My Surprising Story
By David Kirkwood
July 1, 2021
I used to be a very different person. Life did not make sense to me. It seemed purposeless… a mix of happiness and sorrow, with death waiting at the end at an undetermined point in time. Driving past graveyards always left me with an ominous feeling. What was the point of life? And what was waiting for me after death, if anything?, I often asked myself.
Along with my inner emptiness and fear of dying, my conscience also bothered me. I had a nagging guilt about my self-centeredness. I coped by comparing myself to others who appeared to be more selfish than me, but I couldn’t shake the fact that my own guilt was piling up higher every day.
I’m guessing you might be able to relate.
The surprising news is that all those negative things are no longer part of my life. I’m no longer afraid of dying. I’m actually looking forward to it, but only when my life’s purpose (which I now know) is done. Moreover, my lifelong weight of guilt has been lifted. Better yet, I’ve been set free from my former habits and addictions that created all of that guilt.
Those are just a few of the things that have changed. My transformation has been nothing short of miraculous. What made all of these changes occur?
It all started when I discovered that God loved me much more than I’d ever imagined. I discovered that He was concerned about my fear of death, my emptiness, my purposelessness and my guilt. He wanted to fix those things and much more. (I’m no one special. God loves you more than you realize as well.)
I discovered all of this good news from reading about Jesus in the Bible. Some people say that Jesus is just a myth, but that is like saying Julius Caesar is a myth. No real historian claims that Jesus did not exist. There is irrefutable historical evidence that Jesus actually walked on this earth and that lots of people interfaced with Him. Tens of thousands of people were eyewitnesses to His life and ministry.
All of Jesus’ closest friends eventually died defending their belief that He was born, lived a public life, performed incredible miracles, claimed to be God’s Son, was crucified, died, came back to life, and ascended into the sky. Obviously, they believed in Him. People don’t die to defend a hoax.
Naturally, Jesus’ closest friends spent the rest of their lives talking about Him, and in some cases writing about Him. Their writings are in the Bible. Their eyewitness testimonies influenced many of their contemporaries who were not eyewitnesses, who also wrote what they heard and learned. As the number of Christians grew and the church spread throughout the ancient world, it resulted in an unbroken chain of historical literature that you can read today. It can all be traced back to one amazing life.
But what about the incredible stories of Jesus’ miracles? Aren’t they a little hard to believe? Don’t they convey a mythical message?
Actually, Jesus’ miracles are no more spectacular than the millions of miracles—that no scientist can explain—happening outside your window and inside your body right now. Think about it. There is a micro and macro magic show going on 24 hours a day—all of our lives. If you aren’t aware of it, it is only because you take it for granted. It is just another way that God, who loves us so much, is trying to get our attention. And if God ever temporarily came to the earth disguised as a man, wouldn’t you expect some accompanying miracles from someone who created the universe?
Some people think of Jesus as just an inspiring moral teacher. But Jesus didn’t leave anyone that option. Good, moral teachers don’t claim to be God’s Son.1 They don’t pretend to have the authority to forgive sins.2 They don’t claim to be the only source of eternal life.3 They don’t accept worship.4 They don’t expect people to love them more than they love their parents, spouse and children.5 But Jesus did all of those things.
Based purely on what He said (apart from all that He did), there are only three possibilities regarding who Jesus was. He claimed to be the Son of God, so either He was lying or telling the truth. If He was lying, either He knew or didn’t know He was lying. So:
1.) If He knew He was lying, He was one of the most wicked liars who has ever lived, as He has deceived hundreds of millions of people, many of whom have died for their faith in Him.
2.) If He did not know He was lying, then He was a lunatic, claiming to be the Son of God when He wasn’t.
3.) If He was telling the truth, however, then He was the Son of God.
Those, then, are the only three choices. A man who claims to be equal with God when he is not, can hardly be called a great moral teacher! No, Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.
When you add all of the miracles that Jesus performed (opening the eyes of blind people, raising the dead, multiplying food, and so on), plus all of the predictions made in the Old Testament hundreds of years before His appearance on earth—predictions that He could not have fulfilled by His own doing (like the city of His birth, the manner of His death, and His coming back to life)—the only logical conclusion is that Jesus was who He claimed to be. So that leaves us with a decision to make. Will we believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be, or will we cling to some lie about Him?
Many people choose to believe lies about Jesus because they instinctively realize that if they accept the truth about Him, they would have to start living their lives differently. That is a tragic decision, because no one loves people more deeply than Jesus. Love for people motivated Him to become a human being, spend 33 years on the earth, and then willingly die an excruciating death on a Roman cross.
Beyond that, the Bible teaches that God’s love for people is the motive for all His commandments. He isn’t trying to make us miserable. Rather, He is trying to make us truly and permanently happy. His commandment to love other people as we love ourselves, for example, clearly demonstrates that He wants everyone to love and be loved. Who can find fault with that? If everyone did that, the world would be a much better place for everyone. According to Jesus, only those who love will live forever in heaven.6 He promised, however, that He would give His Holy Spirit to live in everyone who believes in Him, which would enable them to love others.7
It was when I believed—truly believed—that Jesus is the Son of God, that my life changed so dramatically, because that is exactly what Jesus promised would happen to anyone who believes in Him.8 Of course, many people say they believe that Jesus is God’s Son. But they really don’t believe it, because if they did, they would act as if Jesus were the Son of God. That is, they would make Him the most important person in their lives and start trying to please Him, following His commandments. People who say they believe that Jesus is the Son of God but who don’t seek to obey Him are like people who say that a tidal wave is coming while they continue sitting on the beach. If they really believed what they were saying, they’d be scrambling for higher ground.
Jesus claimed that God, His Father, gave Him all authority in heaven and on earth and appointed Him as everyone’s future judge.9 Anyone who believes Jesus has that kind of authority and future responsibility does everything possible to line up with how Jesus told us to live.
I hope you will stop and consider what you really believe about Jesus. Life and eternity change when you truly believe He is the Son of God. When you believe in Jesus, He forgives you for every wrong thing you’ve done, and He starts changing you. It is a miracle. I wish everyone would believe in Him and experience His transforming mercy, goodness and love. Please think about it!
What should you do once you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
First, you should tell Him you believe in Him by talking to Him in prayer.
Second, you should begin reading about Him in the Bible and start doing what He said to do. The first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are all about Jesus. They were written by His earliest followers, who either were eyewitnesses of His life or got their information from eyewitnesses.
Next, read the book called Acts, which is all about the early Christians. You will soon notice that, back during those early days, the Christians and the Christian church looked much different from today. The difference is that the early Christians didn’t just claim to believe that Jesus was God’s Son. They actually believed it and lived accordingly.
Once you believe in Jesus, you will find that you want to tell your friends and relatives about Him. That is because, as I’ve already said, once you believe in Him, He changes you, and in a mysterious way, He comes to live inside you. He loves everyone and wants everyone to believe in Him, so you should not be surprised that He wants to live through you.
If any of your friends or relatives decide to believe in Jesus along with you, you can read the Bible and pray together. If they don’t believe, pray for them. If they make fun of you, keep loving them, as that is what Jesus said we should do when others criticize us.
Finally, feel free to write to me or call me. I would love to hear your response to this article or answer your questions.
My address is P.O. Box 33, Smicksburg, PA 16256. My phone number is (412) 722-3075.
May God bless you!
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