Counting the Cost

I'm currently reading James Montgomery Boice's little book, Christ's Call to Discipleship, preached and written in the 1980s. It is a lot of basic material, written in Boice's traditional style. If you ever heard him preach or have heard a tape of his preaching you can hear his voice in your mind as you read. While it is largely basic material for young Christians, I have found several chapters to be particularly helpful.

One chapter titled "Counting the Cost" covers just what it says it covers. At one point he recounts a discussion with a missionary who asked him how much doctrine or belief a person has to have to be a Christian. Boice writes that in years gone by he would have said, "'Well, it's necessary for you to recognize that you are a sinner, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died to save you from sin. You must commit your life to him.' Of course that is a perfectly valid answer. Millions of Christians have been saved by doing precisely that, because Jesus takes us where we are and teaches the fulness of what committment means as we go on." However, Boice goes on to say "But I replied [to the missionary] that when I answer that question today, I say that the miniumum amount a person has to believe to be a Christian is everything, and that the miniumum amount a person must give is all. I say, 'you must give all. You cannot hold back even a fraction of a percentage of yourself. Every sin must be abandon. Every false thought must be repudiated. You must be the Lord's entirely.'"

The interesting thing is that as I read this chapter yesterday my mind immediately went to a young man I had worked with fairly extensively a couple of years ago, who had made a basic profession, but over time proved unwilling to give all, which really proves to being willing to give nothing - but perhaps I did not call him to give all as I should have done. I hadn't seen him for some time. As Providence would have it, I ran into him later in the day at a public venue...so pray for further contact with him. I really do agree with Boice here...we must call people from the very beginning to believe everything of what God teaches and to give all.

As regulars to this page know, I have conditioned you to be ready for periods of silence. I will be getting a little time away for the next week or so and will not be posting.