still cut off from receiving
the Holy Spirit.
But the unconverted mate is put in a special category--NOT CALLED
NECESSARILY TO RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT, OR SPIRITUAL CONVERSION--but
simply NOT CUT OFF from God. They are free to seek God, IF THEY WILL, and
to become converted. They are placed in a special category, neither con
verted, or CALLED for God's special duty in conversion--but, on the other
hand, NOT actually CUT OFF--not in the category Jesus spoke of, saying no
such unbeliever CAN come to Jesus, except by special call to salvation by
God the Father. They are free to SEEK GOD, and to SEEK conversion IF THEY
WILL--not CUT OFF!
This same status applies to the children of the converted mate. They
are neither CALLED to salvation, NOR cut off from God. They may be taught
by the believing parent, and, reaching maturity, IF they will, to SEEK
CONVERSION. They are free to seek it--no longer CUT OFF from Christ.
Notice verse 16: "For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt
save thy husband? or how knowest thou, 0 man, whether thou shalt save
thy wife?"
If the husband or wife who is IN the Church divorces the unbelieving
non-member who is willing to continue the marriage, that Church member puts
the unconverted mate in the CUT OFF category--whereas such non-member mate
might have been saved for eternal life in God's Kingdom.
Now WHY--0 WHY?--do professing members of God's Church seek to reason
their way around God's plain teaching, and those in the Church who are NOT
eligible for divorce seek to use human reason to TWIST these Scriptures into
allowing a divorce and remarriage that GOD'S WORD DOES NOT ALLOW?
Yet many, professing to be converted members of God's Church, have done
just that! Brethren, have I labored IN VAIN to open your minds to GOD'S
GLORIOUS TRUTH, and yet you despise the Word of Goda'
, and twist a "gray area"
situation by your own faulty reasons to HAVE YOUR OWN WAY, contrary to God's
Word? Have I labored so long among you IN VAIN?
Some have falsely claimed theirs is a "borderline" case, and used their
own selfish and erroneous REASON to enter into a D & R situation CONTRARY
TO GOD'S WORD!
Even after the 1974 "D & R" ruling, my son Garner Ted Armstrong frowned
upon "D & R" decisions made by the Church or its ministers. I am informed