Life Update!
On March 1st I celebrated my 2nd year as a follower of Jesus Christ. 2 years ago in the top balcony our church, I put my faith in Jesus Christ.
This 2 years has been a wild journey. These two years have caused a huge transformation for me. I went from being a stone cold atheist who hated God into an avid churchgoer and lover of God.
What motivated this change?
The Gospel changed me. God changed me. I heard the gospel time and time again.
- God is the holy and just creator of the universe.
- Man has sinned, I have sinned, and because of my sin I am corrupted and cannot draw to near the holy and just God who created me. Without God, my life will not make sense.
- The law existed for me to obey, but I failed to obey the law and couldn't draw near to God by myself, because I am not perfect.
- Because of God's great love for me (and all sinners) He sent Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners.
- Jesus was himself God who became a man and lived a perfect life.
- Jesus answers the greatest problem in the Bible: A just God can't forgive me. If God is pure and righteous and just, He cannot forgive my sin! If the holy God were to pardon my sin, He would simply be corrupt.
- Jesus paid for my sin so that God can forgive me. The holy and just God poured out His wrath for my sin upon the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered and died in my place, so that by faith in Jesus I can be forgiven and justified by God. God declares my debt paid! God gives me the riches of Jesus Christ!
- Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus rose from the dead! The historical evidence is clear, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the man, rose from the dead! Because of this good news, I know my hope is secure. I know I am saved and that I too will have eternal life. I am right with God, forever, and will one day be with God for eternity.
How am I so confident that I am saved, especially considering I still make mistakes and sin?
Because I am justified by God, and I am justified by my faith in Jesus Christ. I have put my faith in Jesus Christ and therefore my sin is forgiven - past, present, and future! All of my sin was nailed to the cross! I cannot be condemned because I am in Jesus who is raised and at the right hand of God.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the reason I am a changed person, and the gospel of Jesus Christ is what motivates my life now.
Christianity is different from all other religions.
Every other religion says, "Do." Other religions say, "You have to live this way, eat this way, pray this way, worship this way and if you do that, God will accept you. But if you don't, God will not accept you."
Christianity says, "Done!" Christianity is honest with me and forces me to be honest with myself - that I am a sinner, a failure, I'm weak, I can't do it on my own. But Christianity also tells me, "Jesus has done it!" Jesus has lived the perfect life, died the perfect death, and has been raised again. It is finished!
(Thoughts inspired by Pastor Tim Keller on Galatians.)
(Thoughts inspired by Pastor Tim Keller on Galatians.)
I am not motivated by religious fear to do everything the right way so that I might be acceptable.
I get to obey God because I am accepted in Jesus!
The knowledge that I am accepted by God is why I am a changed person. My motivation is to obey God and love Him and serve others because He has done this great thing for me! This motivation is the reason why I want to spread the good news of the gospel for the rest of my life, and leads me to my life update:
Starting in August 2017, I will be entering into full time ministry. I have been accepted into the Leadership Development Institute program offered by my church, Hope Community Church.
I'm super excited because the LDI program will allow me to take intensive bible classes as well as work in ministry gaining the skills to better love and serve others. It's like my dream come true!
To learn more about LDI, click the LINK HERE
Some of my many reasons for wanting to do LDI include:
- To be a better leader
- To be a better husband to Allison
- To be better at loving all people
- To know the Bible more deeply so that I can be a better teacher
- Because God's plan in Jesus is to restore all things, and I get to play a role in that!
- To become more like Jesus in my character
- To be better equipped to help other people see the beauty of Jesus and how much he loves them
I really appreciate you reading my blog, you guys! Please continue to stay connected as I will need financial and prayer partners and I can't wait to see God use this next part of my life!
Feel free to subscribe to my blog with your email, and thanks for your continued support!
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