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NASB | Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
Subject: Invite Jesus into you LIFE, not HEART... |
Bible Note: Dear believer57, I really appreciate your response to my question but I feel bad now because you evidently didn't catch the wording, (lets say for sake of discussion), I am not questioning the message of what you are saying, I am questioning the function or action that you said one must do to be saved. I am very sorry if I mislead you into thinking that I am not a member of the elect. I have been save for over 36 years now I just said that I haven't read in the Bible where an unbeliever is supposed to ask Jesus into his heart, or life, technically speaking. The verse that you mentioned in Revelation 3:20 is so misused when presenting the salvation message. Christ wasn't even talking to unbelievers at this point but believers that were out of fellowship. He comes into unbelievers for salvation not to sup as with a believer for fellowship. A lot of believer have the Spirit but He is quenched in their life. Jesus wants to restore the closeness and have fellowship with them. God doesn't rebuke children that aren't his! The word repent for the unbeliever it toward Christ the living word, the word repent for the believer is toward God's living written word, the Bible. Rev. 3:17-20 . 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. The message of Christ at this point is toward those in the church not outside. One of the best books for the presentation of the good news about Jesus is the book of John; in fact that was why it was written. John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. What I am trying to point out, and evidently failed to do, is to eliminate the false notion that one can ask Jesus into their heart or life. One can receive Christ into their life but not just by asking, that would be works! The word believe is the key, when a person believes in Jesus with the intensity that the Greek word PISTEUO conveys receiving Christ is something that is automatic. Ephes. 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, People aren't saved because they walk and aisle or jump through some ones psychological hoop or by quote some magical phrase. They need enough information to put their confidence and trust in Jesus and the only way this can happen is by hearing God's word about His Son. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The Greek idiom, heart, sure has messed up a lot of well meaning people. If one would think of the heart as that of a tree as being the very core or center, they would be closer to the real meaning; the inner most being. Jesus mentioned this to the woman at the well. John 7:38 (NASB) "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.' " There are a lot of so-called believers out there that think just because they did something that they are saved. They don't know enough about Jesus to know what he did for them but they sure are trusting in what they did by raising their hand in a service or making some kind of a decision to walk an aisle. A good example would be the thief on the cross next to Jesus, what did he do that brought on the response from Christ that the thief would be with him in paradise? I hope that I haven't confused you, if you would like to I will go in it in more detail. If you think the idiom of heart is a problem, you aught to see what they though the seat of the emotions was, the kidneys! Sorry about the mix up, CDBJ |