The leap after the fall

I believe a giant gap exists between asking God forgiveness and receiving the Holy Spirit. Let's break it down here, you go to church a few times or maybe once, and then you hear an amazing sermon that makes you feel so much remorse and then the alter call rings out offering forgiveness and a noble life. So you go up to the alter or begin to pray in your seat and ask forgiveness and promise to never do that bad thing again. You wipe the tears off your eyes and you genuinely feel better. Right?

For a few days you are on a sort of high, loving God and feeling great. Then it starts to fade and you are back in some sin until you go back to the alter.

It's like my relationship with my wife. When she asks me to do the dishes today, I agree. Then when the next day rolls around and the dishes are not washed, I genuinely apologize. Of course, she forgives me and do I change my ways? Maybe I wash dishes right there, but come next week, same thing happens. Once I finally decided that this is an area that I'm failing and started to make sure a dirty dish was never left over night, did I gain the respect from my wife in that area.

Similarly, asking God for forgiveness is not enough to feel that REAL Salvation. It's way more than an apology. It's a change. It's stopping dead in your tracks and turning around.

For me, I did not feel it until I worked at camp. I became fully aware of my inequities and begged God to use me as a vessel, agent, of His to portray that Holy love to the kids that I come into contact with. In doing so, God changed my heart. I am a way different man, in fact I became a man that summer. And I never want to look back at the life I lead before.


And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; Acts 9:18