The Sinner’s Prayer has always been important to me. I remember saying it as a child and confirming it more than once. I remember leading many people in this prayer. The Sinner’s Prayer is like a criminal record check.
Years ago I worked for a janitorial company. One place I worked was the RCMP/CSIS building. The security clearance process was quite something. I was a teenager and in my interview they asked what I did twenty years ago, I responded, ‘nothing, I’m only 18.’ I thought it was funny – they didn’t. They asked why I haven’t held a job for more than 5 years. I repeated ‘I am only 18.’ I laughed – they didn’t. This interview went on for a long time; they fingerprinted me and even interviewed two of my friends. I was beginning to have faith in our spy agency’s thoroughness and ability, especially when they reviewed this information for months before finally clearing me.
Just out of curiosity, I asked why it took so long to notify me of my clearance and they said it took so long because they – Canada’s spy agency - couldn’t find me. I pointed out that my address and phone number were on the form. I laughed; they didn’t. I assumed they were joking. They weren’t. I laughed; they didn’t. Shortly afterwards I worked a shift at the CSIS building and as I was emptying a garbage, an officer told me that if I looked at anything in it he’d have to kill me, I laughed – he didn’t. The next week, my boss told me to cover another shift at the CSIS building. I said no. She laughed – I didn’t. I was cleared to work there but I didn’t return.
It is quite the process and a security clearance is important but do you know how long one is really good for? About 5 minutes: in between receiving your security clearance and handing it in you could stop by the 7-11 and rob it. The paper may say that you have never committed (or at least been convicted of) a crime but as soon as you leave the police station it is no longer up-to-date. The Sinner’s Prayer, that is rightfully so important in many of our lives, is like a security clearance in this way.
The experience of salvation is more like a marriage. There is the initial event that starts off the marriage, the wedding: this is like the Sinner’s Prayer. The wedding is just the beginning of the marriage relationship. It is not its culmination – and hopefully not the best part of it! There is more to marriage than simply saying ‘I do’. If you never spend anytime with your spouse after that day, then you may have had a wedding but you do not have a marriage. Our proclamation of salvation, the Sinner’s Prayer, likewise is just the beginning of our salvation; it is not the totality of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for that!
Our questions for today: Is your relationship with Christ more like a security clearance and/or a long ago wedding ceremony than it is like an exciting marriage that grows stronger everyday? If so, what can we do to grow our relationship with the Lord?
Years ago I worked for a janitorial company. One place I worked was the RCMP/CSIS building. The security clearance process was quite something. I was a teenager and in my interview they asked what I did twenty years ago, I responded, ‘nothing, I’m only 18.’ I thought it was funny – they didn’t. They asked why I haven’t held a job for more than 5 years. I repeated ‘I am only 18.’ I laughed – they didn’t. This interview went on for a long time; they fingerprinted me and even interviewed two of my friends. I was beginning to have faith in our spy agency’s thoroughness and ability, especially when they reviewed this information for months before finally clearing me.
Just out of curiosity, I asked why it took so long to notify me of my clearance and they said it took so long because they – Canada’s spy agency - couldn’t find me. I pointed out that my address and phone number were on the form. I laughed; they didn’t. I assumed they were joking. They weren’t. I laughed; they didn’t. Shortly afterwards I worked a shift at the CSIS building and as I was emptying a garbage, an officer told me that if I looked at anything in it he’d have to kill me, I laughed – he didn’t. The next week, my boss told me to cover another shift at the CSIS building. I said no. She laughed – I didn’t. I was cleared to work there but I didn’t return.
It is quite the process and a security clearance is important but do you know how long one is really good for? About 5 minutes: in between receiving your security clearance and handing it in you could stop by the 7-11 and rob it. The paper may say that you have never committed (or at least been convicted of) a crime but as soon as you leave the police station it is no longer up-to-date. The Sinner’s Prayer, that is rightfully so important in many of our lives, is like a security clearance in this way.
The experience of salvation is more like a marriage. There is the initial event that starts off the marriage, the wedding: this is like the Sinner’s Prayer. The wedding is just the beginning of the marriage relationship. It is not its culmination – and hopefully not the best part of it! There is more to marriage than simply saying ‘I do’. If you never spend anytime with your spouse after that day, then you may have had a wedding but you do not have a marriage. Our proclamation of salvation, the Sinner’s Prayer, likewise is just the beginning of our salvation; it is not the totality of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for that!
Our questions for today: Is your relationship with Christ more like a security clearance and/or a long ago wedding ceremony than it is like an exciting marriage that grows stronger everyday? If so, what can we do to grow our relationship with the Lord?
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