Radical belief. Not a foreign term to me at all. I was about 13 when I was reading and meditating on the gospels’ accounts of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, while on Easter break. The Spirit placed it on my heart to really question where Jesus’ spirit went while His body laid in that tomb. It was an intensely complex and confusing issue for my young mind to absorb. He had told the sinner on the cross who believed that he would be with Him THAT DAY in Paradise. Yet on Easter morning, He told Mary Magdalene that she could not touch Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father. I suddenly believed overwhelmingly that not only had Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross to cleanse me of my sin, but He actually spent those 3 days in Hell so that I wouldn’t have to suffer that agony. He served my sentence for me. Over dinner that evening, I told my mother about what my heart had told me that day while in scripture, and asked for her counsel. She told me about the Apostles’ Creed, which was accepted as doctrine by the Presbyterian church (her chosen faith), and she suggested that I go to the library, research the document, and then ask God to guide my heart to what I should believe. After praying for direction that night and again the next morning, I did as my mom suggested and went to the library to read and study. As I studied, my question became should I believe the Apostles Creed? The way that the anglicized interpretation of the Latin text tied right into Paul’s statement in Ephesians 4:9, blew me away. I became convicted in my feelings from the previous day. Over the years, as I’ve studied the Bible, picking up on other passages that point to my belief of Jesus and Hell, I’ve also read books that include that same issue, and I’ve become even more convicted. One book that sealed it all for me was Max Lucado’s “Six Hours One Friday.” If you’ve never read it, I guarantee it is a life-changer. Another thing I firmly believe, although it’s not scriptural, is that it was the Resurrection, more than any other single event, that brought about Christianity; that without it, there would very likely be no Christian church. Oh, how I love Jesus!
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:58:53 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015