I recently came across a
copy of the "The Great Commission New Testament" published out of Nashville
U.S.A in 1982. Turning to the first page we read in large bold type, This
is a marked copy of the New Testament, the first sentence says, "God
offers salvation as a free gift." After three short quotes expounding this
"free gift" we are again directed in large bold type to turn to page 177.
The evangelists will tell you that
this book is God’s LIVING WORD, but
who cares about
actually reading it, just go straight to page 177! Skip 176 pages
and go right to the core. Surely these 176 pages of God’s word actually
contain some important information? Most of which are supposedly quotes
from Jesus.
On page 177 we read in large bold
print at the top of the page Realize you are a sinner, and we are
directed to read the underlined verse, Romans 3:23. At the bottom of the
page we are then directed in large bold print to skip to page 180. Turning
to the said page, we read at the top,
The penalty for sin is death,
once again in large bold print. We scan down the page to the underlined
section of a single verse from Romans 6:23 and at the bottom of the page
in large bold print we are directed to refer to page 178.
Turning back to page 178 at the top
we read in large bold print Christ paid your penalty and we are
obliged to read the underlined three verses explaining this phenomena,
Romans 5:8-10. Again, at the bottom of the page we are encouraged to turn
to page 138, in large bold print.
This "choose your own salvation adventure
book" is rather entertaining!
On the top of page 138 we find again
in large bold print You must repent and our gaze falls upon an underlined
verse, Acts 3:19. The bottom of the page directs us to refer to page 220,
in large bold print. On page 220 written in large bold print at the top
of the page we find,
You must accept Christ by faith (how else would
one do this?) and we notice an underlined verse, Ephesians 2:8. The large
bold print at the bottom of the page refers us to page 183.
Finding our way back over the forty
pages which we have not even glanced at, we read at the top of page
183 in large bold print, You must confess him as Lord and we notice
two underlined passages, Romans 10:9-10 & 13. The large bold print
at the bottom of the page directs us to turn to the back page of the book.
What do we then find after having
read a total of 7 tiny passages from five pages out of a total of 292 pages?
(What happened to the importance of the other 287 pages?)
We find the delightful question in
large bold print at the top of the page, Are you ready to receive God’s
free gift? Which is according to the little prayer below it in italics,
"Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I know
you died on the cross for me. I now turn from my sins and ask you to forgive
me. I now invite you into my heart and life. I now trust you as Saviour
and follow you as Lord. Thank you for saving me. Amen."
Why do we have
to ask Jesus for forgiveness and salvation? Cannot God do that?
The text continues thus; Did you
ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins? Did you ask him to save you? Did
you give Jesus complete control of your life? If so, welcome to God’s family!
Why not pause for a moment and thank him for saving you.
I answer NO! to all three
of these questions.
It goes on in large bold print, What
does Jesus want you to do now? I marvel at this! If
you take the time to study the selected quotes above you will notice that
Jesus is quoted, ZERO times!ALL the quotations are taken from
other then Jesus. Using these quotes as a guideline for determining what
Jesus wants for us results in no answer whatsoever.
Let us refer to Jesus words directly
to get an answer.
As for the person who hears my
words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to
judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects
me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn
him at the last day. John 12: 47-48.
What does keeping Jesus’ words mean?
Jesus answered and said unto him,
If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and
we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not
keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the
Father’s which sent me. John 14: 23-24.
He that hath my commandments and
keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved
of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John 14: 21
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15.
Those who love Jesus, therefore keep
his words and commandments and will be loved by both Jesus and his Father
since the words and commandments are not from Jesus, but from the Father!
These evangelists
quote Jesus ZERO times! They don’t care a toss what Jesus has
to say because they don’t love Jesus since they can’t be bothered quoting
him. They don’t want you to discover the words of Jesus. Their goal is
to take Jesus, his words and his commandments, bypass them on the freeway
and toss them into the garbage pile. Then they will take their potential
proselyte by the left hand and drag him down hand in hand on
their faces into the everlasting fire which is never quenched.