I've been churched most all my life! Over eighty years now, Wow! I could easily be one of those people that might say "I've been a Christian all my life." I was at Church week after week. Meeting after meeting ... at Sunday School I earned my pins for attendance, on time, bringing my bible and an offering. In those days we earned gold pins to wear on our suit coat. Oh yes you wore a suit to God's House!
In those days it was all about saving people or bringing them to Church to have the Pastor save them. I remember being in a contest, where if you saved so many of your friends, you would win a gas model airplane! Boy I wanted that plane. (Alas, I didn't win!)
To help us win souls we would have a Revival every year! We had a big cloth sign with REVIVAL written on it with the dates and times of the meetings. We would place this huge sign on our Church building, then we would hire an Evangelist to preach that particular week. "Old fashioned Gospel meeting" where we brought all of our sinner friends so they could be saved by the evangelist. We were all called to be "pew packers" that week. The Evangelist came with his six messages!
At those meetings I was saved! I didn't intend to be, but, you see my mother was very anxious that I be saved! I didn't know how anxious she was ... I remember the last night of the revival, I was sitting next to my mother in back on the last pew. We were singing the hymn "Just As I Am" while the Evangelist pleaded for one more sinner to come forward and be saved. I was hoping someone would come forward too, because then the meeting would be through. I was definitely not on the same track as my mom.
Believe me I had no idea how many verses there were to "Just As I Am." "One more, the Evangelist pleaded, there is one more person who needs to come forward!!" "He's struggling!" One more! My mother nudged me ... the Holy Spirit wasn't speaking to me ... but my mother was! Oh boy! At least that will end the meeting, I thought, ... so I dutifully went down the Isle to be saved! The Evangelist was praising God ... one more sinner, though a rather young thin one, was saved!
Two chubby deacons met me at the front and took me into a small room and saved me and also made me a Baptist!
I mentioned this personal experience for a reason. You see that night I was, "Still-born". (Sill born: having the form but lacking the life!)
This experience was the result of somehow thinking we can save a person. The truth is, we can't! Be it a pastor, evangelist or over zealous mother ... no one can save a sinner but God! When will we learn this? Why can't we wait until the Holy Spirit, in His time, in His way can do it right and the new life can start, as it should, from the inside-out?
We can do so much harm in forcing this intimate issue!
