Why is it that religion has begged, cajoled, and with quavering voice pleaded with sinners to accept Christ?
Is God trying desperately to get everybody "saved" before it's too late?
Does God really NEED you so desperately — RIGHT NOW?
Here's what your BIBLE says.
WHAT ABOUT IT? IS there a great struggle going on here below — between titanic spiritual forces, the forces of GOD, opposed by the forces of Satan the Devil?
Is God engaged in a desperate struggle with a cunning Devil — trying to SAVE the world, while a contemptuous Satan laughs and gathers in most of humanity on his side?
Is God Fighting the Devil?
The sum total of ALL evangelistic effort, or missionary work, of altar calls and religious endeavor seems predicated on a fervent race against time!
The Devil seems to be winning, if such a frantic struggle exists.
What about it? Have you ever wondered why it is the Devil seems to have ALL the special tools, the knack and know-how, the ingenuity and craft with which to trap his victims — while God seems to have NONE?
Think about it.
Society, with its bright lights, entertainment, and pleasures; the movies, TV, novels, records, dances, parties; cigarettes, liquor, sex; money, position, travel — all of this appeals NATURALLY to the average human being! The Devil seems, according to this reasoning, to have just about all the advantages.
But, goes the faulty idea, God has virtually NO weapons!
Against the NATURAL desire of the average human for the pleasures of the physical senses, the broken-hearted voice of "religion" seems to say, "No!" "DON'T!" "GIVE up!" "Go WITHOUT!" ''ABSTAIN!"
Have you ever attended a "good old-fashioned revival," or evangelistic campaign? Have you heard a hoarse-voiced, perspiring evangelist in broken, quavering tones, while the measured pulse of the choir softly chants "Just as I am," plead emotionally: "WON'T you come? With every head bowed, with others praying for you, WON'T you step out into that aisle and come down to the altar? Give your heart to the Lord RIGHT NOW, TONIGHT!"
Does God, to you, seem to represent giving up everything that is "fun" and enjoyable — going without the real pleasures in life, while the Devil seems to have a corner on the market of delight?
Such ideas are utterly FALSE! Believe it or not, there is NO GREAT STRUGGLE to GET THIS WORLD SAVED — NOW!
Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send PEACE on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34). He explained, when His disciples asked Him why He spoke to the public in hidden meaning, in parables: "Because it is given unto you [His disciples] to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given . . . Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand" (Matt. 13:10-13).
But why?
If Christ were so desperately trying to PLEAD with people to "get saved" and escape the wiles of the Devil — would He have deliberately HIDDEN His meaning from them — obscured the very message of SALVATION?
That's what He said! That's exactly what He DID! Read it, in His own words, "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which saith, 'By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand: and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; LEST at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them' " (Matt. 13:14-15).
Strange words, indeed, IF God were desperately trying to SAVE THIS WORLD! But He is NOT trying to save it, NOW! Christ DID NOT try to save it, THEN!
And, since God is NOT — NOW — trying frantically to save the world, just how badly does He really NEED you?
Does Christ Suffer From Inferiority?
Think about it! How has "Christ" been presented to you?
Usually, when you think of Christ, do you immediately think of DEATH? Do you imagine a DEAD person, hanging on a cross? Or, like many, do you immediately imagine the manger scene — thinking of Christ as a sweet little BABY, wrapped in "swaddling clothes" and being sheltered in His mother's arms? Or perhaps you have a picture of "Christ" in your home — or in your Bible.
Look at the picture. See any POWER there? See any FORCE? Any driving, magnetic, irresistible, positive, masculine ZEAL and ENERGY?
Or do you see, instead, a picture of WEAKNESS?
Ever seen artist's portrayals of the Devil? If you have, you've noticed a "devilishly" HANDSOME look. Dark, intense, alert, piercing eyes — strong, craggy masculine features; powerful jaw; jutting, strong nose; the very picture of FORCE and ENERGY!
Christ is pictured as having LONG HAIR, as looking almost FEMININE — while the Devil is pictured as having SHORT hair, if any. But take away the halo from the pictures of "Christ," and remove the tail, pitchfork and horns from the "Devil" and look again!
