Many years ago before giving my life to Christ, I went fishing with an old army buddy. It was a Saturday (I think) and as we sat on his boat on the lake, the conversation turned to his plans for the next day. He mentioned going to church with his wife, then invited me to play golf with him and his pastor. With a grin, he said, “You’ll like this guy, Scott. He’s not one of those ‘religious’ types who’s hard to be around. He drinks beer, tells crude jokes, and even cusses! He’s just like you and me!”
I didn’t say much, but his words stuck with me. I thought to myself, “If he’s just like me, how can he possibly be a pastor?!” At the time, I didn’t understand what it meant to follow Jesus. I was living for myself, caught up in habits and choices that didn’t honor God. But that conversation stayed in the back of my mind.
Years later, by God’s grace, I surrendered my life to Jesus. Everything began to change – not because I was trying to earn God’s favor, but because I wanted to live for Him. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the truth of 1st John 2:4-6: “If someone claims, ‘I know him well!’ but doesn’t keep his commandments, he’s obviously a liar. His life doesn’t match his words. But the person who keeps God’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love. This is the only way to be sure we’re in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.” (The Message)
Those words hit me hard. I began to see that knowing Jesus isn’t about saying the right things – it’s about living the way He lived. When I came to Christ, I started to dislike the person I used to be. I didn’t want to cuss like a sailor anymore. The music that once filled my ears felt wrong. Gossiping, lustful glances, and entertainment that glorified sin lost their appeal. My hobbies and passions shifted, not because I had to change, but because God’s Spirit was working in me, giving me a new heart and new desires.
Now, this change wasn’t instant. Nor was it easy. There were days – still are days – when I stumble. Old habits creep up, and temptation is there staring me in the face. Sometimes I grow spiritually lazy, and before I know it I’m wrestling with the same sins I thought I’d left behind. But here’s the beauty and wonder of God’s grace: when I confess my sins, He is faithful to forgive me. As 1 John 1:9 promises, He cleanses me from all unrighteousness. The guilt and shame of my past don’t have to hold me hostage anymore – they’ve been nailed to the cross.
The truth of 1 John 2:4-6 reminds me that following Jesus means walking as He walked. It’s not about being perfect, thank God! It’s about pursuing a life that reflects His love, His holiness, and His obedience to the Father. The Holy Spirit is my guide, gently convicting me when I stray and teaching me how to overcome temptation. Day by day, He’s shaping me to become more like my Savior. Without Him, there would be no change and I would remain dead in my sins.
Yet, as imperfect as I am, I want my life to show that I know Jesus… not just in my words, but in the way I live. I want to love others as He loved, to forgive as He forgave, and to obey God’s Word as He did. That’s the kind of life that brings glory to Him.
Jesus said, “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent” (Luke 5:32 NLT).
I thank Jesus for calling me to repent and be saved, and for that I owe everything to Him.
Former Blackout Artist 