Another Story from Life…

This Saturday I was able to see God’s mighty hand once more. I was visiting a new establishment and as I browsed through I recognized the owner. Now I knew this person in a former life (my BC days), and I only knew her because her son was a good friend of mine. I really did not know how to say hi because I knew her back in the day. She worked nights and I’d party with her son in the evenings after we got home from school. She didn’t “let” us party there, but it was sort of a “she didn’t try and prevent us” thing either. I remember times when her son stole her pot, so it wasn’t like she was your average mom.

Her son and I were close for a time, but we lost touch when I moved away, and from what I had heard his partying got worse. I still would see him, but we just didn’t hang out. I knew he got bad, because he was in AA before he got out of High School. I remember him telling me a story after he was sober, about draining his savings the night he discovered crack. It was a hard thing to hear, even way back then. Well from what I know now he is sober, and I ran into his mom Saturday.

I said her name and she looked at me curiously…after I said “it’s Shannon Young” she gasped and her eyes got teary. She hugged me and started asking how I was, and praising God…what…that part threw me. I am usually the one looking for an opportunity to try and work that in when I see an old friend…She started testifying to the glory and grace of God in tears, rejoicing. She was unashamed and glowing with the peace of Christ…a peace I had never seen on her before. She began to tell me of her long trip off into drink and drugs, and how God reached down in His tender mercy, and saved her from alcohol and crack and all…WOW! She said “Shannon, when the Bible says that sin has no more hold, I want you to know it’s true!” Glory! What a God! I told her I got saved in September of 2000, and was preparing for the ministry. She hugged me again, and after chatting a little more I left, totally awestruck with God’s Goodness again.

Now my mind enquires about her son. He was sober after his exploits with alcohol and drugs just like his mom. Who saved him out of it, if he wasn’t a Christian? I really can’t answer that at the moment, but my mind goes to Matthew 12:43-45…I guess I can’t explain that right yet either, but I know this…

The biggest difference between a Christian and a lost person is not what we see in the temporal…but in the eternal. You see my friend’s mom was not just saved from alcohol and crack, like others have been. She was saved from her sin! She was not only saved from the big sins in her life like the parties, and the men, and the drugs, and the divorces…she was saved from what we could consider “little” sins. She was saved from the penalty of one lie…which is Hell. She was saved from the penalty of one time taking the Lord’s name in vain…which is Hell. She was saved from the penalty of not putting God first in her life for some 40+ years…that’s an Eternity in a Lake of Fire, and I know that just saying that rubs people…especially un-believers. They say “you can’t possibly think that one little lie could send someone to Hell for all eternity, do you?” and the answer perhaps uncomfortable really is “It doesn’t matter what we think, it matters, what God says.”

Proverbs 16:25 - There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.

The Bible so closes the door on what men think…Men think that they have to have their good deeds outweigh their bad, and all will be well. In this they are totally ignorant of God’s perfect standard of righteousness.

James 2:10 - For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

One sin is too much in God’s presence.

Habakkuk 1:13a - Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:

It’s not a matter of more good than bad. Many lost people have stopped smoking crack, and put away their cigarettes, and turned away from pornography, and I’m not sure but maybe they can say “I did it myself” and they can boast in their accomplishments, as I’m sure giving up these things is even harder without the help of the Holy Spirit, but there is not one that has ever entered into the presence of the Lord, and been able to say “I did it myself” not one…

Ephesians 2:8-10 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

I thank God that Jesus Christ saved my friend’s mom from all the drugs and alcohol, but more importantly I’m glad He saved her from the wages of her sin. There are many people who have stopped drinking, stopped smoking, stopped swearing, and yet, without Christ, they go to Hell.

You may have accidentally stopped here and started reading…I don’t assume most of my readers needed a gospel presentation, but you may have…I want to plead with you, regardless of how good you think you are follow this link and see what the Bible says about how good you are, or e-mail me, and ask the questions you have…Don’t let this go.

http://www.livingwaters.com/good