Then read what your own Bible says about it. Notice! "Doth not even NATURE teach you [inspired the Christ of the Bible], that, if a man have long hair, it is a SHAME unto him?" (I Cor. 11:14)
Read further! "He hath NO FORM NOR COMELINESS [not outstandingly "beautiful" or "handsome"]; and when we shall see Him, there is No beauty that we should desire Him" (Isa. 53:2).
Paul said, "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah" (Heb. 7:14).
Judah means the house of Judah: the tribe of the JEWISH people!
Remember also that Christ was betrayed with a kiss! And for the express purpose of buying that all-important SIGN, POINTING OUT TO HIS ACCUSERS JUST WHO HE WAS, the Pharisees paid Judas a GREAT deal of money!
But why the bribe — if Jesus was so OUTSTANDINGLY different He would have been easily singled out in ANY crowd?
Put it all together. Christ was a Jew. He wasn't any different in appearance from any other Jewish man of His day. He didn't have long hair, and He most certainly did NOT have an inferiority complex.
But what about the "Christ" YOU have always just taken for granted?
How have you thought about Him?
What HAVE you thought about religion? about altar calls? about "receiving Christ" and "salvation"?
Hasn't it all been a little CONFUSING to you?
No, the Christ of the Bible, the LIVING Christ who is very much alive at this precise second, does not have a terrible inferiority complex. He is NOT suffering because He so desperately needs ALL people to believe "on" Him right NOW, or believe "in" what HE DID!
But THIS WORLD IS SUFFERING — and suffering because it will not BELIEVE WHAT JESUS CHRIST SAID!
A Deceived World
Without realizing it, you have probably been believing the exact opposite from what the Bible really says. Your Creator tells you this is a DECEIVED world — that a great spirit being, Satan the Devil, has succeeded in blinding the vast majority!
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ . . . should shine unto them" (II Cor. 4:4). Satan the Devil is called, symbolically, a great dragon, "which deceiveth the WHOLE WORLD!" (Rev. 12:9)
But how many really believe the plain word of God? How about you? Do you really BELIEVE this world — yes, ALL of it — has been deceived?
Do you believe YOU could have been? And remember — a deceived person does not KNOW he's deceived — he THINKS he knows the truth!
Satan the Devil has turned this world to deception — has caused it to believe in LIES! He is called the first liar, and the father of all lies (John 8:44).
So, today, the average person believes Christ came to DESTROY His Father's laws, to FREE us from LAW — to DIE to get us saved, and that He is trying, desperately, to SAVE THE WORLD, TODAY!
And none of this is true!
Christ's death did NOT destroy the law, did NOT, of itself, save us! And Christ is NOT trying to save the whole world, today!
Here's the proof!
What Christ DID Accomplish
Jesus said, "THINK NOT that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am NOT come to destroy, but to fulfill!" (Matt. 5:17)
He came to MAGNIFY the law of God, making it far more binding upon us, making it spiritually applicable! If you have not yet read our inspiring booklet on the TEN COMMANDMENTS, then write for it, immediately.
He said, when asked the WAY to salvation and eternal life, "IF thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments!" (Matt. 19:17) He came, KEEPING God's commandments, to set us "an example; that ye should follow His steps!" (I Pet. 2:21)
Christ came talking of the LOVE of God. But He didn't leave us guessing about what kind of love is Gap's love! Notice! "For this is the love of God, that WE KEEP His COMMANDMENTS; and His commandments are not grievous!" (I John 5:3)
John was inspired to write, "And hereby we do know that we know Him [know Christ!], if we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS!" (I John 2:3) He went on to say, "He that saith, 'I know Him,' and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (I John 2:4).
Paul was an instrument of Christ's. Christ spoke THROUGH Paul (Gal. 2:20). Notice what Paul was inspired to say about whether the LAW was "done away!" "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, 'Thou shalt not covet' " (Rom. 7:7). Paul showed how the law pointed out WHAT SIN IS, and said, "For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).
Sin is the breaking of God's law — His TEN COMMANDMENTS (I John 3:4).
Paul said, "For we know that the law is SPIRITUAL" (Rom. 7:14).
He said, "Wherefore the law is HOLY, and the commandment HOLY, and JUST, and GOOD!" (Rom. 7:12) He said, "I consent unto the law that it is Goo/d!" (Rom. 7:16)
Do you still think Christ came to DESTROY His Father's laws?
Not if you believe and tremble before the sacred WORD OF GOD, you don't!