Remember when you heard the “Good News”? I can recall those feelings in an instant. Up until that time I had never heard of Jesus being my Savior. In the church I was raised in, He never was mentioned as the One and only One Who saves us. As a boy and young man, I was conditioned to trust the church as the only entity that salvation could come through. I cannot describe in words the exhilaration when I realized that Jesus was and is my Lord and Savior; my life became complete for me. No longer was I searching, endlessly searching, for fulfillment.
Ellen White says, “It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Our hearts are evil and we cannot change them .… Education, culture, the exercise of will, human effort all have their proper sphere, but here they are powerless. They may produce an outward correctness of behavior, but they cannot change the heart; they cannot purify the springs of life. There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. That power is Christ,” Steps to Christ, p. 18.
White again says, “If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourself better. How many there are who think they are not good enough to come to Christ .… There is help for us only in God. We must not wait for stronger persuasions, for better opportunities, or for holier tempers. We can do nothing of ourselves. We must come to Christ just as we are,” Steps to Christ, p. 31.
A Seventh-day Adventist Christian begins to realize that to be “in Christ” means to have his faith grow toward and into obedience. Jesus then begins to move us out of our comfort zone. We begin to see others in a new, fresh light. All of a sudden — and I mean miraculously fast — the value of a soul is raised in our hearts. We begin to speak about our Lord and Savior with words that sparkle with conviction. It is a privilege in our discipleship development to be used to build His Kingdom.
After my conversion, I had this strong desire to share Jesus. I found myself sitting in a park with a young mother of twins. As the kids played on the playground, we opened our Bibles together. We used a Bible study guide, but I couldn’t contain myself to that Bible guide. I had to share what Jesus had done for me. After several months of meeting in that park, on one cool fall day I asked her, “Is there any reason why you wouldn’t be baptized?” She said, “No, I can’t think of any reason. When do you think I could be baptized?” It was like a fire in my bones.
This year, 2019, is dedicated to sharing the experience we have with Jesus. We have so much to share! Our God needs us to step out of our comfort zone and help someone come into a relationship with Jesus.
Southern Union | February 2019
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