Try Again

MY PERSONAL TURNING POINT   The Scripture passage that helped me see my need for Jesus is 1 John 5:11-12. When I was a senior in high school, I sat in my friend Steve’s kitchen and his dad, Pastor Walter Baertschi, shared this passage with me. It was the turning point for me:   “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12)   In that moment, Christianity became clear for me. My salvation wasn’t based on me being good enough or religious enough, but it was based on whether I had Jesus or not. Since that evening, this Scripture has always had emotional ties for me, sort of like a first crush in grade school. It was a game changer as it brought clarity to my need for Jesus and what I had to do. God gives eternal life. We don’t earn it or deserve it. It is offered as a gift, wrapped in His Son, Jesus. Eternal life is in Jesus. It’s not in another religion or some other spiritual formula. If you have Jesus, you have eternal life, and if you don’t have Jesus, you do not have this life. So, the question is, do you have Jesus?   JESUS COMES TO YOU   Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20)    So what will you do with this gift being offered to you? “If ANYONE opens the door I will come in.” It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, how far away you’ve drifted, how many promises you’ve broken, how long you’ve ignored Him, how many ways you’ve rebelled, how big of a mess you’ve made things, or how dark your life has become. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and that includes you. He loves you. He came for you. Your part is to open the door, responding to His request to enter your life.   RESPONDING TO HIM   Usually Jesus stands at the door knocking, not forcing His way into our life, giving us the choice to keep the door closed or to allow Him in. This leads people to say God is a gentleman; He won’t force His way in. Well, that’s true until it’s not. Sometimes as we go along in our opposition and unbelief, He blocks our path. Instead of knocking on the door, Jesus knocks us down. And as we lie on the ground looking up, He leans over and says “Hi, we’re going to become best friends!” That’s what happened to the apostle Paul. That’s what happened to C.S. Lewis. That’s what has happened to some of my friends. They weren’t looking for God, but He was looking for them. God won’t act against your will, but He can make you willing to act. He can be very disruptive. Rescues often are. But every person whose story is in this book will tell you it’s worth it.   You can’t be nice enough, spiritual or religious enough, sincere or friendly enough, generous or good enough to earn eternal life because eternal life is not found in your behavior. Eternal life is found in Jesus. Eternal life—the life God always intended for you, the destiny His love has designed you for—is found in Jesus. So that’s the key spiritual question for your life: Where is Jesus? Have you opened the door? He is knocking now, awaiting your response.