Sunday, December 7, 2008

Authentic Encounter

Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
The teenager had been to camp. The challenge of the lordship of Jesus Christ over all of life had been presented. At the close of the camp, an opportunity to let Christ run her life was given in a very simple but direct way. The young woman had given as much as she then knew of herself to as much as she then knew of Jesus Christ and was determined to trust Him to guide her in the midst of the ambiguities and complexities of living as a teenager in todays world.
"Well, what did you do at camp?" was the traditional question almost thoughtlessly asked by the girl's father at the dinner table after she returned home.
"I have decided to let Jesus Christ run my life!" was the direct answer followed closely by a gentle but powerful question: "Have you ever done that, Daddy?"
The father was angered and challenged. He passed it off, but could not get it off his mind. had he ever let Christ run his life, really? He had been a church officer, church-school teacher, community leader, and admired executive in his firm, but he had never experienced Christ's lordship over his life. That would mean praying about decisions, expenditures, investments! It would mean getting His help for relationships, plans, and programs! No, he had never done that. Christ was not very real.
His daughter's newly found joy in Christ forced him to realize that he was a religous man who needed Christ. Some time later he discovered the difference between knowing about Christ and actually knowing him as personal Savior and Lord.
It is never too late to move from religion to life.
Lloyd John Ogilvie

6 comments:

Tyler Durham said...

Do you believe someone can accept Jesus as Savior, but not Lord? I don't, and I think this story is a good illustration of that.

Tanner said...

Accepting Jesus as Savior is so incredibly easy compared to accepting Him as Lord. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior in 1998 but didn't accept Him as Lord over my life until 2006. It took me 8 years to take a transitional step from knowing Jesus as Savior to Lord. Anybody else have this sort of thing happen or am I just rambling here?

-TEvans

Tyler Durham said...

Terry-
My story is similar, I was baptized when I was 8 years old, and assumed my whole life I was a Christian. However, I don't believe I was truly converted until I was a freshman in college. I don't think there is any Scriptural backing of the idea of being saved, while not bowing your knee to Christ.

Tanner said...

I agree Tyler. Looking back I don't feel that I was in a right standing with our King until I bowed before Him. Its a scary thing to think about that I went 8 years thinking I was a Christian when I possibly was not.

-TEvans

Jules said...

When you both met me, I was just saved and still not broken over my sin. 2006 while getting caught up in sin with idle time I had my first big encounter with my wretched flesh. I feel I still am learning how encompassing He is as Lord. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Being weak can feel liberating with Jesus.

Tyler Durham said...

That is pretty frightening. Sadly, there are thousands who are living under this false assurance because of a mantra-like prayer they recited at a camp when they were 7 years old.

Jules- I am with you bro! Our desires for Him are so weak, while our desires for the world are always warring against us. I have to die to myself every day.