Tell me, could a person who prays and reads his Bible almost every day and memorizes Bible verses not be a Christian? Well, this was my predicament during my high school years. Where my parents brought me to church, each child received his own Bible at a certain age. So when I received my first Bible, I took it home right away and started reading at the beginning, in Genesis. I don’t think I ever finished that first attempt, but my interest was not lost.
I was confused by many things, like what the differences were between the many religions and denominations. Frankly, I thought I was a Christian, if for no other reason than that I wasn’t a Jew or a Buddhist or a Hindu. Not to mention that I was part of a “Christian” nation, born to moral, upstanding parents, and a pretty good kid. My grades were alright. I stayed out of trouble and out of the wrong crowds (which meant I stayed home a lot). So as I grew up, I quietly sought for something to fill the void in me. I desired to know for sure the purpose in life. All the while I was thinking I was alright, I was unaware that I was lost for eternity.
I went through high school still searching. I was motivated, but mostly out of fear of being embarrassed or of not getting a decent grade. You see, I was very quiet; I wanted to know the answers to life, but I was too shy to just ask. I did notice that there were some people who were motivated about life in general. In fact, they were enthusiastic. I heard them talk about church, so I thought that might be the answer for which I longed. So I began attending church regularly, even when my family didn’t. I felt good about doing this, but I didn’t find any answers.
A few weeks after graduating from high school, I departed for the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, to start Basic Cadet Training. If I ever needed answers, I needed them now; and not just about life. I needed to know Patton’s quotes, Scofield’s quote, the menu for the noon meal, the number of days until graduation for all four classes–Yes, sir; No, sir; No excuse, sir–ad infinitum. The pressure was on. Through all this, what I knew to be my faith, was a help. I continued to read my Bible, and memorize verses that brought me comfort.
During my freshman year, two upperclassmen came into our room to ask if we were interested in a Bible study. My roommates were not interested, but I accepted. It was a Navigator Bible study, the type where you read a verse and then answer fill-in-the-blank questions. The study brought no great revelation to me, though I enjoyed it. I was still very shy and was fearful of being asked a question and not knowing the answer.
Finally, that first gruelling year was over–an accomplishment which gave me some little confidence. My sophomore year started, and my new roommate was also involved in the Navigator ministry. That semester we went to a “rally.” I’d never been to one, even though I’d heard a lot about them from the upperclassmen that led the Bible study during my freshman year. As I expected, there was a message given by Jimmy Covey, the leader of the Navigator ministry at the Academy. This was followed by visiting over punch and cookies.
During this time, one of the fellows introduced me to Jimmy. He asked me the usual questions about what squadron I was in and what I was studying that semester. And then he asked me if I’d ever seen the “bridge illustration.” Well, I hadn’t. So Jimmy brought me over to the chalk board and began to draw this illustration for me.
There were two cliffs with a separation between them. He showed me that man was on one side and God was on the other. He explained that, regarding man’s side: there was sin, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”; there was death, “For the wages of sin is death”; and there was judgment because, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
He went on to explain from the Bible that on God’s side there was no death, but rather everlasting life: “The gift of God is everlasting life.” He pointed out that like any gift, once offered, it must be received before it is possessed. He drew some stairs from man’s side of the cliff toward God’s, explaining that my efforts to get myself to God are futile and can never bridge the gap. Whatever good works I may have done to make myself acceptable to God were actually ugliness to Him.
Then, as he drew a cross which connected man’s side to God’s, he explained to me that there was only one way to bridge the gap between man’s side and God’s side; and it was nothing that I could do at all. But it was already done by another man, Jesus Christ, who died on a cross to pay for my sins. It was my sin that separated me from God, my sin that had created that void in me which I longed to be filled. It was for my sin that I was lost and deserved to die and spend eternity separated from God in hell. But God, who is rich in mercy, sent His only Son to be my Substitute to suffer on that cross and die for me. Yes, this was the answer for which my heart longed.
I did not understand everything I heard that night, but one thing I knew–that it was what I needed. Almost weekly for the next three years, I met with a man on the Navigator staff who would answer my questions, and encourage me in my new life. The Scriptures started to make sense. It was during this time that I gained assurance of my salvation; I learned that the Bible spoke with authority on every area of life. There also were the answers to all the questions that I had about life.
On the outside, my life didn’t change all that much. I still attended a local church, read my Bible, and hung out with the same people. Folks that didn’t know me well might not have noticed right away. But the difference was there for sure. I didn’t have to look like it or feel like to know it was there. I was saved; it was a promise backed by the Word of Almighty God Himself. From that time I had a peace in my life, a peace that has never subsided. Even on the very worst of days, I’m still saved. And not only am I guaranteed eternal life, but also I enjoy abundant life in Christ. Now, life has purpose and every day has meaning. It’s objective is not merely to do my best and make a living, like I used to think, but to glorify God. And life has never been so exciting. The Christian life is a real thrill.
No, I didn’t know it all then, and I don’t know it all now. But that’s what is so wonderful; salvation isn’t an end, just the beginning–of an eternity of increasing vistas. My becoming a Christian was not something religious, but a whole new relationship, which continues to grow daily.
As I began getting to know my Saviour better, I realized that the more I sought Him, the more I wanted to seek Him. I discovered that I had fallen in love with the One who loved me so.
The Lord has blessed me with a wife–a true help meet for me–and a baby boy; yet with new days come new questions. But I still find the answers in the same place, the Scriptures. I continue to learn more of what was in that decision I made years ago, my decision to place my trust in the only One who could save me, the Lord Jesus Christ.