Casual or Committed Christian

The following letter was written by a young communist to his girlfriend, breaking off the relationship with her because of his devotion to the communist cause. The letter was given to her pastor who in turn sent it to Dr. Billy Graham. He published it.

We communists have a high casualty rate. We are the ones who get shot and hung and ridiculed and fired from our jobs and in every other way made as uncomfortable as possible. A certain percentage of us get killed or imprisoned. We live in virtual poverty. We turn back to the party every penny we make above what is absolutely necessary to keep us alive.

We communists do not have the time or the money for many movies or concerts or T-bone steaks or decent homes or new cars. We’ve been described as fanatics. We are fanatics. Our lives are dominated by one great, overshadowing factor: the struggle for world communism. We have a philosophy of life which no amount of money could buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definite purpose in life. We subordinate our petty personal selves into a great movement of humanity; and if our personal lives seem hard or our egos appear to suffer through subordination to the party, then we are adequately compensated by the thought that each of us, in his small way, is contributing to something new and true and better for mankind.

There is one thing in which I am in dead earnest about, and that is the communist cause. It is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife, my mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the daytime and dream of it at night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens, as time goes on; therefore, I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating it to this force which both drives and guides my life. I evaluate people, looks, ideas, and actions according to how they affect the communist cause, and by their attitude toward it. I’ve already been in jail because of my ideals, and if necessary, I’m ready to go before a firing squad.

Considering the source from which these words were written, they are frightening indeed. There are few ideological or social agendas which have brought more collective bondage and misery to the human race than that of communism. To think that anyone could hold to such oppressive ideals seems ludicrous. Yet, even though the annals of history have proven socialism and communism to bring great evil into any society in which it is introduced, many within our own nation celebrate such an agenda. As soldiers of the cross, followers of Jesus Christ must pray against and fiercely oppose any political system which denies the gospel.

However, while the source of such passion as expressed in these words is despicable, the zeal of such words should at least be weighed as impressive. Countless radicals follow foolish ideologies which will disintegrate on the ash heap of history, yet their fervor cannot be denied. Such ardor is just so dangerous because only One is worthy of its offering. Jesus Christ alone is the Creator and Keeper of life (Colossians 1:16-17), the only One without sin (1 Peter 2:22), the only One able to save (Revelation 5:3-5), and the only One whose name is above every other (Philippians 2:9-11). Surely, there is no one but Jesus who is worthy of our supreme devotion! And it is exactly to this kind of devotion which Jesus invites and demands His followers.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”—Luke 9:57-62

I wonder how much zeal or fervor the Lord finds in our lives today? For many, even the smallest inconvenience will disrupt the attendance of worship—not the singular attention required—just the seating of backsides in padded pews! Far from the command that His followers give sacrificially, many will give a mere financial pittance to the cause of Christ. Countless others will refuse to serve in the kingdom, yet unswervingly prioritize the rest and recreation which their selfish heart demands. I fear that the legions who sacrifice their lives for hopeless ideologies and maniacal social causes far outweigh, in number and passion, the true followers of Christ!

The cause of Christ is greater than any other. He alone sets the heart free from the bondages of fear, death, and sin. Let us be willing to give our lives for the mission of the gospel, setting aside the petty passions that have so diminished our spirits and diluted our souls. If our current context is exposing anything, it is that cheap and easy Christianity is nothing but a farce. We are called to give nothing less than everything for Christ. As the divide between the “casual” Christian and the “committed” Christian is ever-widening, let our motto be the same as that of Jim Elliot, a missionary who gave his life for the cause of Christ:

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

Jason