I was raised in a conservative Christian church. Our worship consisted of prayer and the singing of hymns. I still love the old hymns; I also love the newer worship music. I love to praise God and relish time with Him.
When I was a child my uncle used to come to our house for dinner once a week and I always looked forward to that. One night he mentioned that he had been “saved.” He proceeded to explain to us what had occurred in his life. He had always been a gone to church, so I had never questioned the state of his salvation or mine. I had followed the ritual of baptism when I completed the doctrinal class where I learned what it meant to be baptized.
But when he told us about his salvation experience my first thought was oh boy, he is lunatic.
After he left that night I went to the piano and began to play and sing my favorite hymns. This went on for weeks. Then I started reading the Bible and listening to the Billy Graham crusades. Then at the end of one Billy Graham crusade I gave my life to Jesus.
What is the difference between my baptism and the night I gave my life to Jesus? The baptism that I participated in was a ritual, a tradition for my church. Being born again (saved), is more than participating in a ritual, it is a relationship with Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. John 3:6-8 (NASB) 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born [a]again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
I feel free to talk to Jesus and God the Father at any time. I can talk to them just as I would talk to you. I don’t have to have fancy words. Sometimes, they talk back. Not audibly, but to my heart.
I love Jesus and God the Father and desire to please them. How do I know how to please them? They tell me through the Bible. I try to read the Bible every day. There are days when for some reason or other I don’t. But I don’t let Satan give me a guilt trip. God does not expect perfection from me. His expectation is that I love him and desire to do his will. The blood of Jesus covers all my sin and God has granted all Christians grace and mercy. We will sin, but it isn’t our intent to sin. When we sin, the Holy Spirit will convict us of it. Conviction is not guilt. He will show us our errors and show us how to correct them. All this is done in love.
God’s desire for mankind has always been for relationship. We see this in Genesis where he comes to the garden and converses with Adam and Eve.
God’s desire is that you allow Him to have a relationship you. He loves you.
To start a relationship with Him simply say Lord Jesus I am a sinner, forgive me of my sins and come in and live in my life.
My Jesus I Love Thee by Darelene Zschech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDXTqTuG1Nk&fbclid=IwAR16_CgAoITEFLcWZLFk0RS2xpUiIn3CULQaP6MTYpC9xUcNzANoKO6i_F4
New American Standard Bible (NASB), Lockman Foundation
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