In my previous post, “What Version of Jesus Are You Giving The World”, someone asked this question under the comments section. This was my response (with added comment):
Jesus died on the cross for all to receive Salvation, through the blood of Christ, that believes in Him through Faith and Repentance. It is a gift that has no expiration date, no hidden agendas. As long as this world turns, and as long as someone is breathing, the world, and an individual, can receive salvation. Doesn’t matter what type of life you lived or what type of person you were, you can still receive salvation in your dying moments. Jesus loves us THAT much!!! Many don’t believe this but it still doesn’t make this truth an untruth. Think about the criminal dying on his cross beside Jesus. We don’t know what type of life he lived or the things he had done but with one simple request, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom”, Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Forgiven and forever with his Lord and Savior. The Gift of Salvation is always there for your taking, regardless of time, place or circumstances. There isn’t anything that someone can bring to the table that is a deal breaker.
Unfortunately, we often treat Jesus as a “limited time offer.” We tell the unsaved about the glorious mercy, grace, love, hope, authority and power of Jesus but once they have accepted Him into their lives as Lord and Savior, we then replace the real Jesus with the Jesus that fits into whatever denominational doctrines we cling too. More accurately, we replace the Holy Spirit (Spirit of the Living Christ) with a tamer version, weaker version or more easily understood version.
For example, Jesus clearly states in the Bible that we, his disciples, will do the same things…and even greater things than He did. Jesus healed and cast out demons, he raised the dead and reached the lost and hurting. We, in and through the Spirit, can do the same. But many denominations choose to ignore this (for various reasons), in essence, stripping the Spirit of His power in the believer’s lives. Instead of people being healed and freed of spiritual oppression by the use of the Spiritual Gifts (the Power) given to us by the Spirit of Christ, people continue to live in bondage, unhappy, joyless, depressed, bitter and in despair.
Living a life in bondage, unhappy and hopeless, takes a toil on the soul, regardless of our place in God’s kingdom. So they walk away from God in search of something….anything, that will heal them spiritually but they never find it. Jesus Christ is the only One in which true healing and genuine Joy, Peace and Hope can be found.
Hasn’t the time come for us to burn our prideful, self-righteous, man-made denominational doctrines that keep people in oppression at the altar of repentance, and get about the business of bringing the real Power and Authority of Jesus into the lives of the lost and hurting?
