A Thin Line

I like going to weddings. They are romantic and remind me of my own wedding (probably the single best day of my life) and my bride. Right around the time I graduated from college I knew the bride, the groom or both in 33 weddings. It was just that time in all of our lives.

Being a person who likes to analyze and dig into details I have become accustomed to pin-pointing the movement in the wedding ceremony when the couple is actually married. It usually sounds like, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” “Done!” I shout in my mind, with the image of a judge’s gavel slamming down. At this point there is no turning back, the couple is married. Until those words are spoken they could back out, second-guess or bring things to a halt. When these words are spoken, however, the bride and groom cross a clearly defined line from being single, solitary individuals to being a couple, a united whole, a team.

I find it interesting to think about this clearly defined line in terms of salvation. To put it bluntly, I do not think there is such a line when it comes to redemption, even for those who have dramatic conversion experiences. I believe there is a very thin line, almost transparent, between evangelism and discipleship.

Paul writes in Ephesians1: 4-5
Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!)”

Jesus, in telling a story, includes this line from Matthew 25:34,
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation.

To me this speaks of salvation not as a moment in time but a process. As is common in today’s language, salvation is not an event, but a journey. I can easily envision a person in one moment saying, “ No, I am not a Christ follower,” and next say, “Yes, I am a Christ follower.” What changed? It was not just their mind. Something had to happen. Maybe they are not even able to discern what shifted.

The moment of “conversion” is not the start of the Spirit's working in one’s life. It was not at that time that they heard, saw or felt something that moved them to repentance. Rather it was the culmination of evangelism and the beginning of discipleship. The end of one is the beginning of the other.

With this in mind what does it mean for our evangelism methods? I think we, as Christians need to stop looking for the magic bullet that will save everyone; the best sermon, the correct apologetic or the formulation of scriptures weaved into a neat presentation you can fold and carry in your pocket. No, we must understand the work of the Spirit is more often than not a cumulative effort. I don’t mean that we can take credit for a life redeemed, but that God works over time, through many resources to draw and save.

The line between evangelism and discipleship is thin.