The Christian and Sacrifice

"For one who rejects Christianity because he misunderstands it, ten reject it because they understand it too well - because they know it is a call to the selfless and sacrificial life."

I do not remember where I picked up this quote but would like to make two remarks about it. First, I would not say that in Mongolia the ratio is ten to one, but there are several people to whom I have witnessed who reject Jesus Christ because they realize that Christianity is not simply fire insurance to keep them out of hell (in which they obviously do not believe anyway), but rather they realize that to be a Christian is to submit to Jesus Christ's claims to be Lord of all.

I am aware of the "Lordship salvation" controversy in the United States and only have this to say: anyone who desires to have the eternal life that God offers through His Son Jesus Christ must desire to have freedom from the penalty of sin. Which naturally leads to the question: what is sin? Sin is a transgression of the law. Whose law? God's law. So anyone who desires salvation from sin must admit that he has broken God's law and is worthy of punishment. That implicitly admits that God has the right to make the rules, and that man has an obligation to keep them. In my witnessing I make this explicit for Mongolians usually think of right and wrong as relative. But God's law is for all mankind; and it is because all men have a sin nature that desires to break God's law that all men are condemned.

Consequently, it is very clear to those to whom I preach Jesus Christ that salvation from sin's penalty requires accepting the truth that all men - Americans and Asians, Mongolians and Montanans - are bound to keep God's law. It is because our sinful natures are in rebellion against God and because that rebellion reveals itself in our acts of sin that we are justly condemned.

Simply stated: we humans do not like to hear that we are wrong, sinful, condemned. So there are those who reject Christianity because they ignore the truth that there is a hell of eternal punishment and do not desire to submit to God.

But further, I believe that missions - that is, the cross-cultural proclamation of the Gospel - is hindered because Christians do not want to admit that the Christian life is a life of selfless service and often tangible sacrifice. Jesus reminded his disciples that "even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." Why should Christians think that it should be any different with us? We should be expecting to minister to others and to give our lives to introduce people to the Savior.

I am not in Mongolia primarily because I enjoy it here (although I have no complaints to share). I am not in Mongolia because I would rather be here than in the United States (I would rather be near family). I am not here because I am seeing a great harvest of souls and believe that I am seeing more souls saved and more spiritual growth here than I would in the States (I believe my ministry could be more "fruitful" in the United States).

I am here because this is where God wants me. Even if it seems to others that my life is "wasted" if it is wasted doing God's will than I am sure that I will stand before the Savior who gave His life for us and hear, "Well done, though good and faithful servant."