Originally Posted by Hikage

People whose lives have been transformed. People who were on a path to destruction, both spiritually and physically. My own pastor ran the streets of Philly performing the most heinous of crimes and offenses. Explain why, if not for the power of Christ would he fall to his knees one day as a 16 year-old on the corner of one of the roughest streets and declare his life in God's hands? Why would apostles such as Paul and Peter risk death and worse, severe torture to proclaim the gospel if not for the transforming power of Christ?

Just look at what happened to Paul ...

2Corithinians 11:
22What anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. 23Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

Why would he put himself through all these things? He was a leader in the Sanhedrin (the church leaders of the day). He had everything. He was born in the correct lineage, performed the correct rituals, was even a roman citizen. He threw it all away.

These transformations of character continue today. I can show you, including myself, people who have taken the mess they have done their lives and turned it around through Christ and their devotion to him.



Here's my story... (it's not as drastic as some)

I grew up in a church, a Lutheran church. Unfortunately I never heard the gospel, and therefore never had the chance to accept it. I was taught that if you beieved in God, were baptized, and led a good life, you would be accepted into heaven. This is simply untrue. My parents raised me with basic Christian morals, and I always managed to avoid drugs and excessive alcohol.

However, I lost my virginity at age 15. She and I had been dating for 6 months at the time. I feel into a relationship where in order to feel "loved" I needed to be sleeping with her. I masturbated almost everyday, sometimes multiple times. We had sex almost every day after school at her place before her mom came home.

To make matters worse, I was a Sunday school teacher at my church, being the youth group leader. Many times however, no one attended, so she and I were left in a room away from all other alone. I would sleep with her right on the church grounds. I'll spare you the details but from then time I was 15-18 we slept together in almost every imaginable place on the church grounds, save for the altar itself.

Around a year and a half into the relationship, she became addicted to sleeping with other people as well. This turned my already dependant self into an obsessive leech. I allowed her to run around with whomever she wanted, and I always took her back. Eventually, I grew a pair and broke up with her, returning from time to time for more sex.

Through college my sexual activity continued as much as your imagines might expect. However, I slept with no one until I met my wife. Several months into the relationship we started sleeping together. A full year and a half went by and I might the person through whom I accepted Christ. I had always known of Him, went to church, etc., but I never really dedicated myself to following him. My friend Todd brought me to the realization that this is what needed to happen.

That night, I went back to my dorm and told my wife to be what had happened and she said "I want that." and was thusly saved as well. From that day on, we became as spiritual virgins. Never again, until the day of our union did we sleep together. I stopped masturbation all together. In fact, I have been able to, through the power of Christ, eliminate all (excepting a few weak moments) aspects of sexual impurity. This includes lustful thoughts, looking at women, and masturbation. I have learned to "bounce my eyes" from things that would lead to lust, i.e. steamy TV shows (yes, even most commercials I cannot watch), magazine ads, ANYTHING that could even remotely lead me to fall.

Many of you might say "so what." Understand though, that sexual impurity had come to rule my thoughts and ultimately my life.

I am focusing on only the sexual aspect around my salvation. There are also the matters of foul language, deceit, pride (which I still stuggle with big time), and countless other aspects that have changed in me. And this has been only 5 years that I have been a believer.

Remember...
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Now, you show me. Show me someone who's live has been improved drastically through the wonderful power of atheism?


-Hikage