Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A Bloodless Gospel



A Bloodless Gospel: Part 1

In a recent advertisement of a Sunday evening service in one of our American cities it was stated that there would be three attractions: a newly released film, one of the top singing sensations of our day, and a rendition from the Broadway wonder Cats.  It is somewhat startling when an unusually gifted and popular preacher, or his advertising committee, thinks of the Gospel of the Son of God as having so lost its power to draw that it must be bolstered up by putting on a selection from very questionable entertainment as an additional attraction to help out our once-crucified and now glorified Savior and Lord.

 Do you think this is new? Do you think this is just going on in our time? Think again. Now read this at it appeared originally.

"In a recent advertisement of a Sunday evening service in one of our American cities it was stated that there would be three attractions: a high-class movie show, a popular gospel pianist and his wife, and a melody from the opera, "Madame Butterfly," rendered by a well-known Prima Donna.  It is somewhat startling when an unusually gifted and popular preacher, or his advertising committee, thinks of the Gospel of the Son of God as having so lost its power to draw that it must be bolstered up by putting on a selection from a very questionable opera, rendered by a professional opera singer, as an additional attraction to help out our once-crucified and now glorified Savior and Lord." This was in a sermon preached in 1922 by R.A. Torrey’s.

Torrey went on further to expound; "This advertisement set me to thinking as to what really was the great attraction to men in this day as well as in former days. At once there came to my mind the words of our text containing God's answer to this question: "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." There is nothing else that draws like the uplifted Christ. Movies may get a crowd of empty headed and empty-hearted young men and maidens, and even middle-aged folks without brains or moral earnestness, for a time, but nothing really draws and holds the men and women who are worthwhile like Jesus Christ lifted up. Nineteen centuries of Christian history prove the drawing power of Jesus when He is properly presented to men."

Now, we can add nearly one hundred more years to when this was written. In the next excerpt Torrey was speaking of the Apostates of his day. Reading this, think in terms of the known heretics and false teachers that proliferate in our Post-Modern, Seeker Sensitive, Prosperity, Hell populating, Politically Correct Society today.

"Many of their ministers have been intellectually among the most brilliant our country has ever known, but their churches even under scholarly and brilliant ministers die, die, die!  Why? Because Unitarianism presents a gospel without atoning blood, and Jesus has said and history has proven it true, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."  "Christian Science," strangely so called, for, as has been often truly said, "it is neither Christian nor scientific," draws crowds of men and women of a certain type, men and women who have or imagine that they have physical ailments, and who will follow anything, no matter how absurd, that promises them a little release from their real or imagined pains."

In today’s terms the above would be describing the Health, Wealth and Prosperity Wolves.

"It also draws crowds who wish to fancy that they have some religion without paying the price of true religion, genuine love, real self-sacrifice, and costly sympathy. But Christian Science does not draw all men, that is, all kinds and conditions and ranks of men. In fact, for the most part, it does not draw men at all, but women, and the alleged men it draws are for the most part women in trousers, and men who see an easy way to make a living by preying on the vulnerability of luckless females. No, a bloodless gospel, a gospel with a Christ but not a Christ lifted up on a cross, does not meet the universal needs of men, and so does not draw all men."

This speaks volumes on easy believeism. The false gospel blasphemy by ones such as; The Joel Osteen’s, T.D. Jakes, the Benny Hinn’s Rick Warren’s of this world. Not only them, but a vast number of Protestant preachers of all denominations that have reduced the gospel down to, say this prayer, raise your hand, walk down this aisle. You are now saved. Welcome to the family of God! Lies!!! Nothing but Lies, you hear!!!
They should proclaim, “Welcome to the fast track path to Hell!” but instead they teach “You now have a false sense of security, go live it up, eat drink be merry do unto yourself as you want to do unto yourself!” “The only thing that matters is now, happiness and self fulfillment.”

They spew venom from the pit of Hell, all the while presenting it as the answer to all of mankind’s problems. They give their itchy ear listeners a warm fuzzy feeling that will end in an eternity of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The world’s gospel, the abomination they spread is not the True gospel of the Bible. It is a Bloodless Gospel that has no power to wash one clean from their sin and crimes against an Infinitely Holy, Righteous, God.   

"Note, the words, "Draw all men." Does "all men" mean all individuals or men of all races?  Did Jesus mean that every man and woman who lived on this earth would be drawn to Him, or did He mean that men of all races would be drawn to Him?  The context answers the question. The Greeks, as we have seen, came to one of the apostles, Philip, and said, "We would like to see Jesus," and Philip had gone and told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip had gone and told Jesus. Our Lord's ministry during His earthly life was to Jews only, and in the coming of these Greeks so soon before His death our Lord saw the sign of the coming days when by His death on the cross the barrier between Jews and Gentiles would be broken down and all nations would have their opportunity equally with the Jews, when by His atoning death on the cross men of all nations would be drawn to Him. He did not say that He would draw every individual, but all races of men, Greeks as well as Jews, Romans, Scythians, French, English, Germans, Japanese, Americans, and men of all nations. He is a universal Savior,"

"He is a universal Savior, and true Christianity is a universal religion. Mohammedanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and all religions but Christianity, are religions of a restricted application. Christianity, with a crucified Christ as its center, is a universal religion and meets the needs of all mankind and so our Lord said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."  No race has ever been found anywhere on this earth to which the Gospel did not appeal and whose deepest need the crucified Christ did not meet. Many years ago, when Charles Darwin, the eminent English scientist, came in contact with the Terre del Fuegans in their gross degradation, he publicly declared that here was a people to whom it was vain to send missionaries, as the Gospel could not do anything for them. But brave men of God went there and took the Gospel to them in the power of the Holy Spirit and demonstrated that it met the need of the Terre del Fuegans, with such great results that Charles Darwin publicly admitted his mistake and became a regular subscriber to the work."

in John 16:8-9, "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me." 

"But in spite of all our attempts to drown or stupefy or silence our sense of sin, our consciousness of guilt before a Holy God, we all have it, and, it will not disappear.  Nothing gives the guilty conscience abiding peace but the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.  And so Christ lifted up draws all men to Him, and even wicked ministers of Satan, like the preacher I have just referred to, sometimes come to their senses and flee to the real Christ, Christ crucified, as I hope this one may.  Yes, Jesus, Jesus only, Jesus lifted up on the cross, Jesus crucified for our sins, making full atonement for our sins, He and He alone meets the deepest need of us all, and so His cross draws us all men to Himself.  Happy the man or the woman who yields to that drawing. Woe be to the man or woman who resists that drawing; final gloom, despondency, and despair are their lot."

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:6;8.  There is nothing that draws men like love. Love draws all men of every region. No love draws like the love of God. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 that verse has broken thousands of hard hearts.

Have you laid down your life for Christ? He gave His so that you may be saved. I ask you even if you "think" you are saved, please visit the following website and read what it has to say.


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