The Gospel Truth

Our grandboy, front and center
Christmas musical, 2016

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Eph. 2:4-5)

Raise your hand if you've ever presented the gospel as "asking Jesus into your heart." 

Yep, my hand's up.

No where in Scripture does God instruct believers to ask Jesus into their hearts.

In his book Follow Me, A Call to Die. A Call to Live, Dr. David Platt wrote: 

Inviting Jesus into your heart is impossible when you're dead in sin....The reality of the gospel is that we do not become God's children ultimately because of initiative in us, and He does not provide salvation primarily because of an invitation from us. Instead, before we were ever born, God was working to adopt us. While we were lying alone in the depth of our sin, God was planning to save us. And the only way we can become part of the family of God is through a love entirely beyond our imagination and completely out of our control. Christianity does not begin with our pursuit of Christ, by with Christ's pursuit of us. Christianity does not start with an invitation we offer to Jesus, but with an invitation Jesus offers to us.

Jesus said, "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit..." (John 15:16).

 So what is the gospel truth?

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day..." (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

"...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as LORD (Master of your life), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom. 10:9)

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)

Have you accepted God's invitation for forgiveness and eternal life, beloved? The proof is in the pudding of Lordship and love. 

Jesus said, "Anyone who loves Me will obey My teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." (John 14:23)

"Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen." (1 John 4:20)