I was chatting with a friend last night just discussing his plans for the future and getting to know him a bit. I consider some of the younger guys I meet in my life the little brothers I never had. I always want to be there for them as someone they can come to who will help them along the path and I’ve found an unusual respect from people I really don’t usually understand.
We got to discussing salvation and for all intents and purposes, I was thinking this guy already had everything taken care of there until he says “Well I’m not saved yet.”
I was stunned and I had to ask why. He said that he believed it all and that he’d prayed and that it just hadn’t happened yet, but that it would on God’s time.
I wanted to know how he knew he hadn’t been saved yet and he said that he would know it. When I asked how, he told me he just would. Eventually, he said the word “feel” at one point. He told me though to drop it around that point. I told him I would for tonight, but that that door was always open.
This really concerns me as I think about it. Our salvation is not determined by our feelings. If it was, I would have been in trouble a long time ago. I remember strong feelings when I got saved, but they didn’t last. You give things some time and they just go away. Feelings are like that. Good and bad ones both, a lesson I still need to realize, especially for bad ones.
Greg Koukl has said that people who are really emotional in their Christian lives are often really emotional in every other area as well. I’m not really an emotional person, unless it’s usually negative emotions. I would say my Christian walk is not filled with overwhelming desire often. I just do what I do.
Chances are, many of us are like that. We love Jesus, but our hearts are not often overwhelming as if we’re in some sort of love story. I actually think it’s quite possible to have a deep love for Jesus and not feel it simply because feelings move up and down. Our deep love should come before our feelings and if we get feelings, great. If not, oh well.
In fact, too often, I fear we have been chasing after feelings. I know I’m guilty of this when in a slump. I want it to end. I won’t leave you guessing on that. I want to be happy again. Instead, what one should do is merely experience. Realize that this is a part of life and as the ancient stoics would say “This too will pass.”
It will and it does and we look back on the experience and think “How silly I was then.” Of course, after that, we have the more insane thought of “I’m glad that’s over. I’ll never make that mistake again.” Heh. Give it a couple of months or so and you’ll be back in the exact same place.
I hope my friend comes around and he did tell me to pray for him. That I will definitely do. Of course, I should pray that I also learn the lesson I hope my friend does. I’d ask you to pray it for me also and maybe I need to pray it for you.
Today is the day of salvation, and it might not just be from sins.
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