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It is not up to you....
There is a certain place in our ego that assumes, and wants us to think that we are in control of these matters. It tells us it is up to our decisions and our choices matter in these eternal matters. In other words we want to tell ourselves that we are in control and that our choices actually have an effect on everything that happens to us.
Let me suggest that this is a trick of the mind. Your choices and decisions may not affect your life as much as you think. Free will is an example. First of all choices and decisions only matter when you can affect the issue at hand. For instance, you can "decide" all you want, and "choose" to a certainty that the moon is made of green cheese. In reality your choice and decisions have no effect on the substance of the moon. We would only be fooling ourselves if we think they did. Next we have to realize that as much as we would like to think our choices magically effect reality into a matter, they do not. Again, it is only ego that tells us we have the authority and power to effect a change in a matter by a "choice."
Point at hand is the Lordship of Jesus. Preachers and teachers have suggested the notion that we can "make Jesus Lord" or that we can "ask Jesus into our lives" or "make Jesus Lord of our lives" or "accept Jesus as Christ" as well as many other false assumptions. I say false assumptions for two reasons. First we do not have the power or authority to do any of these. As stated above, just because you make a "choice" that does not mean you have the authority to effect it, nor do you have the power to make it happen. We do not. Second besides the fact that you cannot do any of the above, you do not have to.
The scripture says a number of things that you cannot change.
1. Jesus died for your sins. You cannot change this, and it does not matter if you accept it or not. Billions of souls do not "accept" this fact, yet their sins have been forgiven. Their sins have been taken away by the lamb of God. It is true even for those who have never heard of it. Your accepting or rejecting it has no effect on the the reality of this fact.
2. Jesus is Lord and Christ. And the important issue here is that God made Him Lord and Christ.
Speaking to those who crucified Jesus, Peter said:
3. Lastly, He is merciful to everyone who calls on His name.
Romans 10:
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
No struggling with commitments or strength of belief. No wondering if He really did it or if you were sincere or concentrating hard enough. All that is silly. Just a simple action. Do it and it is over. It no longer matters what you think or do or say or decide or choose. All that is irrelevant. If you ever did this in your life, the matter is completely settled. You called, He extended His mercy. You can change your mind and choose whatever you want. It only changes what is between your ears. It does not change Him (again with our ego thinking our choices and free will have the power to change reality, they do not). You may change... He does not. He is not going to go back on His word because of some foolish notion we come up with.
All this is completely up to Him. Not you.
We fool ourselves into thinking it was our choice and our will that made these things happen.
It was not:
John 1:
13 Which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.
Nothing could be plainer. It was not your will. Not some choice or decision you made. If the gospel ever came your way and you responded to it, it happened because He choose you. He arraigned for the gospel to be preached into you.
1 Peter 1:12
“Unto whom it was reveal, that not unto themselves,
but unto us they did minister the things,
which are now reported unto you by them
that have preached the gospel into you
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven;
which things the angels desire to look into”
My point here is that if you have ever seen the gospel and held it as true, it is only because He chose you and inserted the understanding into you. Those who were not chosen do not see it, regardless of how much the have heard. I know myself I went through years of Sunday school and catechism which detailed many of these things. Despite all that exposure I did not see it because He had not inserted it into me. But once He did, it was over. It was not my choice, decision, or agreement. It was His, for His purpose, for His sake. Not ours. It is not about us. It is about Him and His will and choice.
There is a certain place in our ego that assumes, and wants us to think that we are in control of these matters. It tells us it is up to our decisions and our choices matter in these eternal matters. In other words we want to tell ourselves that we are in control and that our choices actually have an effect on everything that happens to us.
Let me suggest that this is a trick of the mind. Your choices and decisions may not affect your life as much as you think. Free will is an example. First of all choices and decisions only matter when you can affect the issue at hand. For instance, you can "decide" all you want, and "choose" to a certainty that the moon is made of green cheese. In reality your choice and decisions have no effect on the substance of the moon. We would only be fooling ourselves if we think they did. Next we have to realize that as much as we would like to think our choices magically effect reality into a matter, they do not. Again, it is only ego that tells us we have the authority and power to effect a change in a matter by a "choice."
Point at hand is the Lordship of Jesus. Preachers and teachers have suggested the notion that we can "make Jesus Lord" or that we can "ask Jesus into our lives" or "make Jesus Lord of our lives" or "accept Jesus as Christ" as well as many other false assumptions. I say false assumptions for two reasons. First we do not have the power or authority to do any of these. As stated above, just because you make a "choice" that does not mean you have the authority to effect it, nor do you have the power to make it happen. We do not. Second besides the fact that you cannot do any of the above, you do not have to.
The scripture says a number of things that you cannot change.
1. Jesus died for your sins. You cannot change this, and it does not matter if you accept it or not. Billions of souls do not "accept" this fact, yet their sins have been forgiven. Their sins have been taken away by the lamb of God. It is true even for those who have never heard of it. Your accepting or rejecting it has no effect on the the reality of this fact.
John 1:
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Your sins are gone. Accept, believe, receive, deny... none of that matters. He still took away your sins. Even if you never heard of this before... it is still true.29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
2. Jesus is Lord and Christ. And the important issue here is that God made Him Lord and Christ.
Speaking to those who crucified Jesus, Peter said:
Acts 2:
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly,
that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ.
This is true regardless of what you decide, choose, accept, receive, or make. It is true for those who have never heard of the gospel. Those who suggest that you "have to make Jesus Lord" are mistaken. They unintentionally suggest to you that Jesus is not Lord. Yet not only does the scripture say that God made Jesus Lord, it also says Jesus is Lord of all... even YOU.36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly,
that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ.
Romans 10:
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Reject, accept, receive, and try to make Him Lord all you want. None of what you do makes any difference whatsoever. Regardless of what you do, He is still Lord and Lord of all. God made Jesus Lord and Lord of all. You cannot change that. You cannot change it. You by your messily little choices are not going to undo that. And not to be insulting... but He is your Lord right now, and He is not asking your permission. He is not asking for it nor does He need it.12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:
for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
3. Lastly, He is merciful to everyone who calls on His name.
Romans 10:
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
No struggling with commitments or strength of belief. No wondering if He really did it or if you were sincere or concentrating hard enough. All that is silly. Just a simple action. Do it and it is over. It no longer matters what you think or do or say or decide or choose. All that is irrelevant. If you ever did this in your life, the matter is completely settled. You called, He extended His mercy. You can change your mind and choose whatever you want. It only changes what is between your ears. It does not change Him (again with our ego thinking our choices and free will have the power to change reality, they do not). You may change... He does not. He is not going to go back on His word because of some foolish notion we come up with.
All this is completely up to Him. Not you.
We fool ourselves into thinking it was our choice and our will that made these things happen.
It was not:
John 1:
13 Which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God.
Nothing could be plainer. It was not your will. Not some choice or decision you made. If the gospel ever came your way and you responded to it, it happened because He choose you. He arraigned for the gospel to be preached into you.
1 Peter 1:12
“Unto whom it was reveal, that not unto themselves,
but unto us they did minister the things,
which are now reported unto you by them
that have preached the gospel into you
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven;
which things the angels desire to look into”
My point here is that if you have ever seen the gospel and held it as true, it is only because He chose you and inserted the understanding into you. Those who were not chosen do not see it, regardless of how much the have heard. I know myself I went through years of Sunday school and catechism which detailed many of these things. Despite all that exposure I did not see it because He had not inserted it into me. But once He did, it was over. It was not my choice, decision, or agreement. It was His, for His purpose, for His sake. Not ours. It is not about us. It is about Him and His will and choice.
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