From Homecoming King, To Homeschooling Dad - Part 3: New Life

Have you ever wished at least once in your life that you could start over? Have you ever looked back on things from the past and desired to do things differently? Have you even wished you were born as somebody else? I can say with certainty that I was tempted with these thoughts in my early teen years. Thankfully though, I did not allow these thoughts to captivate me or control me. I was able to push forward and live out my life (as I shared some of those experiences in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series). And thankfully, although it was long overdue, I started a new life with the slate wiped clean.

As I shared in Part 2 of this series, I got saved on November 17, 2002 as I was going through some health issues. After that day, I went back to college (Longwood) to finish out my last semester prior to graduating early. I soon realized that I had changed, however I didn't fully understand the change. What I mean is that I began to revisit some of my old ways prior to getting saved and something just didn't seem right within me. I recall a friend of mine asking me if the reason I didn't "feel" right about things I had done before had any connection to my experience on November 17, 2002. I responded with a confident, "YES". I remember telling my friend that something changed within me and I did not feel right continuing in the lifestyle choices I once partook in. The change within me was the fact that before November 17, 2002, I did not have Jesus Christ within my heart, although I professed to be a Christian simply because that is the way I was brought up. However I was not a Christian before November 17, 2002 since a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ and I was doing everything but following Him! Furthermore, I had never actually repented of my sins and asked Jesus to forgive me of the wrongs I had done and therefore I was a sinner like all other human beings that have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

I finally graduated college in December of 2002 and began my new life (both physically and spiritually) in the working world soon after. I also was continuing to live my new life as a born again Christian. What did this look like exactly? Well, for starters, I began to have a deep desire to know more about God through His Word. I found my self completely immersed in the knowledge and wisdom God's Word provides. I recall telling my grandfather when he was still living that I just wanted to know as much as I possibly could about the Bible and how to live a Christian life. He responded with Matthew 5:6 which says, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." And hungry I was for the truth! I had already spent 22 years of my life without God being first place in my life. Finally He was first place and I just desired to know more and more about Him!

Second, as I learned more about God through studying His Word, I soon realized that being a Christian is that "new life" many people wish for at least once in their life. I found out that when a person repents of their sin, they become "born again". This of course is not physical, but rather spiritual. When one becomes "born again", they become a "new creature." Second Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all thing are become new." This was a great feeling! "WOW, I get an opportunity to start over in this life", I thought at the time. But then I realized that it was a life that required dedication and commitment. It was not a life for the faint of heart.

Being a Christian is the best thing one could hope for in this life (and the one to come)! However being a Christian meant that I could no longer sin! As I stated previously, after being saved I began to revisit some of my old ways. However when I said I didn't feel right about it, I didn't completely understand it until I saw second Corinthians 5:17, specifically, "...old things are passed away." God showed me that I could not be a Christian and continue to live a sinful life. This was made apparent to me when Jesus told two different people "SIN NO MORE" as recorded in John 5:14 and John 8:11. Jesus had given me a new life to live for Him, not for myself in a sinful way. As I went to church and studied God's Word more, I finally saw what I needed to live this new life in the way God wanted me to (without sin). I needed the Holy Spirit! Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in my life, there was no way I would have the strength to stay away from evil. Yes I would be tempted, however being tempted is not a sin. Yielding to that temptation however is! I learned that I was just like the people in Acts chapters 8 and 19 that believed but did not yet have the Holy Spirit.

So I prayed and asked God to please empower me to live a righteous life and help me live this life He had given me as a new person (without sin). I didn't actually ask for the Holy Spirit (in those exact words), however I did ask for strength not to sin which resulted in receiving the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful that to this day, I have had Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit in my life to live for Him. If I have ever failed, it was because I messed up, not God. I am thankful though that God was (and is) gracious and merciful and will continue to help each one of His children to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We however must have the desire and seek God's kingdom first since He is the only one that can give us a NEW LIFE and the POWER TO LIVE IT!

This is me just after being baptized by my grandfather (right) and another fellow brother (left) in Christ! Baptism does not save a person, but rather is an outward sign of an inward work!