My Testimony
I was a very devout Muslim When the Lord saved me in the middle of Time Square, NYC. I had been having on going arguments (over a period of 6 months, I think) with an equally devout Christian believer.
All of our arguing and confrontations didn't change my heart or my mind. It was simply hearing about the love of Christ that melted my heart there on 42nd street. I simply knew that Christ was who the bible said He was. The understanding of scripture came after my conversion.
The only way I can explain it, is that the Holy Spirit made the truth of the eternal love of God through the death and ressurection of Jesus Christ known to my heart. I could not possibly accept or understand the Bible as scripture,until the Holy Spirit revealed it to me after I became born again,( Joh 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." ) I could not possibly understand or accept the Bible as God breathed scripture.
1Co 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
We see the disciples first receiving the Holy Ghost in the gospel of John 20:21-22, after the Lord's resurrection:
21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Ghost....
What He Did For Me, He can Do For You
As Christ set me free from my pain, confusion, anger, and hatred, He can and will set you free from all of the wages (definition; a suitable return or reward) of sin in your life. If you are sowing to sin, then you are reaping to your death.
(Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.)
He frees us from being bound to sin and death (Gal 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.) When we acknowledge our sinful ways,( Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more they who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.) and that we are incapable of truly being good, and thereby unworthy of heaven, turn from our sin, and confess with our mouth, He comes into our hearts and purges us clean of our old ways.
Rom 10:9-11 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame."
His Desire For Us
He brings with Him the desire to want to be free of all of our old ways, even what we would call "acceptable" sins. The back biting, the stealing, the flipping people the bird because they drive too slow or cut you off while you were driving. The little puff on those funny cigarettes or a little snort. The stealing time at work. (You know, not being there but being clocked in.)
What about the five finger discounts? How many of us are guilty of that? When the Holy Spirit makes His home within us (Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.), His desire is to purge us of any and all unrighteousness.
(Jer 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.) Bold face and italics are mine
But the sweetest thing about it is, He doesn't only desire to purge us, but He also desires (and is able) to fill us with His nature! (Gal 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.)
In our salvation, The Lord, because of His mercy and grace, saves us from death and destruction, and saves us to Himself and service. When He deisres us to give up something, He has something better to replace it, and that applies spiritually, and all else.
Whatever the case, He is waiting for you with outstretched arms. If You hear His voice today, don't turn away. Don't harden your hearts. Tomorow is not promised you. The very next minute is not promised to you.
If you are unsure if Jesus is real, ask Him to show Himself to you. If you are sincere, He has promised to come to you. He loves you that much!
