She wasn’t afraid of difficulties; what frightened her was being forced to choose one particular path. Choosing a path meant having to miss out on others… She wanted to follow all possible paths and so ended up following none. —Paulo Coelho, Brida
I know a gal who’d been accepted to graduate school, awarded scholarships, and was even signed up for classes. Yet she struggled to order her textbooks. Once those books were ordered, she knew she’d be committed. Right now, she’s a self-confessed Edge Stander.
Christianity has Edge Standers too. These people experience church and Christianity without committing to faith. Jesus spoke of Edge Standers in Matthew 7:22-23.
“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you …’”
The “many” insisted they’d experienced Christianity, yet Jesus considered them spiritually dead. Why? Because choosing to experience Christianity without choosing Christ is the same as rejecting Him.
To fall away from repentance (Hebrews 6:6a) is to experience Christ, realize your old life should be no more, hear the Gospel, receive the Lord’s Supper, and still reject salvation. In doing so, you reject Christ and His cross.
To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:6b)
The Greek in this verse tells us there’s a specific moment when someone turns from Jesus and chooses to look for salvation elsewhere. And it’s at this moment that a person crucifies the Son of God all over again—repeatedly. It’s an ongoing action. This is heavy stuff.
So this really comes down to a decision: Do you believe Jesus is the singular Way of salvation? Can you recognize that going to church, while good, is not what saves you? If you want God to know you, you must first know Christ. Are you willing to jump from the edge and into a commitment with Jesus?
Lord, am I looking to You to save me? If not, blind me to all other paths. If I’ve already found true salvation, give me eyes to see those who are still searching—especially those in my church family. Then give me words of encouragement as we live life together. Amen.