Sunday, August 31, 2014

Personal Touch


What is the nature of Christian experience, what does it involve? John, who was one of the original twelve team members, shares in his writings about the personal nature of his experience with Jesus. This can help us to understand a little bit of what it’s all about. The first thing that jumps out at me about John’s experience is that it involves a...Personal Touch

Second hand experience is not good enough. You've probably heard it said that God has no grandchildren, and that is an absolutely true statement. We cannot count on our heritage, church affiliation, nationality, or even our own good works to replace a personal experience with Him. We must individually place our trust in what Jesus has done for us. We must meet Him personally.

The experience you have with Jesus is uniquely your own. No two people will have the same experience. Some come to Him with tears, some with laughter, some with great relief, others with solemn awe at the magnificence of it all. But I have never yet met a person who said they didn’t feel something, when they met Jesus. 

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” - Romans 10:9-13

Now there may be times down the road when you don’t feel that way anymore. That’s when it is comforting to know that our salvation is not based on how we are feeling at the time. 

It is one thing to simply believe the gospel--it is quite another to experience Him and to KNOW that He is your savior. Like the stack of stones that reminded the nation of Israel of the time that God stopped a river so they could cross, the memory of a Personal Touch from Jesus can be an anchor to Hold our faith especially during times of trouble.