Homeschool Mom,

 

I have not read the Tozer article you referred to though I'm sure it would be good, but I can give you my own answer to the question, "What it means to accept Christ".

 

Many say that all that is needed is to "believe" in Christ in order to be "saved". The problem with this though is that the scripture tells us that

 

John 12:

 42.  Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
 43.  For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

 

So, what is the difference between believing and confessing?

 

For me in my life experience it happened at a point where God made a request of me that I felt was asking me for my whole life and I was at first unwilling to give this. Like your friend, I grew up going to church and was "saved" at a very early age but I was still living my life my own way for the most part and I had plans for my life. Then it was one night in 1977 when I was 17 at a Kieth Green concert that God asked me to give him what I knew was the same as my whole life and plans and future. I knew it would take tremendous faith for me to do this and I could not for over a year but I prayed and asked God to please not give up on me but help me to have enough faith to obey Him in this.

 

Finally after obeying Him in this thing God taught me from scripture what it was that I had done and why this step is important. It is found in 2 Peter

 

2 Peter 1:

 5.  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue

 

I had faith but I had not added to my faith virtue. What is the virtue? I believe it was what God was asking me for when He asked me to give Him this specific thing that represented my life and hope and plan for my future and He wanted my plans and future to be given to Him and when I would obey Him and give Him this thing from that time on, my future was no longer mine but His to do with whatever He wanted. This is adding to your faith virtue. It is unique to each one of us as to what this may involve. For example for the rich young ruler it was his money and possessions that he was trusting in. For me it was my record collection which symbolized all that I loved and wanted to become. I protested to God that this was my whole life that He was asking for and it felt unfair and extreme etc. But then it occurred to me that if you really read the Bible and allow it to speak to you above the din of popular preaching, it is all saying the same message that we must die to ourself and our own way if we want Him and His way including His life and kingdom in exchange for this dead, judged, corrupt world.

 

Peter goes on to say to your virtue add knowledge and then to knowledge self control etc. Each of these these things are to be added to what thing comes before and cannot be added if the previous thing is not there first. I believe that this is the reason that many in the church are "ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth" because knowledge cannot be added but to virtue and it takes faith to do the virtue but many have never been instructed in the importance of doing the virtue and yet they think they are adding knowledge or self control or love etc by hearing sermons about it.

 

We must each seek God and ask Him what we must do and He will tell us what He wants from us and that will be adding the virtue to our faith. He is and He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

 

Peter goes on to say what the outcome will be for us who have this list in our life and what will be the result of those who do not have these things in their life.

 

 5.  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
 6.  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
 7.  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
 8.  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 9.  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
 10.  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
 11.  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

 

If we have these things and abound in them we will have an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ. No guarantee is given here for the one who lacks these things but he is referred to as blind, which sounds like the Laodicean church.

 

In short, God will not force His way on us. We must see the value of His offer to us before we will give up our own way in exchange for His way. If we fail to value His way for us but put more value on our own way we will get whatever end our own way provides for us and I fear this end will not be a good one for those who choose it even if they believe on Jesus but do not learn to trust Him and value Him above the praise of men.