Why Obi Cubana Shouldn’t Have Given His Life to Jesus (Cont’d) -By Ugochukwu Ugwuanyi

Of course, we wouldn’t be capitalising on the myth in Obi Cubana’s trending video if the popular evangelism CTA (call to action) were simply for sinners to give up their lifestyles. It is high time preachers and evangelists refrained from the refrain that requires repentant sinners to give their lives to Christ. Besides being fallacious, clinging to that cliche doesn’t effectively serve the interests of the Kingdom. God knows that the average person is averse to giving but adept at receiving. Perhaps that is why salvation is meant to be freely received through faith.

When soul winners start encouraging their audiences to receive the life of Jesus by believing in His death, burial and resurrection, they will be stunned by the humongous harvest of souls heading to Heaven. This effort to correct the age-long falsehood about new birth isn’t unnecessary but a fundamental necessity. It’s a core matter that goes a long way in defining how the new convert subsequently interacts with faith.

The prevalent altar call miscommunication likely stemmed from the assumption that salvation comes with an exchange. It amounts to a misnomer for Christ to be collecting the life of the very people for whom John 10:10 said He “came that they may have life, and have it in abundance”? Consider also that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That is John 3:16, making it clear that the giving has been done already; what remains is for the contrite to receive this everlasting life, not hand over theirs again! There’s a reason why it’s called the gift of salvation and nothing else – Ephesians 2:8-9.

God doesn’t need the sinner’s life for anything. If the self-righteous is as repugnant to Him as a filthy rag, how much more the sinner. Little wonder He forsook His only begotten Son at Calvary while Jesus bore the sins of the world. God doesn’t even see life in an unbeliever. That’s why 1 John 5:12 made it clear that “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” So, how can the sinner offer what is non-existent?

Asking unbelievers to give their lives to Christ to be saved is tantamount to enthroning works over faith – which negates the Good News. From that initial misrepresentation of repentance, the baby believer continues with the wrong notion that their walk with God is based on their efforts, not faith. Yet, the scripture cited above reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

The Lord wants to give everlasting life to all who believe in the resurrection and confess the lordship of His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s what makes the believer a partaker of His divine nature, enjoy Heaven’s economy while on earth and be distinguished from those who could perish. This supernatural life of all possibilities turns saints into proofs and proof-producers!

In the main, there was another misconception in the Obi Cubana video that cannot be overlooked. As Pastor Jerry spoke about leading him to Christ, he interjected by saying that the cleric will ensure he remains in Christ. It doesn’t work that way, sir. There’s so much your pastor can do in this regard. While faith in your pastor is good, Hebrews 12:2 exhorts you to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, without minding the cross and scorn that comes with doing so. You have a Helper in the Holy Ghost for all the support you need. As you go through discipleship, let there be an indwelling of the Spirit of God in you. That’s the sure way to disappoint pessimists waiting for you to return to your old ways.

There is so much to enjoy in salvation. All the believer needs to access this all-encompassing largesse is the Holy Spirit. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12). It all boils down to the sinner receiving, without having to give their life to Christ or do the heavy lifting – Matthew 11:30. This is what makes Christianity easy like Sunday morning (no pun intended).

It’s noteworthy that receiving eternal life is the hallmark of repentance, given its guarantees that the new convert does not return to their former ways. Jesus, speaking in John 10:28, said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Beyond the readiness to attend Sunday services, let’s hope that Obi Cubana received the life of Christ to beat the cautious optimism of his well-wishers. Having Zoe places him on terra firma, not to be swayed or snatched by the enemy through sundry temptations and mockery from naysayers.

While saying an emphatic “Amen!” to Pastor Jerry’s prayer that Obi will do well in the faith, we commend Cubana “to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:32).

In the light of the preceding illumination, let all soul winners start evangelising sinners to accept the life of Christ, rather than requesting them to give their lives to Jesus. The former makes all the difference and cannot be overemphasised!
(Concluded)

VIS Ugochukwu, a Sage, Storyteller and Media Trainer, tweets @sylvesugwuanyi