In chapter 1 of Who Will Be Saved? Willimon relates the mid-life struggle of a friend who had grown up in a small-town Baptist church where he “accepted Jesus as [his] personal savior and [he] knew that [he] was saved” (p. 1) as a youth. Later, he came to have doubts, wrestling again and again with the question, “Am I really saved?”
Willimon confesses:
“My heart went out to this brother who was in real torment and consternation. I could make a number of observations about his struggle with salvation, but for now I’ll just note the absence of one key player: God. My friend characterized his struggle as his lonely battle to understand, his solitary attempt to decide, his need to feel, and his heroic efforts to be certain. I asked my friend to consider the possibility that his turmoil might be God induced, that God might be using this turbulence to move him to some new plane in their relationship.” (p. 1)
There is something about our emphasis on personal decision, making a decision for Christ, choosing to “make Jesus Lord” of my life, accepting him as Savior, etc. that misses the point. Our role is one of surrender because God in Christ has made a decision for us. Salvation is always more about God than about us.
Guy M Williams 