Excerpts from Bishop Pruitt’s 2003

Excerpts from Bishop Pruitt’s 2003   

Annual Address                   

     E. Roger Ammons,               

 General Evangelism Coordinator

Our greatest responsibility to a lost and dying world is the message of salvation and hope of eternal life - the gospel in its completeness as it is revealed in the Scriptures as the old paths. The old paths, as far as the individual is concerned, are the blessings of being born again by faith in Christ in the spiritual realm and being forgiven for sins he has committed; being sanctified by the shed blood of Christ, that is being made holy by being cleansed (eradicated) of the Adamic or Satanic nature we all inherited from our ancestors Adam and Eve. This experience is the second work of grace. It is a cleansing rather than forgiveness. It is explained in 1 John 1:9 in these words, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Sanctification is a cleansing (eradication, crucifixion) of the evil nature rather than a forgiveness which one receives when he is saved or born again. When one is saved or forgiven of his committed sins is one work of grace, then he is ready to be sanctified or cleansed, a second work of grace, or we could say it is the second work of the atoning blood of Christ, which makes the one who receives it holy, by the eradication of the Adamic nature. A sanctified person is a holy person as long as he stays in the stream of the cleansing blood of Christ and does not commit sin.

When a person is sanctified he is holy and ready to receive the gift of the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues. This experience is not a work of grace but is a gift from God. He (the Holy Ghost) is given as an indwelling Guide and Comforter to help the individual live a victorious Christian life, grow in grace, and be inspired and anointed by the power of the Holy Ghost to live, preach, teach, and serve God with holy joy and spiritual power that is not known to those who are not aware of these spiritual blessings.  . . .

Many people are not aware of the sequential order of the salvation blessings, not knowing that one is not sanctified until he is saved (or born again) and is not baptized with the Holy Ghost until he is sanctified. These blessings come in that order and it is God's will that one does not stop seeking until he has received all three . . . of them: saved, or born again; sanctification; and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues.