I was a counselor at
a Billy Graham crusade when I was seventeen.
That was when I first learned to share the Gospel. Later I learned to use the Four Spiritual
Laws, that famous little mustard yellow booklet with the illustrations that has
led millions to a commitment to Christ. I also learned the Roman Road, the
Bridge, Evangelism Explosion, and the
Gospel glove. All of them are ways of
telling people the plan of Salvation, the road to God through Christ. I still believe them all. I have not changed in this one little bit.
Nevertheless, there
is something has always bothered me.
Receiving Jesus is the most important decision in life, yet it seems so
formal, so mechanical when we present it.
Christianity is not a hell insurance policy. It is an encounter with the
living Christ.
To illustrate, think about the second most important
decision we make in life--who we are going to marry.
Imagine logging onto
an online dating site and seeing this profile:
"Hello,
I'm(blank) and I have wonderful news for you!
"I love you and
have a wonderful plan for your life!
Until now, your
separation from me has made that plan impossible. You distance has separated
you from me.
"Fortunately,
there is a solution! You can reach me
through this web site. All you have to
do is email me, and I am yours for life!
"Here is a
sample email you can send:
"'(Blank), I
recognize that I'm lonely. This is
wrong. I confess that you are my best hope for matrimony. I want you as my husband. From now on, I will be your loyal and
obedient life. Thank you for taking me as your bride. Amen."
Check this box to
indicate your agreement."
Sounds crazy,
right? If it is crazy for our second
greatest decision, then why do we think it sufficient for our first great
decision? We assume in marriage that we
should actually personally meet the person we are marrying, before we
commit. Sd do not enter into a lifetime
partnership lightly. If we did, then it
is unlikely that we would last very long.
Yet somehow we think that a trip down the church aisle or
a prayer at the back of the book is sufficient to secure an eternal
relationship with the Father.
Christianity cannot
be this casual. It is a permanent, serious relationship we ought to take seriously. We should encourage people to get
to know Christ before they commit to Him. We should be encouraging caution to
the altar, not speed. People should fall
in love with Jesus, not come to Him in moment of fear or desperation. Maybe
this is why we see so many people fall away after initial decisions.
The facts of quick
evangelism is correct--the feelings are not . We need to be overwhelmed by
Jesus, dazzled by His presence and awestruck by His authority. Then we will come to Him changed in heart and
ready to begin a new life. We will treat
evangelism of the lost with more seriousness than liking His Facebook
page.
Here's the catch. If
we are to help others experience Jesus, we have to be experiencing Him
ourselves, not as a legal loophole for hell, but as a living, loving ,
overwhelming Presence in our lives.
Are we experiencing
Jesus, is He truly the center of our lives?
He is more than a decision, He is a friend, a companion, and a
Lord.
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