A few weeks ago, I shared my story with 230 guys at a men’s conference in South Carolina. For some reason, I felt the need to present the Gospel and ask for a response . . . something I rarely do. But more and more, I realize how many of us have been “anesthetized” by pride, church, “church-speak,” ritual and religious tradition. I know because I experienced it myself. After coming to believe in Jesus at age 10, I was baptized and that was about it. I went about life as any other teenager, then college student, husband, young professional and then father. I went to church almost every Sunday . . . even took leadership roles. But I didn’t know Jesus. Had I died in a fiery car crash at age 17, I honestly don’t know where I’d have gone. Here’s why . . .
On one hand, there’s John 3:16: “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,” (emphasis mine). God loved, God gave, I believe, I receive. Simple and clear. And I did believe at age 10. In fact, I never stopped believing. So I was “saved” and secure, right?
Maybe.
There’s a couple of haunting Scriptures that make it less clear. John 10:27 says,
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
I didn’t listen to God’s voice until I was three years past thirty, 23 years after I was "saved." “And they follow me?” There was zero evidence of me “following” Him all those years. I was a Christian in label only, based solely on my belief in Him.
The other troubling verses are Matthew 7:21-23 . . .
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ”
I’d made no effort to “do the will of the Father.” I was all about my will, not His. The core question of salvation (or not) is in the heart. Spurgeon is tough and straightforward . . . “the man whose heart is unchanged is an unsaved man.”
“Wouldn’t it be peace-giving to know for sure?” “Wouldn’t it be good to put a date in your calendar that would from this day forward be the day when doubt was replaced by confidence?” I asked those questions to the men at the conference. About 60 guys ended their ambiguity by praying this prayer and you can too: “Heavenly Father, I’m ready to go all-in with You. I believe You love me . . . yes, even me! I believe that You, Jesus, died on that cross to pay the debt for my sins and I accept the gift of Your forgiveness. I’m ready to follow You now. I want to hear Your voice . . . to love, serve and give. I know about You, Lord. Now I want to know You. Speak, Father, Your servant is listening!”
One more thing. If you just now joined those 60 guys in praying that prayer, now you have to do something. You have to tell someone of your decision. There’s probably someone who’s been praying for you for a long time, or someone who, more than anyone else in the world, will be delighted to know what you’ve done. Call them. Go see them face-to-face. Confess your faith in Jesus . . . out loud, in real time. It’s a big deal.
