Billy Graham's The Reason For My HopeSample

We Are Enriched To those who say you can have Christ without giving anything up, Satan is deceiving you. Do you become part of your country’s military force by just saying you are? No, you join up, knowing that it may cost you your life. Before you ever put on a uniform, you must swear an oath, undergo extreme training, and submit yourself to superiors. The wonderful thing about Christianity is that when God’s grace saves, God’s Spirit moves in and makes the changes possible. Love for the world is replaced with love for God and the things that please Him. If this is not a burning desire, then a person has reason to question the authenticity of his or her faith. Martin Luther said, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.”** We can have faith in Jesus Christ because He sacrificed everything—His life’s blood. He suffered the pain of every sin that man could imagine . . . What richness there is in Him. That’s not to say we should expect Jesus to make us rich . . . or beautiful . . . or give us whatever our hearts desire. Becoming a Christian means God will provide for our needs according to His standard, which is higher than ours. We exchange our wills for His will. The Bible says that we are “enriched in everything by Him” (1 Corinthians 1:5). **The Puritan Board, “Great Reformed Quotes,” Roderick E, February 11, 2009, www.puritanboard.com/f48/great-reformed-quotes-43723.