Choosing to Believe

My husband and I are both very skeptical people.  It is not that we mean to be, we just don't believe stuff that sounds too good to be true, and we try not to be gullible.  We have discussed a few times if we thought we would be a follower of Jesus during His walk on earth if we were alive then.  Have you ever thought about that?  Or, if we were not raised in church and raised to know the abundant and free love of Christ, would we be Christians today?  Would we choose to believe?

Salvation is a free gift.  It is a gift that is offered to everyone, you just have to accept it.  But, as we discussed salvation last night, we talked about it is so simple it is hard.  It is so easy a child can understand, but it sounds too good to be true to some people.  It's not about works; it's not about how good or bad you are; it is just about choosing to believe.

We were both extremely blessed to be raised in Christian homes.  We were both saved at the age of seven and gave our lives to Christ as teenagers.  I am not in anyway saying we were perfect or made the right decisions are all of our lives, I am just saying we chose and still choose to follow Jesus.  We met in college (and it was a secular university - GO PACK!), but God had a perfect plan for our meeting.  We were meant to be together without a doubt.  But, if our lives had not taken the same paths, if God had put us on a different journey, would we choose to believe in the salvation offered from the One who created us?

I was studying Luke chapter 8 today.  Wow, that is a lot of parables and miracles in one little chapter! He tells of the sower and the seed; He speaks on not hiding your light; He calms the storm; He casts out demons; a woman is healed by her just having the faith to touch His robe, and to end with, He raises Jairus' daughter back to life!  All these teachings and all these miracles and still His 12 closest friends, His ultimate followers, still had problems believing it all!  After He calms the storm He has to ask them "Where is your faith?" (vs. 25).

Would I have had the faith to believe in His teachings and miracles if I was an onlooker in Luke 8?  Which seed would I be that He speaks of in verses 4-15?

Verse for Today
2 Tim 1:12 "...nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."

I love that verse and love singing it in the old hymn.  And well thankfully, I have the faith today, and I am a believer and a follower today.  And, my prayer is you are to.  Are you feeling out of touch today?  Where you raised in a Christian home, but turned your back on your faith?  Are you searching?

In that same university I took a World Religions class.  Interesting to say the least.  I saw the young people searching.  I just wanted to beg all of them to cling to the last and true religion that we studied - Christianity!   It's the only one that provides true forgiveness, true peace, and true miracles!  Choose to believe!  The lyrics are below to the old hymn by Daniel W. Whittle with 2 Tim 1:12 as the chorus.  As it says, I don't know why Christ redeemed me, but He did, and I am sooooo thankful I chose to believe!

1. I know not why God’s wondrous grace
   To me He hath made known,
   Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
   Redeemed me for His own.
   • Refrain:
     But “I know Whom I have believed,
     And am persuaded that He is able
     To keep that which I’ve committed
     Unto Him against that day.”
2. I know not how this saving faith
   To me He did impart,
   Nor how believing in His Word
   Wrought peace within my heart.
3. I know not how the Spirit moves,
   Convincing men of sin,
   Revealing Jesus through the Word,
   Creating faith in Him.
4. I know not what of good or ill
   May be reserved for me,
   Of weary ways or golden days,
   Before His face I see.
5. I know not when my Lord may come,
   At night or noonday fair,
   Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
   Or meet Him in the air.