Good Works No Way To God
Throughout my early life, I never had any desire to attend church or to read a Bible. I was, however, taught the more popular Bible stories and can remember going to special services at Christmas and Easter time. At school I did not believe in the theory of evolution and accepted that there must be a God of some description who created the world around me. But I had no idea of my need of a Saviour.
My life was tied up with the pleasures of this world. I would still be on that path today, had God not worked in my heart and life. It was at college that I met my wife-to-be, Debbie. After a short while of knowing each other, she invited me to a service here at Spring Road.
I started to attend church services on Sunday. Week after week I heard the message preached, messages clearly based on the Word of God - the Bible. I had been to weddings, funerals and christenings at other churches but the words spoken at these occasions seemed hollow compared to what I was now hearing. The message was clear: stop putting this world and its pleasures before God. Seek to know Jesus Christ the Saviour. It says in the Bible, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness...”
I heard the message but did not find it easy. I would hear sermons on Sundays and be moved emotionally and be stirred up to read my Bible on the Monday morning, but all too often that was the end of my thought for God for the week, until the following Sunday. There were various times throughout the years when I thought God was really speaking to me and that perhaps I was changing into a Christian.
I recently read a quote of somebody who said that “in every human heart there lies a God-shaped vacuum”. I wanted to fill that vacuum, but the harder I tried, the more difficult it seemed to become.
Then I heard a preacher who was preaching on the trials of Christ. The sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ not only on the cross but all that he endured throughout His earthly life were laid before me - that God gave up His Son to open a way of salvation for sinful men and women. God did all this. Something the preacher asked was, having had so much given to us, what have we given in return? I had nothing to give but a sinful and contrite heart. I could feel my heart starting to melt within me. I went away on my own to pray. As I prayed a wonderful joy flooded my heart.
I realised that I had been trying to become a Christian through good works, by making myself righteous, when all the time the only person who could take away my sin was the Lord Jesus. God had opened my heart and suddenly that “God-shaped vacuum” was filled. My experience is that all the pleasures of this life are not worth having, compared to the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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