Hi Charmaine,  Thanks for posting my article on RITA.   What you didn't know was that I did post it there, and it was immediately removed!   We are living in dark days indeed!  These are days in which those who speak up for a life of holiness and righteousness are branded as false teachers and heretics!  Be encouraged, you are on the right path. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He plants His seed in us by His Holy Spirit. His seed, is the source of the eternal life we have.  Eternal life is expressed, in our lives, through two main ways. These are through living in holiness [abstinence or marriage] and righteousness [doing good to others]. Others would include singing praises, offering up prayers and speaking the Word of God. These virtues cannot come forth without our free will involved.  Since we have this gift of eternal life, planted in a body that delights in sin, we will struggle to begin with. It's to be expected! We are actually suppose to battle with our flesh in order to bring forth the Lord's holiness and righteousness. This is what denying self and taking up the cross is all about. Overtime, living in holiness and practising righteousness becomes spontaneous. We are then no longer under the control of the enemy. Neither do we live in fear of our Heavenly Father, for we know that He loves us, because He has given us the power to become His sons and daughters. Note these Holy Spirit inspired Words, "...Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied. saying: "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For he has visited and redeemed His people...to grant us that we being delivered from the hand [control] of our enemies [evil spirits], "Might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life."(Luke 1:67,68,74,75)   It's important we understand that our holiness IS His holiness because it originate from His gift of eternal life in us.   Also our righteousness IS His righteousness because it originates from His gift of eternal life in us.   This is not working for salvation. This is fighting our own flesh, to allow for the manifestation of the gift of life the Lord has given us!   How else can we express love to our Heavenly Father?   Is it not by making sure we're profitable stewards of His life in us? If we fail to take responsibility and crucify our own flesh, the Lord's chastisement kicks in. What's happened over the years, is that many have been told they don't need to subdue the flesh and live in holiness and righteousness.   That's considered works All they need to do is claim by faith the holiness and righteousness of Christ. This is why so many Christians give in to the flesh. Those who are single live in fornication. While those who are married end up divorced. Also hatred, greed, wickedness and selfishness abound in the Church. All the while claiming they are covered in the holiness and righteousness of Christ! And when the Lord, in love, attempts to chastise them, in order to get them to change their behaviour, they think they are being attacked by the Devil! This is the delusion that abounds in the Church today! The Lord's chastisements we experience today, are quiet moderate compared to what many will experience in the 7 Year Tribulation! None of the Lord's children will lose the free gift of eternal life!    However, because for some people, the moderate chastisements of today are not bringing out the holiness and righteousness buried deep within them - they'll be going into the 7 Year tribulation!   Eternal life is a free gift.   the resurrection/rapture, however, has to be attained.   We are to use our free gift of eternal life to bring forth holiness and righteousness day by day.   This will enable us to attain "translation status" on the Day of the rapture!   "...But those who are counted worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead..." (Luke 20:35)   Even Paul had doubts on whether he had done enough to be included in the resurrection!   "...If by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect; but I press on..." (Phil.3:11,12)   We also must press on each day, crucifying our flesh, living in holiness and practising righteousness, in order to be included in the rapture.   Do remain blessed,   Ola.