For Christ's sake!

     Last night I saw this beautiful sight: about 100 students came forward to give up their lives for Christ's sake.  The best part for me was that I felt like I didn't pull any punches when I preached the Message.  I started off by telling the students that they were evil!  Not a great to way to win friends, trust me.  I then told them that they deserved to die for how evil they were.  Not politically correct I know.  Finally, I said that Jesus Christ was the only way that they could be forgiven for their sin.  
     The reason why I share this with you is because sometimes I wonder if I have been guilty of sugar-coating the Message of Jesus Christ!  I have talked a lot about how Jesus came to give you meaning and purpose in life, which is true.  I have talked a lot about his forgiveness, which is amazing!  I have emphasized praying a prayer so you can know your going to heaven.  I have talked a lot about having faith in Jesus, which is crucial.  
     At times I am afraid that I have not taken the time to explain the cost.  Romans 10:9-10 says "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  Paul states the surrender before the belief.  Why is this so important?  Because belief is easy compared to surrender.  Gallup tells us that 90% of Americans believe in God.  Does America look like a nation where 90% of our lives are surrendered to God?
     I had a young man come into my office two nights ago who was desperately searching for truth.  I spoke with him for over an hour.  There was a time in my life when I would have tried to convince him to believe and would have felt like my job was accomplished.  Well this time I talked all about surrendering his life for Christ's sake.  I gave him a Bible, my cell number, prayed with him and offered to talk with him again whenever he wanted to.  When we walked out of the church he said, "Something you said really stuck with me.  You said up to this point in my life I have been in control, and now that I am out of control I don't know what to do.  You said that now was the time to give control to God.  I am going to think about that."
     I am no different than anyone else.  I wish it was all about my belief.  I believe all the right things down to my core, but God's word says that if that belief doesn't result in my surrender to him, it is empty.  That is what was so refreshing about seeing the bleachers of students empty as they came forward last night, students are tired of empty belief.  They want something that is worth giving their life to.  My daily struggle is to stop living my life for my own sake but to surrender it for Christ's sake!