Convo Connection
“Don’t kid yourself into believing that just because you prayed a prayer, you’re going to heaven.”
The piercing words of Pastor J.D. Greear, author of “Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart,” echoed through my heart as he boldly talked about the believer’s assurance of salvation to kick off last week’s Convocation. For years, Greear struggled with the assurance of his salvation. He joked about the fact that he had prayed the “sinner’s prayer” more than 5,000 times between seventh grade and his sophomore year in college. In his desperate search for assurance, God eventually brought clarity to Greear as he focused on the finished work of Christ.
I too have prayed the “sinner’s prayer” countless times. I have doubted and fretted over the possibility that I might stand before Jesus and be the one to whom he says, “Away from me, I never knew you.” Just the thought of him saying this makes me anxious and fearful — but I do not have to be afraid. I do not have to struggle or wonder whether or not I am really his, and neither do you. Why? Because the point, just as Greear drove home, is not the prayer. It is the finished work of Christ. It is not about what I have done but what Christ did for me. My salvation is safe and secure in the nail-pierced hands of the one who began a good work in me and promised to finish it (Philippians 1:6).
Mark Batterson, pastor of the “National Community Church” and New York Times best-selling author, took the Convocation stage mid-week. Batterson passionately shared a life-altering message on the most profound miracle of Christ, heralding the disturbing, yet inspiring reality that, “Something has to die so that something can be resurrected.” Expounding on the resurrection of Lazarus, Batterson continued, “Sometimes things have to go from bad to worse before they can get better.”
The timing of Batterson’s message was perfect and really hit home. I had just returned from fall break where I had spent some much needed time with family. During our time together, my mother read portions of Mark Batterson’s newest book, “The Grave Robber” to us. The parts she read were the exact message Batterson shared during Convocation.
As I listened, I could not help but think of my dad’s recent battle with cancer. When we walked through everything with him, it definitely seemed like no matter how hard or often we prayed, things went from really bad to worse. Even now, I wrestle with the fear of losing my father. But God is greater than my greatest fear, and we are more than conquerors in and through Christ. And while we wait on God, we can trust his perfect timing as he works all things together for his glory and our good.
Liberty alumnus Ed Stetzer wrapped up a beautiful fall week at Liberty with a focus on the kingdom of God. To understand the kingdom, you need to know the king. Whenever I hear the word “king,” I cannot help but think of fairy tales, castles and princesses — things that little girls dream about. But that is all pretend. The one true king, Jesus, is real. The world is steeped in darkness, longing for truth. Brokenness is everywhere. “The king brought the kingdom with him,” Stetzer proclaimed. If the kingdom of God is already here, how should we live in the now?
I have always thought of the kingdom of God as a place where I am going, a future destination so to speak. But now, after listening to Stetzer and contemplating what he shared, I am asking God to help me live out the kingdom life here and now. Maybe if we start living more kingdom-minded, people watching just might wonder about and perhaps seek after the king we serve.