Today We See A "Fuzzy Gospel"

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          _A FUZZY GOSPEL_

    "You must make Jesus Lord..."

Wonderful sounding phraseology, common to much of the evangelism of today.
 Where does the Bible ask us to do such a thing?  Where does is say we have
the authority to make him Lord??

    "Ask Jesus into your heart.."

Again, where does the word tell us to do this??  Would it,  _could_ it,
happen if we did?  In fact: where are we asked to make any decision
whatsoever in relation to salvation (other than to come to God in faith,
believing and repenting, calling on the Lord while he is near) ?

Lets look at a couple scriptures on that:
 
Acts 2:36 (paraphrased):  "God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have
crucified, both Lord and Christ."
 
We make no decisions in this matter.  God did it.  We cannot undo what God
has done.

Look at Romans 10:12-13:
"...for the same Lord over all  is rich unto all that call upon him.  For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

His Lordship was established by God, who alone has the power and authority to
do so.  Our part is to call on the name of the Lord for mercy and salvation.
 Taken that way, salvation takes on a new light....

* We are made aware of our lost condition.
* We are made aware of the name of the Lord.
* We are made aware of the gospel plan of salvation.

The only decision in the process is our decision to call on that name in
repentance.  And that decision, being one of the heart, is not so much one
made mentally, but one made from out of a God-starved heart.  More of a
reaction to the realization of one's lost condition.  The "call" is more of a
"cry".

   "Accept Jesus as Lord..."

What does acceptance have to do with anything?  
To say that one needs to "accept" His Lordship implies that one can "reject"
it, and that to reject it would have some bearing on His Lordship over you.
 This implies a limit to his Lordship.   

So therein is the danger, and the *lie*.  The lie being that if one did not
"accept" His Lordship that it somehow dethroned that which God has enthroned.
 Your acceptance has no bearing whatsoever on His Lordship.  He was Lord
before you knew Him, and is Lord (now) of all who have not heard of Him; the
difference is that you have called on His name for mercy, and they (out of
ignorance or out of rebellion) have not.  The lie is that if you do not "ask
Him into your heart" that that somehow prevents His entrance there.  He is
Lord of your heart, ask or not.  He is Lord of all, ask or not.  The lie
being that He is not Lord of all, even of all who do not ask.

So, what of those who are wandering about now thinking that they have to
"make Him Lord", "accept Him as savior", and "ask Him into their hearts"?
  Their darkness in that they are not exercising faith in the word and in the
present Lordship of Jesus!  They fail in thinking they have to make some
decision that they have not yet made.  Or even worse, that they can decide to
the negative!   Rejection of a sitting King is rebellion!

We need to accept the integrity of the Word of God.  That Jesus is Lord of
all, and that He is merciful to all who will humble themselves to him,
calling on his name.   Selah.

Tom Gray
TGray238@aol.com