“Giving your life to Christ” is kind of “Christianese” for
salvation, saying a person has received salvation. At face value that is. But
the question, and the meaning, goes a lot deeper. Just as salvation goes a lot
deeper than a one time event, this question goes a lot deeper than salvation
itself, and a lot hangs in the balance.
To give one’s life to Christ and salvation both go a lot
farther than a one-time prayer of repentance. Many people claim to have given
their life to Christ, meaning that they believe that He is the Savior and Son
of God, but they live their life, their way. They haven’t actually given Christ
anything. They maintain control and priority.
Luke 9:23-24 New American
Standard Bible (NASB)
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must
deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save
it.
Galatians 2:20 New American
Standard Bible (NASB)
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I
who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up
for me.
In reality, when a person is saved they should literally
give their life to Christ. We should live our lives as He would want us to,
denying everything that is contrary to Him, everything that gets in the way of
serving Him, everything that doesn’t glorify Him. We must daily say no to our
selfish desires and say yes to Him, daily endure whatever suffering that comes
while giving praise to God, daily following in His footsteps and living as He
would. Jesus came to free us not from obedience but from sin, and we either
live in freedom by living righteously, or we live in bondage by ignoring His
commands.
1 Corinthians 10:31 New American
Standard Bible (NASB)
Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all
to the glory of God.
Ephesians 2:8-10 New American Standard
Bible (NASB)
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that
no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
1 Peter 2:16 New American
Standard Bible (NASB)
Act as free men,
and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as
bondslaves of God.
By “giving our lives to Christ” we should genuinely and permanently
do just that. We should be Christians in the sense that we are “like Christ.”
(for that is what Christian means) We should live wholly, devotedly and
unapologetically for Christ, no reservations, no hesitations, no barriers.
When you were saved, did you truly give your whole life to
Christ? Is it your purpose to live that way now?
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