By One Spirit — Holy Ghost Ministry

Lary and his beloved dog Champ welcomed by Jesus into a radiant garden of flowers, waterfalls, and golden light — Remembering the ministry and teachings of Lary R. Hale

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Salvation and the Holy Spirit

By Lary R. HaleDecember 12, 2014

Peter teaches Cornelius and his household as gentle spiritual light fills their gathering. — © By One Spirit Ministries

It seems I haven't written much against the mindset and spirit of 'eternal security' of late, though I've probably been led to preach on that subject as much or more than anything in the past thirty plus years. Someone got me thinking on it a couple days ago so I want to renew this topic just a bit here today. 'Eternal Security' likes to show itself in various ways, even as all heresies do. The underlying theme however is simply that you will be saved on the bare premise that you have been born again at some point in your life. Of course it's almost impossible to say anything much on this topic without citing the fact that almost universally the truel born again experience is misunderstood, including by those who have it. I can' thoroughly cover two topics in a short post, so let me just suffice to say that nobody is born again, or "born of the Spirit [of God]" until they are baptized BY Jesus WITH the same holy Ghost, and are confirmed by the God-given sign of "speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance" (Jn. 3:5,6; Acts 2:4; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; II Cor. 3:17; II Cor. 5:17). I could list more scripture there but again I want this to be at least a not so long post, if not a short one. I know, I know, everybody thinks you "get saved" first and then you receive the Spirit baptism later. The problem with that is that nobody in the Bible ever "got saved" before they received the Spirit, and nobody ever 'received' the Spirit before they were baptized with the Spirit with the sign of speaking in tongues. And the seriousness of that is Romans 8:9, which tells us, "Now if any man HAVE NOT the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Yes I know that the scriptures don't always say that people spoke in tongues upon receiving the Spirit, but that is simply because the writers knew that everyone already knew that. It would be redundant indeed to continue to stipulate in writing every time people were born again by faith in Jesus, that they spoke in tongues, when everyone already knew it. The book of Acts is where we are told about people 'believing,' and being born again, and added to the body of Christ and such. Really one instance alone confirms what I'm saying here, and that is where Peter and his Jewish brethren went to the first Gentiles that had the Gospel preached to them in Acts 10. It is crystal clear that both Peter and the brethren accompanying him knew that Cornelius and his household indeed received the Spirit ONLY AFTER they "heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:44-46). Nobody "got saved," nobody "accepted the Lord as their personal savior," and nobody "confessed that Jesus is the Lord." They believed Peter's report of Jesus with all their heart, and as Peter recounted later; "God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost... PURIFYING their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:8,9). God "bare them witness" by the same sign that accompanied the first new birth experience at Pentecost, and that baptism from Jesus is alone what washes, or 'purifies' sin out of the heart and soul of man (I Cor. 6:11; Tit. 3:5). God is not double minded, and the experience of the new birth that he furnished in the beginning of this Gospel is still the same. It has just been confused by man, and by his confusing traditions that he has come up with. Having said that, allow me to get back to the error of 'eternal security.'

To some, eternal security means that they are and will be saved simply because they "got saved" by one of the faulty 'new birth' traditions mentioned above. Many believe that we can't be literally without sin, but what really matters is that "we're saved," and that we "have a home in heaven that no one can take away." It seems a lot of folks forget the simplicity of the scripture that says "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). I believe also that many have overlooked the powerful admonition that tells us, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, WITHOUT WHICH no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). And lest someone "wrest the scriptures" to mean that holiness is something other than being without sin, we have Peter telling us again, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written , Be ye holy; for I am holy" (I Pet. 1:15,16; II Pet. 3:16). So unless we're willing to declare God a sinner, I have to say that 'holiness' means being literally and inwardly without sin. To think we can inherit eternal life if we carry sin to the grave with us is nothing more than the most dangerous of all fairy tales. The other popular form of eternal security is otherwise known as "the perseverance of the saints." That school of thought does not openly confess to believe that we can continue sinning and still be saved in the end. Rather it teaches that those who have 'TRULY' been born again will, by virtue of being the 'right seed,' continue to obey God in holiness BECAUSE they are the right seed. This is the 'Calvinist' doctrine, and on the surface it looks seriously holy. But the truth of the matter is that it is sectarian in nature because those who believe it are in their own minds the ones who ARE the 'right seed.' That thinking cultivates religious pride which is the seat of sectarianism, and in action does not promote true holiness, but rather self righteousness. It also promotes a 'works' based mindset because those who are under it are always pushing themselves to be sure they are the right seed. That pushing of themselves unfortunately genders to the motivation of 'doing more' in and of themselves, rather than just allowing God's Spirit and power to live and manifest through them. Now I'm going to finish this article, which has become somewhat long after all, with a few scriptures that plainly show us that in order for us to "obtain salvation," which salvation is in fact the resurrection of the dead, we must continue in our journey of faith in the exact same way which we began it, meaning remaining washed from sin in our hearts (I Thess. 5:9; Eph. 4:4; I Thess. 5:8; Acts 23:6; Phiip 3:11). "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. BUT he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mat. 24:12,13). "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, IF thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou ALSO shalt be cut off" (Rom. 11:22). "Nay, ye do WRONG, and DEFRAUD, and that your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived" (I Cor. 6:8,9). "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things [sins] cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them" (Eph. 5:6,7). "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philip. 2:12).

