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How do I know that God exists?
Jim was on the Campus Crusade for Christ main website, www.ccci.org and wanted to ask a simple, yet profound question. "How do I know that God exists?" Jim found the "contact us" link and emailed his question.
Nancy received Jim's question and emailed a reply.
Jim later replied:
Thank you again. So how exactly do I do it? I want to give my life to Christ. What should I do? I know I need to repent of sin, turn the other way and walk with Jesus...
In my head I have been waiting for the right moment, I dunno, the right place, the right time, it should be meaningful and memorable and something I can point to as my time...do I need to get baptised again?
I guess I am searching for some sort of ceremony to remember.
I do know that it has to come from within, it could be tomorrow morning sitting in my car before work. No organ playing, no one applauding...
What am I waiting for?
Why all the questions?
I'll bet I am driving you nuts, I sure am driving me nuts.
Jim
Nancy quickly replied back to Jim:
Dear Jim -- Driving me nuts? Hardly! You are talking to a woman who endured a brother who would constantly sing the wrong words to songs. I have a 10-year-old who is carrying on the family tradition. Cold toilet seats, cold medicine side effects and control-top panty hose - those drive me nuts. You are simply a friend who is seriously seeking answers. That is awesome to me.
How do you "do it"? How do you begin this relationship? All I have been taught tells me that you simply need to ask - acknowledge God's gift of His Son's death on the cross for your sins, thank Him, and tell Him you want to start that relationship. Sorry, it seems simplistic, but I believe that is the beauty of it all. Certainly it would be nice if every time someone began a relationship with God, the Hallelujah Chorus would ring from the rafters. Yet, like slipping your hand into the hand of someone special for the first time, there is no outer magic, just the excitement of knowing that you have said, "Yes, I want to know this person better." It would also be nice if there were some "wedding" type ceremony where we bond our lives forever with God. But again, then we would get caught up in the surroundings and not the relationship. Perhaps the only thing you will have to point to is a moment in your cube at work, or at your dining room table. I would encourage you to write the day and time in the front of your Bible, and then on your calendar, so that you can celebrate your Spiritual birthday like your physical one. I prayed and asked Christ into my life when I was in 5th grade, in the living room of my next door neighbors. My husband did it beside his bed with his mom, when he was about 14 but he doesn't remember the moment.
Why all the questions? Because, God has made it simple and that boggles many! Yet, remember that the cross was not simple; it was long and agonizing and horrid, but done out of love for you and for me. "For God so loved Jim that He gave His only Son so that if Jim places his faith and trust in God, Jim will (not might or perhaps, but WILL) be saved. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn Jim, but that through Jesus, Jim might be saved (from an eternity separated from God.) John 3:16 & 17, Nancy Version.
There is a great book series out, it is fiction and frankly pretty "chick flick-ish". Yet, in each book, someone gives their life to Christ. It is called the Mitford Series by Jan Karon. Again, it is not the musings of Aristotle nor the plot twists of Agatha Christie, instead it is a simple man who wants to live out his faith in a town of people. And in each book, someone turns their life over to Christ. I loved it. Shows the simplicity of lives that were going one way, and then change to go another direction because they start a relationship with God.
It is my hope that our conversations are helpful. It is currently 3 a.m. and I am battling Strep throat - can't swallow. The first thing I wanted to do, once I reconciled myself to the fact that I was not going to keep tossing and turning, was to come and converse with you. Again, true questions do not ever bother me, because I am constantly amazed at the answers God gives me. I love nothing more than to pass on what I know to be true about God and His work in my life. Again, no bells and whistle, but the rock-solid promise that when we ask, He is there and the relationship has started.
Do write again my friend, Nancy.
Later that week, Jim did indeed write again:
Well so there I was, on my mountainbike, weeks of spiritual warfare having gone past by this time. Sunday, Feb 2, 2003 at about 1:07pm....
I was and have been and will still constantly think about how thankful I am to be alive, to be bought with Christ's blood, fortunate to be able to do what I do. So I pledged myself to God and to Christ right then and there. All by myself, breathless, prayerful, with God, and now you, as my witness.
I shall not be scared of the dangers the enemy poses. I will not be ignorant of them either. I will have the praise of God forever on my lips and will try to serve Him in whatever I do. Along my daily path I will try to find ways to bring others to Him. Baby steps for now, then we can run later right? Today I know that it is a solemn pledge and there is no way I can purposely or willfully sin with the knowledge of God in my mind and my heart. I pray for faith, I pray for courage and the ability to stay on the straight path.
My sense of hope has returned, my sense of joy in life is coming back.
Bless you for helping me. What you said below by personalizing John 3:16 & 17 rang in my head for a week. It really helped me, I just hope some day I can help you or someone else in some small way similarly.
Anyway, THANK YOU and I hope you don't mind if I use you as a pen-pal...
May God's face shine upon you and he lead you to righteousness through grace!
Please pray that God grant me faith and wisdom.
Cool huh?
Jim
** Some of the names have been changed
Originated from www.ccci.org
