Monday, October 21, 2013

While [I was] yet [a] sinner, Christ died for [me]

On Thursday, October 1st, 1998, Nasa celebrated it's 40th birthday.

Vladimer Putin became a permanent member of the Russian Federation Security Council.

UFOs were sighted in Tampa, Florida.

Samuel Yorty (former mayor of Los Angeles) was born.

And one 6 year old girl was born into the family of God.

Salvation isn't about what I know, what I said, or what I did. It's all about what God did for me. As a 6-year old, I knew I was a sinner. That much was obvious. I had a younger brother. If you have siblings, you know they bring out the worst in you. They really make you sin.
Not only was I a sinner, though, I knew that God loved me. I serve the creator of the universe--the God who reigns supreme over all of us. I serve a God who is completely holy, completely just, and completely righteous. As a 6-year old, I didn't understand that. I only knew that because God was perfect, I couldn't go to heaven. I couldn't talk to God whenever I wanted. God wouldn't listen to my prayers. (And as a 6-year old, that is still a huge deal). If I wanted to be saved and go to heaven, I had to do what God said in the Bible.
On October 1st, 1998, Grace Baptist Church was meeting in a Community Center. It was a Thursday night and we were having Evangelistic meetings. I don't remember who was speaking or what the topic was. I only remember practically running down the aisle once the invitation was given. There were no side rooms, so my Pastor's wife took me into the kitchen. People were dancing in the room above us and singing loudly beside us. But none of that mattered.
She showed me her little wordless book with pictures (I'm a visual learner--I can still tell you exactly what some of those pictures looked like). She told me that my sin had separated me from God, but Jesus Christ provided a way to bridge the gap between God and I. I knew it all. I had been in church for 3 years. Every time the door was open, I was there. I could have told someone else how to get saved.

But I had to make it personal. I had to make a personal decision. Knowing that I was a sinner and that Jesus had died for me wasn't enough.

I had to ask God for forgiveness.

I had to ask Him to save me.

I did just that.

There, in the kitchen of the Lion's Senior Citizen Center, I prayed with my pastor's wife. I asked God to forgive me and save me. I asked Him to stay with me forever. He promised that He would never leave me.

Revelation 3:20 says "Behold, I [Jesus] Stand at the door and knock. If any man will open the door, I will come in unto him . . . ". Christ was standing at the door of my heart, knocking. I opened the door and gave Him entrance. I let Him into my heart and gave Him control of my life.

Best decision ever.