Journey or Ticket
By Keith Goad August 26, 2008
As I listen to messages today I find a new lingo for what it means to be a Christian. In the past we talked about being born-again, committing your life to Christ, and surrendering all. Today we like to talk about taking a journey together.
What I am curious about is in the past there was an emphasis upon that one time decision that we would call personal conversion. It was likened to getting one’s “ticket” to heaven. If you wanted to place your faith in Christ, it simply required believing in a serious of facts (death, burial, resurrection) and praying a prayer. The moment of repentance and faith was clear. I find this new lingo often, not always, leaving out the explicit need for conversion or a moment of faith. I am hearing about bringing people to church so they can share our journey together but it is not always clear to me what kind of journey this is.
I heard a message geared to college students at a large evangelical church over the summer (I made myself wait months before I posted on it) that was supposed to be a talk on discipleship (Luke 14:25-27). The speaker never mentioned repentance or denying oneself or even placing one’s faith in Christ as necessary for discipleship. Discipleship was boiled down to walking together as a people with a common identity.
Now, I like the fact that the church is thought of as a people with a common identity. But what in the world is it except for a people who have repented of their sins, believed in Christ, and therefore, commit to one another because they are all children of God in Christ.
So why the post? The past lingo could be faulted for not emphasizing discipleship and ignoring the need for surrounding oneself with other believers after getting the “ticket.” The present lingo could be faulted with moving past the need to make one’s faith commitment to Christ explicit and necessary. I simply want us to be aware and clear in what we are declaring about the gospel. It is a personal faith in Christ and what he has accomplished for us so that we repent of our old life and commit to walk with other Christians. In other words, take the “ticket” and enjoy the ride.