A not so little rant

Many Christians use the term "sold out" for Christ. I question, however, whether most of them truly know the term that they are using. When I read Chapter 16 of "The Challenge of Missions", I really started to think about this topic.

In Chapter 16, Oswald J. Smith talks about encounters he's had with other religions and their cruel traditions. He talks about a mother having to suffocate her baby to appease the spirits, or a widow being sacrificed because she must escort her husband to the afterlife, or a man in Mohammedanism torturing himself and lighting himself on fire. These people are making enormous sacrifices for a dead religion. As Christians, we have found the answer, we have been born again. We have relationship with Christ and the answer to eternal life.

But even with the truth that everyone needs to hear, we complain about having to drive to church and fit bible study into our schedule. We are unwilling to make even the smallest sacrifice or go through the least inconvenience. Are you telling me that you are "sold out" for Christ when a Mohammedan will go through torture and give up his life .... but we won't even go out of our comfort zone for Christ, who we know gave His life for us? May God change our hearts!

We MUST be "sold out" for Christ and remain "on fire" for Him always, not just occassionally or when it is convenient for us. Revelation 3:15-16 says, "I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of My mouth." Being cold or lukewarm are not options. If we claim to be Christians and want to please God we need to be hot. Christ is the only answer for the witchdoctor, the evil spirits, the Mohammedan, and all the rest. We must be radical. We must love God above all else. We must take Christ to these dead religions and make sacrifices so the gospel can be spread. Let us not be put to shame by the heathen who are more committed to their dead religion than we are to Christ!