Being a Christian Part 1
“If you are willing to surrender your life to Christ, take a bold step of faith and come forward” sitting on the back pew at that Sunday morning, I responded to the altar call again for the eleventh time.
At those moments of repentance, these dialogues always run through my mind, “Oh I’m so unworthy, I have sinned countless times again! I need to remain steadfast for a year with GOD or rather two months without committing a sin! Infact, this is an opportunity to initiate a fresh start again with Him”, and then I step out.
Though I longed to please Him but the more I desired to, I see myself wander off His path. Deep within me was this cry to know Him but yet I felt far away from Him.
That was how I nailed my Savior to the cross over and over again, holding Him up to public shame. Hebrews 6:6
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Little did I know that I was only led to repentance by guilt and regrets rather than brokenness. For GOD is not looking for perfection, He only desires a surrendering Heart to make perfect.
March 2, 2018, at the special Holy Ghost service became my defining moment. It was a different experience for me, possibly because I was fed up and had reached an impasse in my life. My strength had failed me, I had nothing left to rely on, I brought all my heavy laden of weariness, my self-righteous acts, my willful desires, my emptiness, flaws and laid all at Jesus’s feet. I then looked up to Him expectantly for a touch, with my Heart open and with tears flowing like a river, I cried out, “Lord, save me, please”.
On that Friday night, immediately I heard Daddy Adeboye, who is the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of GOD raise the altar call, I responded with a resolve in my Heart to seek GOD with the entirety of my being. I walked to the altar with several others, responding to the altar call that very day. We were all led to receive Salvation and instantly, I had a witness within me that verified my Sonship as a Child of GOD and confirmed itself with the testimony of Peace in my Heart.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are Children of GOD. Romans 8:16
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The Salvation Prayer
Dear Lord,
I acknowledge I am a sinner. I believe You died for the forgiveness of my sins and was raised back to life, for my justification.
I surrender my life to You and ask that You make Your home in my Heart as my Lord and Savior.
Thank you for saving me Lord. Amen.
We repeated the salvation prayer after the direction of Daddy G.O., as he is popularly referred to.
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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Few weeks after my recent “new birth” experience, I noticed again that I was “body ruled”: I struggled with abstaining from a lot of self-gratifying acts that gradually began to distance me from GODs presence. Nevertheless, I decided to take hold of the situation, because there wasn’t any room for a repetitive repentance any longer. What I then did, was to heighten my consciousness towards my new status as a new creation, but that helped temporarily.
“When the student is ready, the teacher will teach”, “when we have a willing Heart to seek GOD, He will teach and guide us to the path of righteousness”. For GOD loves a willing Heart.
Miraculously, I stumbled upon an audio teaching by the late Dr. Myles Munroe on “Man’s Nature”. From his teaching, my eyes were opened to understand the triune nature of man (Spirit, Soul, and Body).
At new birth, his Spirit is the only part of him that becomes new. His Soul is to be transformed new through sanctification and his Body is to be subdued as his Soul gets sanctified.
The Body will be wondrously transformed new at Rapture. 1 Corinthians 15:51
Furthermore, I learnt the tragic implication of being a Body ruled Christian from Myles teaching; it leads to a broken relationship with GOD; this was the trigger of all! I NEVER WANTED ANYTHING TO DISTANCE ME AWAY FROM GOD. For it is in Him, I live, move, exist, breathe, function, have my being, identity, and linage.
This was the beginning of the process of my Spiritual growth.
To be continued.