6 Words That Will Change Your LifeSample

I once had a gospel conversation with two gang members in the food court of a mall in Colorado Springs. 

Both were wearing red because they belonged to the “Bloods,” and both were way bigger than me—one looked like he could play linebacker in the NFL. He was the one most interested in talking when the conversation turned toward Jesus. 

 When I explained the gospel, he was ready to respond. The conversation went something like this. 

“Does that make sense?” 

“Yes.”  

“Would you like to put your faith in Jesus right now to forgive you for your sins and receive the gift of eternal life?” I asked. 

“Yes.” 

I said, “If I see you in 10 years and ask if you have eternal life, what are you going to say?” 

“Yes, I do.” 

“How do you know?”  

“Because Jesus died for my sins and I trust in Him, not my good deeds to save me,” was his spot-on response. 

But I knew that God had way more for this guy, and it wasn’t going to start when he died and went to heaven. Life with Jesus started from the moment he said “yes” to faith in Christ. 

I wanted to help him understand that serving Jesus is meant to be done out of gratitude, not guilt. 

 “What if I walked up to you with a duffle bag full of cash that contained one million dollars. Say I offered it to you free of charge, with no strings attached. Would you take it?” 

He said, “Yes, I would.” 

“After you took it, would you slap me in the face, push me to the ground, kick me, spit on me, then walk away with the duffle bag?” I asked. 

“No, I’d buy you a hamburger or something,” he said, glancing around the food court. 

“Why would you do that?” I probed. 

“Because I’d be grateful for the gift.” 

“Jesus just walked into this food court and offered you something way more valuable than one million dollars. He gave you eternal life, hope, and forgiveness for your sins. Are you going to take His gift, then spit in His face and walk away, or are you going to serve Him?” 

“I’m gonna serve Him,” he said with excitement. 

“Why? Because you have to in order to be a Christian?” I asked. 

“No, because I’m grateful for His gift,” he replied. 

“What does this mean for your gang life?” I asked. 

“It’s over,” he stated bluntly. 

In the middle of a food court, that gang member understood that serving Jesus is not something you do to earn, keep or prove your salvation, but something you get to do out of gratitude for your salvation. 

Do you consider everything else in life a loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus as Lord, Philippians 3?