What am I doing? I asked myself as I followed my friend Megan down the hallway of the large high school we both attended. We were going to a classroom where about twenty students were meeting after school to study the Bible. Do I really want to spend the afternoon listening to people talk about the Bible? I didn’t think so. But here we were at the classroom.
Megan and I went in and sat down. A few of the students I knew and liked. Most of them I didn’t know.
One of them opened a Bible and started to talk. “There are two things we need to be clear about. The first is that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” he said and turned to Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23) to read it.
That’s for sure, I thought. I know I’ve done plenty of bad things.
The student continued. “The second thing is that God is offering us forgiveness and a free gift of eternal life. If you’ll just turn over a page or two to Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) you’ll see it there. ‘The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ ”
That was more than I could grasp.
The discussion lasted about an hour, and then Megan and I walked home. Usually we chattered like a pair of magpies all the time we were together. That day I didn’t feel like talking. She was quiet too. She probably was praying for me.
When I got home, supper was ready. As soon as we had finished eating, I went up to my room. I tried to do my homework, but I couldn’t concentrate. I got into my pajamas and crawled into bed. But I couldn’t sleep.
I hadn’t prayed since I was a little girl when I used to repeat the same little prayer each night. Now I felt compelled to kneel down by my bed. At first I resisted. I don’t know how to pray, I told myself. But it was almost as though there was a hand on my shoulder gently encouraging me.
I got out of bed and knelt down. I didn’t say anything, and I didn’t do anything other than kneel before God, my Maker. Knowing that I was a sinner and needed a Saviour, in that very act of bowing before Him, I acknowledged that I was receiving Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I immediately knew that my sins were forgiven. I knelt there for a few minutes longer, amazed at the peace and the sense of cleanness that was flowing over me. I was happier than I ever remembered being before.
I got back into bed. Then I did have something to say, “Thank you, Lord, thank you.” My heart was bubbling over with thankfulness and joy. I had received the gift of eternal life!
Have you? It’s that simple.
“God . . . hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-119Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9‑11)). I soon told Megan that I had accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and that I knew I was now forgiven.
ML-08/15/2004