I’ve been involved in church for over 18 years; which happens to be most of my life. I’ve been to Baptist churches, Methodist churches, Pentecostal churches and everything in-between. Being a military brat, I’ve also attended the Protestant services at base chapels which manage to unite and encompass many denominations.
In all of my church going years, I’ve seen alter time and calls to salvation done many ways. Whether the shepherd of that flock happened to be talking about tithing or sinning, he or she would almost always give an opportunity for you to become a part of the family of God.
So a person repeats a prayer or makes a dedication, then what? They can now say that they are a Christian. So? According to a recent ABCNEWS poll, Eighty-three percent of Americans call themselves Christians. Do you truly see that reflected across the masses? Can you say that eighty-three percent of the people around you are going to heaven? Are you?
The reason one decides to take that step is completely unique and personal. In the last seventeen years I’ve seen church leaders scare people, lure people with a perfect life and practically bribe them with benefits of Christianity. I’ve seen even more present the Gospel in a healthy manner. But even then, a huge percentage of the people who raise their hand at the end of service aren’t sure what they just did. It passes through their mind for the next few weeks but life soon returns to the way it was.
Our modern church has begun to redefine salvation in ways that suit our picture perfect chapels and million dollar worship teams. The process of reaching people for Christ has become an impersonal and incomplete attempt at evangelism.
John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” This verse is beautiful, but it is a sad example of one that we take out of context to make us feel like we’ve done enough to get as many hands raised as we can in church each Sunday. Fortunately God’s Word in its entirety says so much more.
The early believers viewed following Christ as something much bigger than responding to an emotional message. In God’s word they often describe a transformation. James 2:14-24 is an amazing sample of the many scriptures that appeal to us to live a righteous life along with our faith. “Even the demons believe,” it says. So belief is not enough! It then says, “That faith without works is dead”. Romans 6:2 says, “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?”
When you realize the enormity of the fact that sin separates you from God for eternity and decide you want to experience the grace that is the only way to heaven, you ask God for it! For one person that is a pleading prayer from a pit of despair and for another it is a raised hand during a Sunday service. One may pray with a friend and another may read something that God Himself uses to bring the change of heart. One thing is sure, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” We can be set free from sin, try our best to live a righteousness life and in the end live eternally with our Creator.
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