A Message that Changed
the World
Pastor Steve Nash
The last
Christmas I spent as a non Christian was what God used to bring me to Christ
the very next month. I was not a nice
person, thinking only of myself and indulging in horrible sins that many
involve themselves in when they are headed in the wrong direction. I guess it could be said that I was miserable
and had no hope at all for the future.
My marriage
and two children (at that time) were not the priorities they should have been. I was in the Air Force but in total rebellion
against all authority. My mind was
polluted, my spirit was dead and my body was wasting away because of drugs and
alcohol. I didn’t care about anything
good because I was a complete reprobate narcissist! That Christmas was not a pleasant one for me
or my family. Making a fool of myself at
holiday parties made me realize that I needed a different direction for my life
before I lost everything that had any real purpose for living.
After the
holidays my 1st Sgt. had told me about John 3:16. I had never heard that message from the Bible
before because no one ever shared it with me.
For me to understand the meaning of this passage it was broken down in
this way:
“For God…” – He told me that this is speaking of the God who made the universe; the only true
God who was my Creator who had a special plan for my life. This was a personal God who actually cared
for me and promised to help and forgive me of all my sins. I couldn’t imagine that such a God would be interested
in someone like me. I had cursed His
name and spoke against Him for years. I
considered myself an atheist who believed that belief in a god of any kind was
a foolish thing to do. I continued to
listen because I was without hope and without any reason for living.
“So loved the world…” – How could a holy God love a world as
wicked as this corrupt globe? Why would
the only true God even care to intervene when we have given him little
regard? Even if God loved this planet,
He wouldn’t love someone like me. How
could a righteous God love this world that was filled with wickedness, war,
violence the hate I heard about on the evening news? Of course, at that time I didn’t know what
love was all about. My love was all
about “feelings” whether perverted of not.
Was that the love that the Sgt. was speaking of or was there a love that
was higher and deeper that could be experienced by some? Maybe some, but not a sinner such as me!
“That He gave His only begotten Son…”
– The man told me
that God didn’t just say that He loved the world – He proved it by sending His
Son as a sacrifice for all our sins. I
had trouble with such a statement. Why
would He bother; why would He go to such extremes? He told me that God would do such a thing for
the man down the street who often abused his wife and children and dealt drugs
that brought ruin to many families. He
explained that the greatest price had to be paid for the greatest sin we could
possibly imagine. The Sgt. went on to
say that this was the “plan” for this corrupt world from the very beginning.
“That whoever believes in Him…” – He said the word “believe” was deeper,
yet simpler than I might think. He
explained that it had to do with trust, reliance, faith and a total surrender of
my will to a God who knows better than I.
Fortunately, I had made such a mess of my life; it wasn’t that difficult
to allow someone else to manage things for awhile. I was tired, defeated and depressed. I wanted someone to help me and he told me
that the only true God was that person!
He shared his testimony how God saved and changed his own life and
family. That all sounded good to me!
“Should not perish but have eternal
life!” – He told me
of the horrors of hell and the splendor of heaven. He explained that there was a hell waiting for
those who have disregarded God’s Gift all their life and it was far worse than
the hell they experience in the here and now.
But then, I also heard him talk about a future existence; a heaven that
sounded so beautiful, so wonderful! He
tried to explain that each were “eternal” even though I could not fully
understand that concept.
That evening
I made an appointment with God. It was
10pm. I was alone in my bedroom, having
gone upstairs before my wife. I prayed a
simple prayer, for I didn’t know how to pray.
I sensed that a great burden or weight was lifted from me and went off
to sleep with a peace I had never before known.
The next day I awoke and realized that my mind was not thinking the same
way. My desires had obviously changed
and I wanted to tell someone else what had happened to me. Three months later my wife also surrendered
her life to Christ. We and our family of
now, 26 members, have the promise of heaven and a wonderful reason for
existence! That message from my 1st
Sgt. changed our lives and continues to change millions who embrace it by
faith! Today, Christmas has a wonderful
meaning for all who have embraced John 3:16!
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