Wednesday, October 5, 2011

A Life Restored, A Soul Saved

As for us, we always thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation, a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and by your belief in the truth.

-- 2 Thessalonians 2:13

There is a peace about him now. A calmness that wasn’t there before. He seems deeply happy. Content even. The same troubles remain. The same unresolved issues. The same back-story that will never change. But he has changed.

Five weeks ago he received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He’d been attending church for a while. He was determined that his little girl know about Jesus. He knew about Jesus too. He’d spent time in church when he was a boy. But family issues and teen challenges pulled him away and he never really understood what he thought he knew.

He wanted his child to find a different path. Truthfully, he wanted that for himself too. Two failed marriages and a relationship that was going nowhere wasn’t how he wanted to spend the rest of his life. This church he chose was casual and upbeat. The band played contemporary music and he seemed to really hear the words for the first time. At home, he’d play the same songs over and over. He could hear God’s voice for what seemed like the first time.

He asked questions of every Christian he knew. He sought answers from his pastor. He quizzed a co-worker who is a bi-vocational pastor. He came to understand that faith didn’t mean a life without problems. Faith meant a promise of forever and a steady hand along rocky terrain.

God opened his heart and he responded with praise and joy. He’ll be baptized this month. He is so eager to make “official” what has already happened in his heart. He is a new man. How does he explain the transformation? How can he explain the new birth to those who aren‘t yet there?

He reads and studies his Bible. He continues to ask questions. He prays to this God of his. The God of us all. He was lost and now he is found. He was blind but now he can see. The glorious love of Jesus Christ glows out from him. A life restored. A soul saved.