I pray that my testimony will not only encourage you, but lead you to discover what I found…something, or rather, Someone who changed my life and my destiny. My story is not very “spicy” or incredibly exciting…I mean, I wasn’t one who came to a personal relationship with Christ out of a debilitating addiction or from a hard-nose rebellious lifestyle. Actually, I was born into the home of a Pastor and his wife. My life, really from day one, consisted of going to church and hearing about God and His love for me and mankind for as long as I can remember. Here’s what I do know…much better now than when I was younger…it doesn’t matter what one’s upbringing was like as much as it matters what one ultimately does with Christ.
Most people, in my experience, feel as if they are “good” people, and when we compare ourselves to many others, it’s not hard to feel as if that is true. The problem with that is we’re comparing ourselves to the wrong Person! Good, is not good enough when it comes to establishing a personal, eternal relationship with the Creator of the universe. I made a “decision” for Christ as an 8-year old boy, but my decision was based more on the attractive promise of love, joy, peace and a life of lasting happiness…I mean, who doesn’t want that?! Please understand this, all of those things are certainly a “part” of the life of a follower of Christ, but that should never be the sole reason that anyone should come to Him. This is what I mean by that statement…if someone’s reason for coming to Christ is simply because they believe that He will “enhance” their life with love, joy, peace and happiness…the minute things go wrong in life–and they will–they feel as if that promise is less than adequate and legitimate and they may very well “throw off Christ” because they feel duped. And trials in life are a given. The truth of the matter is…God IS love…and joy…and peace and everything else that is good…but God is also a “just” God and a God of wrath according to the Bible. That part of who God is can be very sobering and frightening, but nonetheless true. He is good because He is just. I wanted the love and joy as much as the next guy, but it was the recognition of having to face His righteous (just) wrath because of my sin, and forever being separated from Him that drove me to cling to Him. I had to have Jesus, there was no other decision. Love, joy and peace is our great reward, it’s the overflow of being a part of His family, but it can’t be the only thing that entices us.
My problem was, and I think many people’s problem is, I was reaching for the “cure” before I truly understood, and was terrified by the fact that I had a terminal disease called sin. Sin’s ultimate outcome meant death and eternal separation from God. You see, I “believed” in God, but the Scriptures say that the demons believe in God too, and they’re one step up on us humans…they tremble! (James 2:19) So, there’s more than just “believing” in God. Again the Scriptures tell us in John 1:12, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
It wasn’t until my late teens that I realized that I had never really trusted Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. Oh, I knew all about Him, but I didn’t know Him personally. I knew Jesus about as well as I knew George Brett. I knew all kinds of trivial things about George Brett, but I didn’t know him personally. The first thing I had to do was to understand that I was a sinner in need of a Savior and I couldn’t save myself. While I was, technically, a “good” kid who believed in Jesus (and God), what I failed to do initially was to recognize that my “goodness” had zero bearing on a relationship with Christ. There is no such thing as “being good enough.” I finally came to the point where I not only recognized my spiritual poverty and bankruptcy before a holy God, but I was truly sorry for the fact that MY sin was the reason that God had to send His only Son to pay for the sin I couldn’t pay for myself by His death on the cross. The Bible calls this “godly sorrow” or “repentance.” This means that one makes a complete 180° turn toward God. It is an absolute and, ultimately, unconditional surrender to God as the Sovereign King of the universe…and King of one’s life. I realized that I was lost and that Jesus was exactly who He said He was in the Bible…THE way, not “a way” or “one of the ways,” but the ONLY way to eternal life in heaven with Him. I found the “cure” to my terminal disease and His name was Jesus.
Am I a “good person” now? The answer to that is…absolutely not! I am, however, a sinner saved by the grace of a very GOOD God…and in His eyes, I’m not just good, I’m righteous, meaning I have a “right standing before God (because of Jesus Christ),” which is what He demands…and what only He can provide. If you don’t know Jesus personally, radically and dynamically, I pray that you will come to understand what I did…I was terminally sick, and I found the One who had the cure…in fact, He IS the cure! If I can be ANY help to you along your journey to changing your eternal destiny, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m praying that TODAY might be the day of salvation for you.