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall DEPART from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron" (I Tim. 4:1,2). "IF we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us" (II Tim. 2:12). "For we are made partakers of Christ, IF we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end" (Heb. 3:14). "Let us therefore FEAR, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Heb. 4:1). "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure... Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness" (II Pet. 1:10; II Pet. 3:17). "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, EVEN AS HE IS PURE" (I Jn. 3:2,3). "I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, AFTERWARD DESTROYED them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day" (Jude 1:5,6). "Blessed and HOLY is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on SUCH the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Rev. 20:6). We need only to look at these verses honestly, and understand that it is impossible for any other scriptures to contradict the sobering truth of these verses, which is simply that it is up to us as to whether we are going to continue in the wholeness of our faith in Jesus, and the resulting holiness of that faith. We should also note the flip side of all of these verses, which is just as evident and true as what is written. Also it should be understood that all of these scriptures are taken from epistles that the apostles wrote to believers who were already born again and in the body of Christ by means of the baptism of the Spirit from Jesus (Mk. 1:8; Acts 1:4,5; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; II Cor. 3:17; II Cor. 5:17). The sad reality is that many saints of old, as well as many today, do NOT continue in the faith in the way that they began, and consequently have not obtained salvation, which according to the scriptures is the END result of our faith in Jesus IF we have endured faithfully in holiness till the end of our lives (Mat. 24:13; I Thess. 5:9; II Tim. 2:10; I Pet. 1:3-9). Jesus made it very clear in the parable of the vine and the branches that there would be born again believers in him who would not continue in their "first faith" and their "first love," and that they would be lost eternally (Jn. 15:5,6; I Tim. 5:12; Rev. 2:4). Herein is the reality of the fear of God. Being born again is one thing, but "growing up into him in all things," and REMAINING "rooted and grounded in love [and not waxing cold]" is yet another. So the only eternal security we have is if and when we die in holiness, and leave this world "in peace, without spot, and blameless" (II Pet. 3:14). And in all reality, why wouldn't we, seeing it is God's will to "save us to the uttermost?" (Heb. 7:25). Amen.

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In loving memory

Lary R. Hale

November 13, 1954April 21, 2024

Lary smiling with his beloved dog Champ — Lary with Champ

Obituary

A Hero Finally Rests.

Lary Redman Hale of Louisville, KY entered into his greatest joy, the presence of King Jesus himself, welcomed by the cheers of angels and the saints of God on Sunday night, April 21, 2024.

What the outside world would see as the untimely passing of a humble, local minister, heaven saw as the triumphant finale of a valiant warrior's life. He fought the good fight, having kept the faith, and received what Christ himself called "The Champion's Wreath of Victory".

Lary was born November 13, 1954 to Marvin and Norma Hale. Being the youngest of his siblings ensured he had lots of time with his loving mother, from whom he undoubtedly developed his profound sensitivity, heartfelt sentimentality and emotional comfortability - characteristics that were trademarks of his life. He grew up surrounded by cousins and classmates that became his best friends.

At his 50 year class reunion he was overjoyed and excited to catch up with so many of them, smiling and laughing more than he had in a long time. He would often tell stories of how he treasured those times as a young boy riding bikes, shooting B.B guns and playing with his childhood dog Peanuts; all while getting into assorted harmless mischief. He cherished the time he spent living on his parents houseboat and helping his dad, a united states marine veteran, take care of the boat and dock.

His relationship with his dad was only strengthened in their later years as they watched boxing matches almost every weekend for the remainder of his dad's life. He admired his brother Gary for his athleticism and industrious attitude, and thought his sisters Vicki and Mila had hearts of gold just like his mother. In his teen years Lary developed three of his lifelong loves: swimming, cool cars and lifting weights.

