Re: [TruthTalk] Whose Names are Written in the Lambs Book of Life?

[Bill Taylor]

Now that you've vented, please go back and reread what I've written.   Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: ShieldsFamily To: TruthTalk@mail.innglory.org Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 7:47 AM Subject: RE: [TruthTalk] Whose Names are Written in the Lambs Book of Life?     From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Taylor Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 9:02 PM To: TruthTalk@mail.innglory.org Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Whose Names are Written in the Lambs Book of Life?   Bill it appears to me that your theological construct forces one to believe that the worst thing you could do is to tell someone about Jesus Christ.  If they never hear about Jesus they are guaranteed a ticket to heaven. If they do hear about Him and reject Him, that is the only possible way they can be destined for Hell.  So why go forth and spread the gospel? It sounds like a terrible thing to do.  Izzy     Izzy, that would be true IF it were not for that fact that it is the Holy Spirit who draws people to the Father through the Son. The Holy Spirit is always working ahead of evangelism, preparing people to hear and respond to the Gospel message. Stated another way, the Gospel presentation never precedes the work of the Holy Spirit in a hearer's life. Since the Gospel is Good News, and since the Holy Spirit always prepares people to hear it, it will never ever be received as Bad News except by those who have already rejected the preparatory drawing of the Holy Spirit. That, my concerned friend, is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. It is taking the truth of his testimony and calling it a lie; for the Holy Spirit only testifies to the truthfulness of Christ. Once a person has heard the Gospel and rejected Jesus Christ, then he must repent of those beliefs, certainly; for to die in that state is to have committed the unforgivable sin, which is to trample under foot the Son of God and to deny the Lord who redeemed him; it is to lose his salvation.   If the Spirit were not involved in leading people to Christ, then I would rush to agree with you. Why would I want to tell someone about Christ who would otherwise be saved. The risk of rejection appears to out weigh the benefits they will receive here on earth on this side of death. Why not let them wait and be assured of receiving the benefits on the other side? This however is not the case.   Please pursue this further if I have not made this clear to you.   Bill   I’m afraid you have made it abundantly clear.  Another circular argument (much like the “once saved always saved” thingy).  If one rejects Christ after hearing about Him, he would have done so anyway.  How can you lose an argument like that?  The person would still have been much better off not to have been given the opportunity to reject Christ! The question remains: what is the point in preaching Christ if not the save the lost? Izzy