INSURANCE

Come on and take the poll at upper right.

R. Stearns says: 'Our view of the Gospel has been narrowed to a simple transaction, marked by something similar to checking a box on a BINGO card, registering a decision for Christ on a 3x5 index card, or coming forward during an altar call.'

I admit that my own view of evangelism amounted to that for a lot of years. That's why it was my great joy to see 94 people baptized in water last month at Lake Andrea -- not 94 people who had officially checked a box or come forward at the end of a service -- but 94 people who had crossed a line on their journey with Christ, committing their lives to Him in a 'next step' of obedience.

Prior to that, in our efforts to make the good news accessible and simple to understand, we boiled it down to a kind of 'fire insurance.' Then, when the converted bought into the policy, he/she could go back to whatever life they were living before. As long as the policy was in the drawer ... well ... you had your 'ticket' to the next life.

There's a pretty big problem with that approach. Focusing exclusively on the afterlife denies what God expects of us in THIS life. Salvation was never a way to leave this world but the means to redeem it. Believe ... repent ... surrender ... change ... be discipled ... go ... bear fruit.

Ba-da-bing ... ba-da-boom.

And be blessed.