Smarttrader, I think your paragraph is well taken. Much of what is passed off as Christianity is something less. Unfortunately when part of the truth is called the whole truth it becomes an untruth.
Just this evening at our table devotions (we were reading the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds to today), and I talked about this same truth to my children. After reading 15:8, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight." I reminded them God is not waiting and hoping that someone will believe and trust in Him. He has saved and will effectually call all of his own. AS Jesus said the high priestly prayer, of all that you've given me, I have lost none.
How this works out in time gets a bit tricky, for sure Romans 10:13-17 applies. He has sent forth preachers to preach and has chosen this to be the means by which souls are saved. Kind of scary (for preachers) and haunting (forbelievers) to realize that God so works all things in there lives that they would be called and brought to faith through the word.
Unfortunately, I still have to type my bulletin. Good night.
