Christianity 101

Some days being a Christian is harder than others. In Millerthym, my intent is to encourage those who believe in Jesus Christ and to challenge those who don't. It is my prayer that through critical thinking nonbelievers will somehow find the saving knowledge of Jesus.

One of the ways I will try and do that is by being as transparent as I can about my own personal struggles and the difficulties I still experience trying to live my life for Christ. That's right, when you accept Christ as your savior you can still expect him to encourage you to learn.

I expect as well to try and give my readers an unguarded picture of what's in my heart. In doing so I hope to show that Christians are not perfect . . . only forgiven. You see, we come to Jesus not because we have so much to offer Him but because we have little to offer him.

It is thru the work of the Holy Spirit we have come to see that we are spiritually bankrupt, doomed to spend eternity in Hell and in desperate need of Someone to save us from our sinful nature. It is only when we recognize that we can't save ourselves that we turn to Jesus whom by his perfect sinless life, death and resurrection can we be saved.

There are those that know the exact date and hour they came to the cross and report great and wonderful feelings accompanying their salvation. Feelings of great joy and an all cleansing feeling or other varying themes. Still others just take him at his word and say "Lord I believe, help thou

my unbelief."

Then there are those that have whispered "God, if your real, if your really there, will you reveal yourself to me?" In all these cases I believe He will and I believe He has.

Personally (and I would like to thank the many people who contributed to my asking Jesus into my life) I know I was saved but I do not know the exact hour and date. I do remember that I was listening to J. Vernon McGee on the radio and he was talking about Jesus saying,

"And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:21.

Then J. Vernon, in that thick southern drawl, asked "Friend, are you a whosoever? If ya are, then take Him at his word and believe what He said." That was the beginning of my walk with Jesus. I believe He saved me when I prayed a simple prayer that day, admitted to God that I was a sinner and asked Him to come in to my life.

Based on what J Vernon McGee had just said, "Lord, I take you at your word, I believe you. You said you would save me if I called on you. DONE!!!!!!”

Had I said similar prayers other times in my life? You bet, but it never really took. I didn't feel Saved, (some days I still don't) but the difference this time was that I was actually staking everything on the fact that Jesus was indeed telling the truth. It had now became painfully clear to me. I knew I was a sinner and I knew I wasn't able to stop sinning on my own. I needed help and a lot of it! I needed a Savior if I ever wanted to live in Heaven when I died.

I was now a whosoever. Did I quit sinning that day - no - in fact I still sin today, everyday. Some days are worse than others. Some days I fail miserably. Our sin nature, handed down from Adam doesn't go away when we finally accept Christ, but we are given a new nature that does seek to do the will of God.

When I finally decided to listen to Christ's word that day, I didn't have much of an outward change. I didn't start living different immediately. However, a new nature, a baby new nature if you will, was born that day and has slowly over the last ten years begun to take root and grow.

Although things have changed in my life, I have not and will not reach perfection until I meet Jesus. I used to look at Christians and think I would never be good enough to live a Christian life and I WAS RIGHT!! .

I also realized that those same Christians that I so envied were as well never going to be good enough to live that perfect Christian life I had envisioned. That's the Holy Spirit’s job.

To me the trick is to let Christ live and work through us. When we do, He is successful. When we don't we often fail or the results of our labor yield no lasting fruit. My point is that you or I can't live the perfect life, but through Him who saves us "all things are possible."

Like clay on the potters wheel He will mold and shape us into His masterpiece. It's not instant oatmeal or a microwave dinner. Its a slow, sometimes painful process, however, if we will allow God to work His will in our life, He will create a masterpiece from a clay pot.

I told you I would try and be transparent, show you some of my warts. The column I had originally intended to write was pretty much a rant, which I still reserve the right to do sometimes. I was concerned about radical Islam, liberals, death, and destruction. I was mostly angry and concerned over the state of our country and the world in general.

I had or have a real problem with radical Islam - the religion of peace.

That was until last night. My daughter and I were reading in Matthew, chapter 5 verses 43 through 48 where Jesus talks about loving your enemies. My eyes were suddenly off the prize.

With my vitriol for Muslims still ringing loudly in my ears. I asked God to forgive me and help me.

Do I now want to go become a missionary to a Muslim country? No, but it's better now with me than its been in months.

. . . .Love begins its perfect work again, the potters wheel continues to spin.

Just my opinion,

Bill