So here is a brief portion of the book...
Someone may ask, If your aim is conversion, why don't you just use the straight forward, biblical command 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved' (Acts 16:31) Why bring in this new terminology of Christian Hedonism?
My answer has two parts. First, we are surrounded by unconverted people who think they do believe in Jesus. Drunks on the street say they believe. Unmarried couples sleeping together say they believe. All kinds of lukewarm, world-loving church attenders say they believe. The world abounds with millions of unconverted people who say they believe in Jesus.
It does no good to tell these people to believe in the Lord Jesus. The phrase is empty. So I use different words to unpack what believe means. In recent years I have asked, "Do you recieve Jesus as your treasure?" Not just savior (everybody wants out of hell, but not to be with Jesus). Not just Lord (they might submit begrudgingly).
The key is: Do you treasure Him more than everything?
Could it be that today the most straightforward biblical command for conversion is not, "Believe in the Lord," but, "Delight yourself in the Lord"?
That's just a brief bite guys, I'll feed you more when I finish this bad boy. Be blessed!
Blake
4 comments:
Right on point. The phrase "Believe in Jesus Christ" doesn't do it for me and never has. If anything that very phrase left me spiritually confused for several years. People have no problem with the word "believe". Its words like "submit", "surrender", "love", "confess" that people don't like to embrace.
-Terry
"Delight yourself in the Lord!" I love it! Who can say that they delight themselves in the Lord? Far less than those who say they believe in the Lord. You can always see the difference between those who delight themselves in the Lord and those who believe in the Lord.
"He is most glorified in me when I'm most satisfied in Him"
Johnny "Pay the" Piper
Great work, you know I'm feeling this.
wow...never even thought of it like that....wow. love it
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