Causal

1/26/2017

Acts 2.46-47 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. – St. Luke

Last night at church, during our children’s ministry, about 20 kids gave their hearts to the Lord. Wow! The idea was to draw a line in the sand, or put a date on the calendar, and ask: do you want Jesus to be your Savior and Lord?

It’s not the size of the response, it’s the response. It’s calling a date, a date, and reminding them that on that date a supernatural occurrence occurred.

Now, the next few weeks will be devoted to furthering what they did last night. It will be an introduction to the Holy Spirit. It will be more explanation of what they were saved to, and what they were saved from. It will be a reminder, over the course of the next several weeks, of this particular night, and their commitment to the Lord and His Kingdom.

In the Book of Acts, it says that the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. I think that is two-fold. I think the Lord adds daily those who are being saved and I think the Lord reminds daily, those who have been saved. Both are necessary.

I’m in category two – I am reminded daily that I am saved. Life hasn’t become this sweet ripple-less existence, but it has become a realization that every day of it is a proclamation that I am the Lord’s and He is mine. That’s why it is important that we believers meet together often, and enjoy one another’s company. It’s to remind us that we are His, He is ours, and we are together. All of us.

But it’s also important to meet and explain, over and over again, why we are saved and what that means. Life comes at Salvation with full force to deny it. The Church meets to battle against that denial and help those within to remember the why and what of it all. So, these kids are not only led to Jesus, but they’ll be taught the reality of what happened; what their “coming” really means. They need an anchor point to remember…because life is going to come at them full-force.

Salvation is not casual. Salvation is causal. Those who come to Christ need to know – eyes-wide-open – what that means, and why it makes a difference in their lives today, and for eternity.

Lord, it is not the number, You are in charge of that. It’s the response. Bless our attempts to cement in the minds and hearts of these children that Your salvation is full and free, and eternal. Keep these little ones safe from the enemy who will do everything in his power to convince them that it was only casual. Lord, I ask You to make this real and bless our efforts in reminding them of the who, what, why, where, when, and how. Amen