A new Christian who would later become a well-known preacher walked into a church for the first time – and the second time – and the third time.  Each Sunday, they read the announcements, prayed, had special music, preached, ate, and went home.  This young man was confused.  He read his Bible and saw all the things that Jesus did – He healed people, He changed lives, He worked miracles, and He set an example for others to follow.

The young convert asked the pastor, “When are we going to DO the things Jesus did?”  The pastor’s reply: “Oh, you don’t have to do anything.  You just have to believe it was done once!”

The young convert became a preacher and told audiences, “I soon found out that we prayed about it, cried about it, sang about it, preached about it, and gave toward it – but we never DID it!”

What is there to do?

Many of today’s churchgoers are “Done-Once Christians.”  They prayed a prayer, were baptized or confirmed, memorized a catechism, or walked the aisle at a Billy Graham crusade.  They believe that Jesus died for them, and they have trusted Him to be their Savior.  But somehow, they think that is where Christianity ends!

Many people pray the sinner’s prayer (which is actually nowhere in the Bible) and are assured that nothing they do could ever affect their salvation.  While some people do take the Christian life seriously, others evidence little change.  They live however they want, read and watch whatever they want, and have similar priorities to those of the unsaved.  Those who choose otherwise are accused of being legalistic.  Somehow there is more concern in Christian circles about being too legalistic than there is about being too worldly.  We have completely missed the point of being a disciple – to live as Jesus lived!

Technically, the pastor was correct – it was done once.  But what exactly was done once?  Was the Christian life lived once so that it would never have to be lived again?  Did Jesus die once so that His followers wouldn’t have to take up the cross daily?  Did Jesus live a sinless life so that we could live in sin?  If this is the message that Jesus preached, why would anyone want to become a Christian?  What does Christianity have to offer?

Trust and obey

Jesus did pay the penalty for sin “once for all” (Hebrews 10:10), and those who trust in Him receive forgiveness of their sins:

• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
• “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1
• “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12

However, this is only half of the salvation message.  Jesus, the apostles, and the early Christians clearly taught that salvation is a two-step process.  Many churches today preach only the first step: repenting of sins and trusting in Christ.  The second step – which is just as important as the first – is to live in obedience to His commands.

Jesus never preached a “done once” gospel.  He preached a message of daily taking up the cross and following Him (Luke 9:23).  He told people that they would not enter the kingdom of heaven unless they were more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:30).  He said that on Judgment Day, people will be judged by how they treated others (Matthew 25:31-46).  He said that we would be justified or condemned by our words (Matthew 12:37).

If anyone dared to stand in an evangelical pulpit today and preach what Jesus preached, he would be called a heretic for preaching “salvation by works.”  Yet Jesus, the apostles, and the early Christians clearly taught that obedience is required to enter the kingdom of heaven:

• “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 7:21
• “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” – Ephesians 5:5-6
• “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:6-7
• “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. . . . By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. . . . If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” – John 15:4-10
• “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” – James 2:24

Works without faith is dead, and faith without works is dead.  In God’s sight, the one cannot exist without the other.  The philosophy that “Jesus paid it all; therefore I don’t need to do anything” is far from the message that Jesus preached.  Somehow we and our theological ancestors have tried to explain away the things that Jesus said.  Yet those who learned directly from the apostles believed that He meant exactly what He said:

• “And let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood to be no Christians, even though they profess with the lip the precepts of Christ; for not those who make profession, but those who do the works, shall be saved, according to His word: ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “‘Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute sin’ [Ps. 32:2].  That is, having repented of his sins, he can receive remission of them from God.  But this is not as you [Jews] deceive yourselves, and some others who resemble you in this.  For they say, that even though they remain sinners, the Lord will not impute sin to them, because they know God.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “We do not teach concerning the unrighteous man that it is sufficient for him to humble himself on account of his wickedness.  Rather, God will accept him only if – after passing condemnation upon himself for his past conduct – he walks humbly on account of it and in a righteous manner for his remaining days.” – Origen (c. 248)
• “By walking in the way of righteousness and following his Teacher, man can attain to eternal life.” – Lactantius (c. 304-313)

In his steps

Yes, Jesus paid the penalty for our sin once – but that is only half of the salvation process.  We must live out His teachings.  Would a person who never plays the piano be called a pianist?  Would someone who has never performed an operation be called a surgeon?  Yet many today call themselves Christians who have never lived out Jesus’ teachings.

Jesus gave us an example of how to live so that we would follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21).  He did it once so that we could do it every day.  Through His life, we can have our lives changed.  Through His death, we die to ourselves daily and walk in newness of life.  In His resurrection, those who have trusted Him and lived in obedience to His commands will live again.

Will you be part of the “done once” generation that prays about it, cries about it, sings about it, preaches about it, and gives toward it – but never actually does the things that Jesus did?  Or will you DO it?  Will you live the life that Jesus lived?