It was Wednesday night, March 8, 1994. Heavily distracted by the orange cushioned hard wood pew I was sitting on and the South African accent coming from the Youth Minister who was preaching I tried to focus on my cue, “Come now as we stand and sing.” This was the cue that scripturally comes at the end of every sermon. I am sure the sermon was good but somehow he failed to stick the dismount. He didn’t give me my cue very clearly. Mom looked at me and asked if I had changed my mind. To which I replied, “Did I miss it?” My Dad baptized me after services were over with the group surrounding me who didn’t rush off after the “amen” was said.
I had decided that evening that I didn’t want to go to Hell. I knew that I was a sinner. I wanted Jesus to keep me from eternal damnation…maybe that isn’t how I would have put it at the age of ten because I probably thought I would have gotten in trouble for using the word that came before “ation”. Nonetheless, I was a sinner needing saving. I came to Jesus for salvation and over the past 15 years He’s shown me so much more.
Many people have played major roles in my life as a Christian. My parents dedication to raising us in a Christian home and showing me what a Godly marriage looks like has and will always play one of the biggest roles in my life. Alvin Willson teaching me in Sunday School is when it clicked for me. Steve and Amy Martin, my Youth Minister and his wife were pillars in my early years as a Christian. Many different professors in college showed me what life is really about. And in the more recent chapter in my life, Jim Smith, Gerald Boan,
As I learned to crawl I followed the rules as best as I could, for fear that I wouldn’t be good enough to get out of Hell. I began to make baby-steps as I got into Jr High and High School as my Youth Minister challenged me to lead. In college I began to shed the chains of legalism and began to walk with Christ as many mentors introduced me to what a Relationship with Him is all about. I still followed the rules but no longer to keep me out of Hell but to draw me deeper into a relationship with my Father.
What I have realized is, when I came to Jesus for salvation He embraced me and then called me to transformation. After reflecting on the past 15 years of my Life I am now looking to how God is transforming me into the Creation that He created me to be. I know perfection hasn’t come yet but we have been called to be transformed daily. As we walk with Jesus our feet harden, our muscles strengthen, and we start to be transformed into what God has called us to be. In what ways are you being transformed? What needs to be transformed in your? Where are you still crawling when you’ve been called to walk? You came to Jesus for Salvation…now He calls you to Transformation.
2 comments:
beautiful post Ryan. That's the same reasoning I had when I got baptised at the age of 13. Looking back, I contend that I was too young, but I'm thankful that God has lovingly shown me what I didn't begin to comprehend back then.
I used to think that I was too young because of that mindset that I had. Someone broke me of those thoughts when they told me that I was thinking like a child. A child does what mom and dad says because that is the way it is. As you get older you put those childish ways behind you as you grow more into a relationship with your parents. You obey them because you don't want to disappoint them...not because you're afraid of being grounded. The older you get the more you grow and the more it becomes about a relationship. The biggest fear I have is for people that are still living in the Christianity that they were baptized with. Keep growing Sammie! I hope all is well in Australia!
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