There is no forgiveness without repentance. There is no salvation without surrender. There is no life without death. There is no believing without committing.

Idleman, Kyle (2011-05-24). Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 35). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. 

Is it any wonder that we have “Christians” who do nothing when we teach that there is nothing required of us to be a Christian. The Christian life is joyful and the only life man was created for; but  that joy requires repentance, surrender, death to self and commitment. We make it seem that being born again is a magical experience that doesn’t result in a new person with new direction, desires and commitment. 

We should not expect converts to bear fruit if we don’t teach them that they are to be a new plant grafted into a new vine. We become new creatures through the power of God, but God doesn’t do that without our assent. He will forgive us for every sin that we turn away from. He will save us if we surrender our lives to him. He will make us new creatures if we are wiling to die the old self. He will bless our belief if it is accompanied by commitment. 

It is these subtle differences that separate the fans from the followers. I recall a popular bumper sticker which proclaimed, “God is my Co-pilot.” That sounded very spiritual, but it’s not biblical for Christians. For the Christian, God is our pilot.  That’s the whole point. We put Him in control. We don’t just seek His guidance when we have fouled things up beyond our ability to fix them. We put Him in the driver’s seat every day.

As the church era marches to an end, we need to be Christians committed to our Lord and determined to follow Him forsaking all others.

Be blessed.

Nick