Would You Sign It?

   We live in a society that doesn’t ‘count the cost.’ By and large, most people don’t consider how much something will impact their lives. Most choices are made on whether ‘I want it’ and not so much on ‘can I afford it.’ It’s no wonder why the average American credit card debt is over $15,000 per household? And in 2010, The U.S. Consumer had over 609 million credit cards in their wallets. We live with multimedia constantly invading our lives with the promotion of immediate gratification. After all, they say, you deserve it! Buy it now and enjoy it now, and you’ll have no interest for 12 months, and hopefully you’ll be able to pay for it later.

    In addition, we try to avoid pain and discipline at all costs. This is why it is so foreign to the American consumer to hear the words, ‘Sacrifice now, put up with hardship and persecution in this life and when you step into the afterlife, you’ll have eternal rewards.’  God doesn’t say, ‘Come to me and all your health issues will go away, or follow me and you’ll be happy and never go hungry again.’ What God offers through Jesus Christ is: ‘Come and die to yourself so that you can find everlasting joy and purpose in a relationship with Me. This life will be hard, but the pay-off is HUGE!’  

   A Christian missions agency in South Asia listed a series of questions that church planters ask new believers to faith to consider before baptism. For the safety of the church and those trying to reach them, the country and location are not mentioned. However, we’re told that the country is primarily Hindu, and over the past 20 years, Christianity has grown among its poor. Here are the seven questions that are asked to help gauge the individual’s readiness to follow Christ:

1.       Are you willing to leave home and lose the blessing of your father?

2.      Are you willing to lose your job?

3.      Are you willing to go to the village and those who persecute you, forgive them, and share the love of Christ with them?

4.      Are you willing to give an offering to the Lord?

5.      Are you willing to be beaten rather than deny your faith?

6.      Are you willing to go to prison?

7.      Are you willing to die for Jesus?

   If the new believer answers yes to all of these, they are invited to sign on the bottom of the paper signifying that of their own free will they are a follower of Jesus.

   This isn’t all. If the person who signs the paper is caught by the government, he/she will spend 3 years in jail. The missionary or leader who helped them make their decision faces 6 years in prison as well (Mission Network News, January 2012).

   Again, this is so foreign to us who live with the freedom to choose our faith without the threat of persecution. So the question should be asked, “If you knew you would lose everything, your house, job, family, and eventually even your life, would you sign the paper? Would you be a follower of Jesus regardless of the price?” Before you quickly respond, yes, and move on, let me ask one more question. When was the last time you gave anything away sacrificially? Meaning, when was the last time you gave something away that forced you to change your lifestyle as a result? If you’re not willing to give part of your material possessions away, you’re certainly not ready to give away your life. And that’s what Jesus is asking for because that’s what He gave us.