I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the live which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.—Gal.2:20
I have delighted in this verse for more than forty years and it never grows old. Many years ago I had the privilege of meeting Major Ian Thomas, a remarkable man, and I want to share his experience with you. I hope this story, told by Robert Morgan, blesses your heart as it did mine:
During World War II, Major Thomas served with the British Expeditionary forces in Belgium and took part in the evacuation at Dunkirk. He later became a far-famed evangelist and Bible teacher, and the founder of Capernwray Missionary and the Torchbearers.
But the real defining moment for Ian Thomas came when he was a young man at the university. He was leader of the InterVarsity Fellowship group on his campus in London, and he poured himself into campus evangelism with incredible zeal. He later recalled, “Out of a sheer desire to win souls, to go out and get them, I was a windmill of activity, until, at the age of 19, every moment of my day was packed tight with doing things: preaching, talking, counseling.
“The only thing that alarmed me was that nobody was converted! That gets a little discouraging after a bit, doesn’t it? The more I did, the less happened; and it was not a question of insincerity. The prospects and the environment were good; there was plenty of ammunition and plenty of targets, but just nothing happened! I became deeply depressed, because I really loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart; I wanted to be made a blessing to my fellow men. But I discovered that forever doubling and redoubling my efforts, rushing here and dashing there, taking part in this campaign, taking part in that campaign, preaching in the morning, preaching in the evening, talking to the Bible class, witnessing to this one, counseling with another, did nothing, nothing to change the utter barrenness and uselessness of my activity.
“Thus by the age of 19, I had been reduced to a state of complete exhaustion spiritually, until I felt that there was no point in going on.”
But one night in November of that year, about midnight, Ian Thomas got down on his knees in his room and wept in sheer despair. “Oh, God,” he said, “I know that I am saved. I love Jesus Christ. I am perfectly convinced that I am converted. With all my heart I have wanted to serve Thee. I have tried to my uttermost and I am a hopeless failure!”
Suddenly a phrase from a Bible verse flashed into Thomas’ mind: Christ, who is your life! It hit him with terrific force and it seemed God was saying this to him: “For seven years with utmost sincerity, you have been trying to live for Me, on My behalf, the life that I have been waiting for seven years to live through you. Now supposing I am your life… I am your strength… I am your victory in every area of life.”
And Ian Thomas relinquished his own role in his own life, saying to the Lord: “If this is true, then I am going to thank Thee for it in sheer cold-blooded faith, with no evidence to support it, and nothing but a history of failure behind me. I am going to thank Thee that if Thou art my life, and this is true, then Thou art my strength, Thou art my power, Thou art my future. Thou art the One Who is going to go out now, clothed with me, to do all that I so hopelessly have been trying to do in the past seven years.”
Shortly after, Thomas was to speak to a boys’ Bible class. On his way, he said, “Well now, Lord, Thou art going to speak to that boys’ class, isn’t it wonderful? Yesterday I thought I was going to, but Thou art going to now!”
He arrived to find about 90 boys gathered for the class. He just spoke simply about the Lord Jesus, then invited any who wanted to receive Him as Lord and Savior to see him afterward. Thirty boys stayed behind. And that was the beginning of an extraordinary lifetime of fruitful ministry
