Posted on November 14th, 2022.

When I was very young my family went to church regularly and one day the soothing music of the alter call stirred my heart and I could not hold back, running to the altar with tears in my eyes I was taught to say the sinners prayer and gave my life to Jesus Christ. At that moment I knew I was saved and then told that I was going to heaven, go and sin no more. That worked for a short time I became so overwhelmed with the phrase “go and sin no more” that was all I could think about, I was not supposed to sin anymore. Easier said than done I found out.

Let’s try something and see where it leads us. I want you to think of an elephant, you know the Large animal with a long trunk and wrinkled skin, that’s right an Elephant. Can you see it? Now I want you to forget about the elephant and let’s go on, don’t think about elephant from here on. Some of you have probably played this game before and know how hard it will be to forget about the elephant but give it a try anyway.

The harder I tried to not sin the more I learned I could not not sin, and this frustrated me so much it caused me to think of it as an unachievable goal, what was the use anyway and I was dammed to hell. This let open the doors to all kinds of things and brought about a sense of hopelessness, depression and despair. I tried going back to church and doing the go up front thing again in hopes that I would find something I had missed. I read my bible and listened to the sermons and all I heard was “bla Bla bla” I didn’t understand any of it and no one was trying to explain it to me, it was like they all thought that everyone should just read the bible and go to church until it would rub off or a magic lightbulb would come on inside my head. But that never happened.

Years went by and age caught up with me, I was is such despair that I tried to reach out for help. I met a couple who had a ministry of helps and they again prayed with me and I asked for that forgiveness from Jesus. I told them how this was the same as when I was younger. They told me not this time, “we are going to work with you and explain the things you don’t understand” they took me to the very beginning, the cross of Jesus. We went through line by line and they showed me how that no one could ever love me the way that Christ does and that His love could never go away. These people began to disciple me as though I was part of their family and for the first time in my life, I started to understand the love of God and how important it was to be part of a family filled with unconditional love.

I was still a little shaky, almost like a newborn animal trying to get on its feet for the first time. As the days went on with the proper teaching, I began to grow. (Here is where I want to pause and do a comparison.) When I was younger and led to the cross, I was left there to fend for myself and as I stated, told to read my bible and study the scriptures taught in sermons. How many of you today can understand and explain the prophecies of Daniel? Or know what the items of the tabernacle and Ark of the covenant are and what they represent? Like sending a 5-year-old to high school, no wonder I got frustrated.

After careful nurturing my spirit became stronger and while in prayer one day the Holy spirit of the living God came to me and filled me with such joy and understanding that I could not shut up, it was like a river of words flowing out of me. At that time, I was given understanding of the purpose God had for me and the understanding that as a father forgives his son for mistakes, He loves me so much that nothing I can do will stop that love. That is why this verse means so much to me and why you will hear me quote it often,

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now does this mean that I can go and sin all I want because God will forgive me every time? “Rom 6:15  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

Let’s sum it up, God loves us unconditional and that means even though we can’t stop thinking about sinful things He still loves us. Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. That I can’t earn the favor of God and it’s my sinful nature that is the reason for the blood of Christ. Now I am a child of God bought for with a precious price. We also need to understand that as we lead the new believer to Christ that we also take the time to disciple them, to lead them on the path to an understanding of God. Maybe we should think of them as little children that haven’t learned how to do and understand the things of an adult. Would you hand the keys to your motorcycle to a five-year-old child and tell them to go to the store for you?

1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

I believe we should take the time to disciple everyone we come in contact with especially newborn Christians, take the time to find out what they may need and what they may or may not understand. You may be saving them from years of confusion and frustration. Never assume that everyone knows how to live the life of a Christian,…

Do you remember the animal I said to forget?