Ten years ago this year...
06 March 2009
This year it’ll be ten years since I became a Christian. My story is pretty ordinary. There were no fireworks, explosions, blinding lights not even a voice in the night. It is the journey of the mind and the heart to an understanding of the graciousness of Jesus.
I was brought up in a Christian home but didn’t really take it too seriously. Late in year twelve one of my friends challenged me about how I lived my life. I knew I needed to fix things up in my life. I treated people around me pretty poorly including my parents and friends. I was a selfish and angry dude but I was also upset and broken. I can remember riding my bike down to the water and bawling my eyes out with frustration at life too often.
As I began to try and clean my life up I spent some time around people who read the Bible and prayed each day. The Bible for them wasn’t just a devotional and inspirational text but a book to be studied, understood and read in context like any textbook. I realise that sounds dry but for me this was revolutionary. It engaged not just my heart but my mind also.
For this reason I left my parents church met some other people who would have a profound influence on helping me to understand the gospel properly. I can still remember doing SUS (a Bible study on the first 5 chapters of Romans) for the first time. It was upstairs in a pub with people who weren't old. One night I remember I was especially struck by the Bible’s claim that all people deserved God’s judgment and condemnation. I knew I wasn't a good person.
As I went home I can remember thinking that Christian’s didn’t go to hell, but I wasn’t sure why. Later that night I read ahead of the study to Romans 3
Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses. God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.That night understood grace from God in sending his son Jesus, for the very first time.
tags christian, thinking, update
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Mate. This is not ordinary. Angels long to look into this sort of stuff.
I praise God for his goodness in bringing you into the Kingdom. And I pray that by that same goodness he will keep you there.
Thanks for this excellent post.
Here here Al!
Great post Jolly. God's used you in great in the lives of many including myself. You're gonna be a great Christian Dad too.
Will be praying you're kids can write something similar in the future!
Wombat
It was a good story mike. It'll another few years for me untill I reach my 'ten'
Congrats on being a Christian 10yrs. That's absolutely fanastic. Not an ordinary story at all - all of heaven was rejoicing! And it is so encouraging to hear of how people become Christians, isn't it. God does amazing work in people, doesn't He.
I love the first five chapters of Romans.