July 23, 2003

  • "Have you ever felt like that?  -- a sinner?"  my childhood friend called me last nite and asked me that question. She's troubled by her natural mean reaction toward people.  She's beginning to understand what King David meant when he wrote in Ps 51:5 that we are born sinners.


    This is a new revelation for her.  Do you remember when you first realized that you were a sinner?  Not just that you mess up, but that you can't help but mess up.  No matter how "good" you want to be, there is no measure you can take in order to curb yourself from being "bad." 


    It's a problem.  She feels quite oppressed by this enslavement.  We read Jer 17:9, Ps 19:12, Ro 7:14-25 together.  The Romans passage is the do-do passage.  "I do what I do not want to do."  By the end of that passage, she asked, "So what are you supposed to do?"


    I shared the gospel with her.  This is the ticket out of the enslavement.   Jesus will change your heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh.  His Spirit will live in you and help you change, help you stop sinning. 


    "But the answer you're giving me is too hard," she said. She asked again, "What do I have to DO?  How do I be reconciled to God?" 


    I explained, "It's not hard. Just pray A, B, and C."


    A - Admit and confess that you are a sinner.
    B - Believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins.
    C- Choose to surrender your life to Jesus.  Ask Him to come into your life.


    She replied, " 'A' I can do.  'B,' yeah, I think so.  'C' - that's the hard part. "


    I told her, "I think the more you get to know God and what He's like, the easier C will be to do.  I would love to spend some time with you reading the Bible to get to know Him better."


    "Ok... not now, but when I'm ready, can I ask you then?"


    Yes, of course, I said yes!  I'm astonished, really.  It's taken years to get to this point!  I can't believe that she so readily acknowledges A!  She never did so before... Please pray for my friend.  I believe she is on the brink of surrendering her life to Jesus.

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