I love music. Lately I have become a huge fan of Hillsong United’s music. I like it for several reasons. First, the level of musicianship rises above that of much I hear in Christian music circles.  Of course, the fact that the electric guitar, the kick pedal, and the bass guitar matter doesn’t hurt J.  Second, the music focuses on corporate worship, allowing all to participate.  Third, while very corporate in nature, it has a sound that is unique, fresh, not stereotypical praise and worship (start with acoustic guitar, bring in the whole band, build to bridge, end with acoustic guitar). But the final reason has had my mind churning for several days now, and it has to do with the lyrics. My favorite two songs illustrate the point I want to make: The Time Has Come, and Take It All.  I have listened to these songs back to back probably fifty times the past few weeks. I cannot get them out of my head. I was introduced to Take It All at the youth camp with Madison Street Baptist Church when Finding Madison formed.  I have rarely seen a more passionate group at worship than when the students sang that song.  The song begins with verses referring to the cross and the need of the world, each verse ending with the phrase

“My God I’ll only ever give my ALL.”

Then the chorus chimes in part

“In our praise, in ALL we are today

 Take, Take, Take It ALL!”

The other song, The Time Has Come, begins with,

“Found love beyond all reason

You gave Your life Your ALL for me…”

Then the chorus declares:

 “Today, today, it’s ALL or nothing”

The song ends with these words:

“ALL we are is Yours,

And ALL we’re living for is ALL You are

Is ALL that You are Lord”

You notice I have intentionally placed one word in caps each time I cite it. That is the point that rings over and over in my head: ALL.  ALL or NOTHING. Take it ALL.

I then began to think of Scriptures in which ALL matters for the meaning of the verse. I am sure you can thing of some. Here are a few:

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart….in ALL your ways acknowledge Him.

Romans 3:23 ALL have sinned.

Philippians 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:19 My God shall supply ALL your need.

Again, these are only a few of many others.  Add to that verses where only ALL is acceptable and the list grows. For example, Jesus said to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2: “I have this ONE thing…you have left your first love.” In other words, He expected ALL. How about the end of Romans 13: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make NO provision for the flesh.”

Then I thought a little more. What if we changed the word ALL to SOME?  Would these verses make sense? Would the songs?  What if we changed the great hymn “I Surrender ALL” to “I Surrender SOME?”  Think about biblical characters. The Rich Young Ruler’s problem? He wanted to give some, not all.  But the woman at the well, when she realized Jesus was the Christ, surrendered ALL. 

Here is my simple point. I fear American Christianity has meandered down the mall of mediocrity with a desire to do SOME for God. But too few want to do ALL, to give ALL, to serve with ALL we have and are. 

Are we willing to say “all or nothing”?  Will we say to our children, to young people who long for something worth believing in, that nothing short of giving ALL we have will do?

I think of books that have challenged me: Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray has no interest in a “some” level of devotion.

I thought more of this after a stirring and convicting sermon by Dr. Akin about the life of Adoniram Judson, who lost three wives, several children, and who rotted 21 months in prison for his faith He lived an ALL or NOTHING kind of faith.  When asking the love of his life’s  father for his daughter’s hand in marriage, Judson wrote a sobering letter, noting the peril of the mission field that would lie ahead. Read the letter and see an ALL or NOTHING kind of faith:

“I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world?  Whether you can consent to her departure to a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life?  Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death?  Can you consent to all this, for the sake of Him who left His heavenly home and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this,                          in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall redound                         to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?”

Is your faith a “some” faith? Maybe even a “most” faith? What is the one thing that keeps you from saying ALL to Jesus?

About Alvin Reid

Hi and welcome! I am Alvin Reid, a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Michelle, father of Josh and Hannah, and minister of the gospel. I teach at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Southeastern College at Wake Forest in NC. I love people and have been blessed to meet a lot. I live to equip a generation of young men and women to change the world, to advance the great movement of God in our time.For the Christ follower, life is a mission trip-take it!