Contained here are my thoughts and writings. I write for the young men of the faith who are being made into men after God’s own heart, set aside for His glory. In light of Jude 1:3, the articles here are centered upon contending for the faith. I pray that you will be both challenged by these writings and compelled to search.
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. ~ Jude 1:3
My Testimony & Reason for Living.
At the age of 17, the Lord saved me and delivered me into His kingdom by the awesome power of His grace. Prior to this, I was a false convert. I was one of those kids who grew up in church their whole life. I acknowledged Jesus. I knew the need. I knew the Bible and my inability to save myself. I knew that He came to die for sinners like me and I believed that fact to be true. But it never went past that.
I saw myself as “good” because my sins weren’t as bad as other people’s. After all, I had never killed anyone. And because I was good enough I knew that when I died I would go to heaven. But I was a liar, a thief, a blasphemer, an adulterer at heart, served other gods, and was a murderer in God’s eyes. Human goodness is a fallacy. God demands perfect righteousness. If you believe in human goodness the gospel will never be good news to you. You, like many have deceived yourself and are on the broad road to hell.
One day the Holy Spirit came to me in prayer as I was considering the true spiritual condition of my life. In that moment my eyes were opened. For the first time in my life I realized that my sin disqualified me from ever achieving the righteousness that God demanded and nothing that I could do could remedy my condition. If I died like this I would spend eternity in hell apart from the only Living God.
I was lost. Dead in religion. Dead in sin. I needed to be forgiven. I needed to be set free. I needed to be blood bought! I needed FAITH that was ALIVE. On the Cross, Christ took our place becoming sin for us as the wrath of God was poured out upon Him for every wicked thing we would ever do. Yes! Our sin is that terrible. He died to save us from our sins and purchase our lives in FULL. There I called upon the name of the Lord and was born again! Life for life. His robes for mine. His righteousness for my unrighteousness.
That day I placed my faith in the precious shedding of His blood that satisfied the wrath of God. There an exchange was made and His righteousness was credited to me. The life that I now live, I live by the FAITH in the SON of GOD who changed me and gave me a new heart that He filled with His Spirit and new desires to honor, serve, worship, praise, and glorify Him in this life. You can be saved this very moment. The work has already been finished. Repent and trust in the finishing work of Christ as the only hope to your life. He stands with arms wide open waiting to receive you as a son.
I leave you with this thought to consider: Where the River of Life flows, the Spirit of the Living God brings alive. Life in God is available to the depth that you are willing to submit. It is measured by the proximity of your willingness to go out into it. Ask yourself, “Where am I in the River of Life?”
