How can I become a Christian?

What a crucial question! The classic evangelical answer, in my lifetime, has been, “You must ask Jesus into your heart.” Even though the phrase “ask Jesus into your heart” is not even in the Bible, many have come into the kingdom by way of this contemporary phrase because it can embody the biblical injunction to believe and to submit. Recall: Jesus is a savior and a lord. However, if someone were to ask me today, “How can I become a Christian?” I will likely refer them to John 11:25-26 and let Jesus personally convey to them, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” I might invite them out for coffee in a week or so and follow up with the same question Jesus asked, “Do you believe this?” If we could poll the hearts of all those who have been authentically born again, I believe we would find that all live rebirths share a miraculous common denominator—they believed in Him.

Pretty simple isn’t it? And yet, having a savior in heaven is one thing; having a Lord living in our hearts at breakfast is another. Where the Eternal Seed takes root, we begin discovering His life in a very personal tension. We discover that we have our ways and He has His, which are somewhat higher than ours. We also learn that He has this notion that it is to everyone’s benefit that we lose every argument. Welcome to the kingdom.

In two different places in this passage, we see this inevitable tension: John 11:21 and 32. Here we see an “if only” attitude being exposed in Martha and Mary, who believed Jesus was the Messiah. The sisters (as believers) had inherited eternal life, and the inherent tension that accompanies it.

“If only” – a seemingly innocuous phrase—is a thin disguise for our anything-but-innocent attitudes. At its core, “if only, betrays dissatisfaction and disapproval. The Holy Spirit will eventually expose us. We will hear our heart’s protest—“Oh man!” or “That’s not fair!” or “What’s the deal!” Sarcasm also betrays this attitude: “Oh, that’s just perfect!” Decoded, these phrases are all asking the wrong question: “Couldn’t you have done this the way I would have if I were You?

Disciples eventually learn that Jesus is invested in every aspect of their lives and that He knows, in each of these areas, how we are to think and what we are to do. Discovering that the Spirit indwells us and has actually become our life is foundational to knowing Jesus as Lord. Walking in the Spirit, living out of His life, involves the ongoing experience of repentance—the laying down of our opinions for His truth, and our preferences for His ways. This is also called discipleship.

Tragically, in our have-it-your-way/seeker-friendly culture, discipleship has become an optional track within Christendom, an experience reserved for the super zealous or those called into ministry.” Discipleship has been cast as a works-oriented, excessive burden to be carried by those “in ministry.” Discipleship is nothing more than learning to daily live out of God’s life within us. Being a disciple is neither exclusive nor heavy. Jesus said, “My burden is easy and my yoke is light.”

Only a few special saints are called into ministry, and discipleship is reserved for them—what a lie! No doubt a demon achieved great notoriety in Hell for crafting that whopper. Will there be notoriety in heaven for saints who overcome these demonic strongholds? Probably not. That awards banquet is going to be all about Jesus—the Truth, who ultimately expressed His life through His younger brothers and sisters. These children of the kingdom ultimately arose and overturned the lies which separated discipleship from Christianity and relationship from religion. “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.”

In summary, salvation was never meant to be a stand-alone event—something that happened way back when. It is true, there was a “when” that we received grace to believe. In that moment, Jesus—the Life of God—invaded our stillborn spirits. This was the beginning of our salvation—a lifeprocess of working out His life with awe and wonder. Discipleship is not a program or a course. It is a lifestyle. Regardless of how alien this post may sound, discipleship is integral to normal Christianity, and it is for all who believe.

Father, thank you that you persevere with us even as we insist on doing life on our own terms. Let our folly run its course. As light, let us overcome darkness. May our lives serve as living proof You have sent Jesus—who saved us and is saving us. Amen.

 

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