Rejecting or Accepting Christ

[Mathew Enoch Mount]

Hello,

Once I met a Pastor whom proclaimed that the simplicity of the gospel
is that we either accept of reject Jesus Christ, and he also in his
speech did not give reference to Christ as King but instead said that
people tried to make Christ King by force and he would not have them
make him King over them. Do you really think that we should sit on
the throne of God judging Christ? According to this doctrine what if
a person accepts Jesus Christ into their heart, then decides to make
Jesus become their footstool granting them every gift through prayer
like a genie in a bottle?

If this was the message of the gospel, then Satan himself would be the
first one saved because he of all people would want Christ as a foot
stool. Couldn’t you just imagine him saying to Jesus, "wash my feet
boy." Overall, the message of the gospel according to scripture is
not our judgment of God, but instead the message of the gospel is the
birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
and 2 Timothy 2:7-9.

I had a professor one time that told the story of a evangelist that
spoke with a Hindu man, and the Evangelist asked him if he accepted
Jesus Christ and the man said yes. The Evangelist was overjoyed as he
made his first and perhaps his only convert in his life time. The
fact is that this man was just practicing the Hindu religion in saying
this because Jesus Christ is listed among their 330 million gods. Are
we to believe that all Hindu’s are saved?

Notice that the scripture says that faith and love spring from hope
that is contained in heaven. "the faith and love that spring from the
hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already
heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.
All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as
it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood
God's grace in all its truth." Colossians 1:5-7 (NIV) In other words
the gospel is what activates the seed like water poured onto a seed to
produce much fruit, and we know that every seed comes from God through
his general grace poured out onto all the earth whereas the seed of
the word of God comes through specific revelation of Jesus Christ.
Thus the gospel that comes from God and the seed that comes from God
are both from God as specific revelation by the special grace poured
out onto only those whom are purchased with the blood of Christ, and
thus what they produce is from God as well as it is produced through
God just as the blood of Christ pumps through the entire body (the
church) just as the fruit of the vine comes through the vine itself
(Jesus).

Scripture talks about a time before the faith that we share entered
the world. "the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner
of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus
Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came,
we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be
revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we
might be justified by faith." Galatians 3:22-24 (NIV) In other words
faith came from revelation, and thus faith comes from God and from God
alone just as Christ is the author and perfecter of our faith Hebrews
12:2.

From the faith that comes from God as a free gift to those whom he has
purchased with his blood we receive the spiritual gifts from the Holy
Ghost as a deposit as like the talents that come from the cross and
resurrection of Christ the King over all the universe just as the
master went away putting his servants in charge of his estate while he
divided his talents of gold among them. Thus we read, "We must pay
more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we
do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding,
and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how
shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation,
which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those
who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his
will." Hebrews 2:1-4 (NIV) In other words God testifies regarding
Salvation by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his
will.

We are also told the following regarding the spiritual gifts that
testify to the message of Salvation, "Follow the way of love and
eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. …
everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening,
encouragement and comfort. 1 Corinthians 14:1-3 (NIV) We read that
the spirit of prophesy is the testimony of Jesus Christ, and if that
testimony is not the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ
then is it not worthless?

If Jesus is never revealed to us and born into our lives, then what
value do we have to God? If we are not crucified with Christ from his
righteousness being imputed into us and from us offering ourselves up
to God as a living sacrifice, then how can we be risen with the Lord?
In order to be saved we must not judge God, but instead we must be
born again in order that the nature of Adam (I do not mean Adam
Colbert) is cut off and we take on the nature of Christ the second
Adam so that we remain in him. We thus must be born of God to be
saved.

Until the birth death and resurrection of Jesus Christ occurs in our
lives (historically of course this only happened once with Christ on
Earth), we are not glorified with God. In other words Christ has not
made us complete in the gospel until we have fully received it and it
has made us complete by the power and the work of God. The point is
that we should not put on the helmet of salvation knowing that we are
saved, but instead we should put on the helmet of salvation as
scripture says "hoping that we are saved." 1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NIV)

You might ask, "why does the scripture say that we are to hope in our
salvation instead of know it", and I realize that the doctrine of
eternal security is indeed biblical. If a pot could talk, then when
it is being formed should it say, "I am a pot"? This is why we having
not yet received the entire work of the gospel in our lives should not
say that we have completely received it, and having said that we
should put on the shoes of the armor of God in preparation for
receiving the gospel that God may make us increasingly ready for the
wedding supper of the lamb.

Thank you,

Mathew Enoch Mount
mmo...@essex1.com