Some people said Lary was part fish because of how well he swam, but Lary would correct them, he was actually part dolphin. As a young man he managed a health club where he helped multiple people lose weight and counted that a huge joy. He loved nature and taking photos of it, honing his skills and knowledge in cameras. His vocabulary was second to none and he enjoyed learning new words and using them especially in his writings.

Before he passed he still exercised as much as his body would allow and he longed to return to the ocean and the white sands of Destin, Florida.

Like most disenfranchised teens in the early 70s, Lary indulged in countless vices that left him empty and searching for more. Although his long black curly hair, loud clothes, muscles and muscle cars made him the envy of the boys and the heartthrob of the girls, none of these things satisfied his heart. He pursued a college education briefly, desiring to be a marine biologist or philosopher but found that this was not what he was missing either - he longed for true fulfillment.

Depressed, empty, and feeling hopeless, Lary heard about a particular beautiful girl he had a crush on that was attending a small church where the "Spirit of God" was changing people's lives. After wondering why someone like her would attend a church like that, he began to attend also.

After a few months, he made a simple prayer on his hands and knees, saying "God I can't stop smoking, drinking, raging or any of the other countless vices I have - but if you can set me free from these things, I'll know you're real and that you want me to serve you". The next morning Lary woke up and described the next few hours as "walking on air" realizing he was, in his words "delivered" and never going back to those vices.

This began his life long commitment to glorifying Jesus, the king of glory, for how he transformed Lary's life from darkness to light. Lary would marry that same beautiful girl, the love of his life, Fay Kustes, and they would have two sons together, Benjamin Isaac and Elisha Daniel. Lary's greatest joy in life was being a husband and father.

He was happiest when he was sharing what he was learning in the bible with his family, and teaching them that knowing God was simplistic and yet powerful - that God was not merely a religious concept, but a powerful savior on a day to day basis. As Lary made it his life's goal to find "the lost sheep", he would tap into his multifaceted creativity that went largely underappreciated.

Lary produced well over a thousand episodes of gospel presentations: self-producing, mixing, editing and encoding both a radio and television show. Between the two, he broadcast for over 30 years. All of this in the analog age, where self produced radio and TV shows were nearly unheard of, especially without any budget whatsoever.

Lary was an evangelist in Louisville and southern Indiana, being asked to preach and teach in multicultural and multi-generational churches across the city. The churches he was most loved and welcomed by were the African-American Baptist and Pentecostal churches that loved and welcomed his passionate, excitable and action packed style of preaching.

Once the dawn of the internet came, he immediately worked to have a website published, making his literature and gospel teachings available. Eventually he'd use social media to teach, preach and encourage believers all across the world. He would spend every night praying with and encouraging christians from every nation until the end of his life. Many of which saw him like a second father and all of whom greatly mourn his passing.

Even though he produced over a thousand episodes of media, taught in multiple churches, mentored in multiple countries, and had multiple printed works of literature, he considered his greatest life's work to be his two sons. One of their earliest memories is Lary saying "the most important job in the world is not preaching the gospel, it's raising kids in the gospel". This threaded through his entire life.

In his final week on earth, he reminisced on his life saying "I see my life as the highest success, because my life's work are my two sons, who I am so incredibly proud of - not for their natural achievements but for their love, humility and personal faith in Jesus that is not only evident in their lives but also in their love. Because of them, I know my life is a true success - and I credit Jesus for all of it".

His sons today see him as the most successful man they will ever know. He succeeded in loving them and never hurting them. Leading them and never controlling them. Being there for them and never leaving them. He was a man that would apologize quickly, forgive quickly, and always encouraged his sons to "get up and go from here". He succeeded in teaching them faith, hope and love in a world starving so badly for all three. His ministry lives on in them.

The lives of everyone touched by their lives are forever indebted to this humble, prayerful man of faith.

He is preceded in death by his father Marvin, mother Norma, sister Mila, sister-in-law Marlene, nephew Adam, aunts, uncles, treasured cousins, and his beloved dog of 18 years, Champ.

Until they are reunited in the glory of heaven, he is survived and will be missed by his sons, Benjamin and Elisha (Katrine), his wife of 30 years, Fay, his brother Gary, His sister Vicki (Dan), his cousins, nieces, nephews, his friends, and those that called him their pastor and teacher.

"The righteous perish, and no man lays it to heart: merciful men are taken away and no one considers that the righteous person is being spared from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: he shall rest in his bed, having walked in uprightness." Isaiah 57:1&2

Remember him