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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Dear Rev. Graham: I was sharing with a co-worker how the Lord saved me from a life of trouble by my own making. When I finished, she just sat there. I got a little nervous but put the question to her: “Would you like to give your life to Christ?” Without a blink and a coldness in her voice, she said, “What’s in it for me?” I failed to respond well and we parted company. After asking the Lord to forgive me for failing to answer correctly, she called and asked if we could meet again. I put out an urgent request for my friends to pray for me as we talked, and this young woman’s cold heart opened to the Gospel and she became a believer. Since then, she’s told me that her fear was that she didn’t want to give up the things that she thought brought her so much happiness. I think this is one of the great fears, but isn’t this also a demonstration of the Holy Spirit working in her? – F.M.

 

Dear F.M.: Many people who are confronted with the Gospel want to know the benefits of God’s salvation. Some want only to escape Hell; others want to believe that they will have a genie in a bottle. But a person must consider the cost of living for Christ on Earth.

The question to answer is not, “What’s in it for me?” but, “Is Christ in me?” Receiving Christ’s salvation means that the Lord Jesus Christ will come into a person’s life and reform, conform and transform the heart. Most people are unwilling to take their hands off their lives to that extent. When we acknowledge our sin and ask for His forgiveness, He cleanses us from the sin that entangles and keeps us estranged from Him. He puts within us His precious Holy Spirit to lead and to guide. What a gift He gives.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)