Hope for Sinners (Like Me)

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I will never forget the day I asked Christ to forgive me of my sin. When I was in eighth grade at Porter-Gaud School, I saw billboards all around Charleston advertising an upcoming event. Usually, the billboards I noticed were for the circus or a rodeo. This time, though, it was for a meeting being led by someone known as the chaplain of Bourbon Street. Later, I would come to know him as Bob Harrington. I begged my mom to take me to see him. for some reason, I was strangely drawn to the idea of listening to him preach. It's not because I liked church, I did not. I couldn't stand preaching. I used to count the lights in the chandeliers and pray for church to be finished as soon as possible.

I don't know why I hated church. I think I must have hated the idea of being inside when there were mini-bikes to ride, lawn tractors to drive, and waves to catch. There was so much more to life than wasting my time listening to a man tell me how awful a person I was, I knew that already. I knew I had sin problems. I had gotten into enough trouble at school, and I had been punished for it. I deserved what I got.

I seemed to get into more trouble than most of my friends. I'm sure to my teachers, I was "that" child. They certainly would have discussed my potential in the teacher's lounge and in staff meetings. They surely would have said that I could be so much better if I would behave, quit talking out of turn, and just apply myself.

Little did they know who I was inside. It wasn't simply a discipline problem. I certainly wasn't reared in an uncaring or abusive home, but I did have a problem. I wanted things my way. I hurt people, physically and emotionally. I cursed like a drunken sailor. I freely admitted that I hated my brother. I obeyed my parents and other adults in authority when they were looking...but when their backs were turned, I was another boy. I worshiped dirt bikes and motorcycles in general. I longed to be even worse...if I thought I could get away with it. Yup, that's who I was.

So, to me it was of utmost importance that I got to hear this man that seemed to have the ear of God when it came to getting my sins forgiven. Still, I knew there was no hope for me. I had sinned waaaaaay too much. I had even admitted to hating my brother. My grandparents were greatly concerned with my hatred for him, so they reminded me as a warning that those who hated could not go to heaven. They quoted to me book, chapter, and verse:

We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. (1 John 3:14 HCSB)

So, I knew there was no hope for an unloving, brother-hating sinner like me. But, maybe, just maybe, there could be some way out of my eternal destiny. Maybe I could at least find myself in the coolest section of hell. Maybe... but, wouldn't that be too good to be true?

So, I went to hear Bob Harrington with a huge burden of sin on my back. Even though I was only 13 years old, I thought I had more sin piled up than most. As I took my seat in the balcony of the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium on that early spring night in Charleston, SC, I noticed there was an excitement in the air. I was already experiencing something I had never been a part of before... authentic church. People voices were buzzing, the music was exciting, and I was actually glad to be there.

I really don't remember much about that sermon. I couldn't even tell you what book of the Bible it was preached from, but I do remember these words at the end of the message, "If anyone of you would like to ask Christ into your life and have your sins forgiven..." That's all I needed to hear. "If anyone of you..." "Wait," I thought "Were there more people that needed their sins forgiven?" I actually thought that the preacher was speaking directly to me. Then, my mind drifted back to that verse my grandparents had shared with me...and once again I reminded myself... there was no hope... I was a hater. Haters don't get to be with God in heaven. Then, in what turned out to be a moment of clarity, I turned to my mom and asked if she wanted what he was talking about...forgiveness. She let me know that I could go forward if that's what I wanted to do. "Wait," I said to myself. "let me see, I'm supposed to go down front?" Well,if that's all it took, I was on my way. I jumped out of seat and made my way to the counselors as fast as I could. If forgiveness was available, I wanted it... and I wanted it right now!

The time it took me to walk down the aisle seemed to be only moments. Soon, I was at the front of the huge auditorium and was speaking with a lady who asked what I came forward for. I told her that I wanted what that man was talking about...forgiveness. She then escorted me backstage to what I now know as a counseling room where many others who had walked that same aisle that night were already. She helped me read through many Scriptures from the book of Romans. I then asked Christ to forgive me of my sin. In that moment in time, He did just that. My sin was forgiven. As much as I knew before that my sin had condemned me, I now knew that same sin had been forgiven. My sin that had weighed me down, had been lifted. Darkness was driven out by His light. Sin was displaced by His righteousness. Through faith, I knew that not only could my sins be forgiven, but they were forgiven.

What happened? I had experienced Romans 3:21-22 in my life:

But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed -attested by the Law and the Prophets -that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe (Romans 3:21, 22 HCSB)

I would never have been able to be good enough or do enough good works to ever get into heaven. That's because God could not allow one sin into His presence. Jesus Christ had paid my time through His death on the cross and His resurrection from a cold dark tomb three days later. I believed now, He did it FOR ME. My faith in Christ's work brought me forgiveness.

The hope that I could to be forgiven of my sin was never going to be found in me. That kind of hope is only found in Jesus. Through Him, my sin had met its match.

Have you trusted Him to forgive you? God brought you to this point and is asking you to make that choice right now. He may not come this way again. There is hope for you. Believe Jesus gave His life for you. Do it now before you do one other thing. It will be your greatest choice... It will be your greatest day... It will lift your heavy burden... You will never be the same...

Pastor Trey Rhodes

More of the Core of our beliefs from Romans this week. Don't miss one exciting week! Also, ask for your very own notebook when you get to Oceanside Church.

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