I say some pretty strong things on this website. By what authority do I say them?
I’ll start by telling you a little bit about myself. I was raised a Catholic. I believed that Jesus died on the cross for me, but didn’t appreciate why. I never realised that if he hadn’t borne my sins I would have to go to hell to pay for them myself. I felt that I was basically a good person and that therefore I would probably end up in heaven.
I used to think that these people who called themselves “born again” Christians were a bit weird even though Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3).
In 2000 I started going along to an evangelical church. I went there because my life was going nowhere at the time. I was drinking a lot, I wasn’t enjoying my job, and sometimes I wished I was dead.
I soon got into the habit of reading the Bible daily and before long I realised that I was a sinner and that I deserved to go to hell. I also realised that the Lord Jesus had willingly died in my place so that I could be forgiven.
Conversion
I remember lying flat on my face in my bedroom, seeking a holy God’s mercy. Thankfully God is rich in mercy and it says in John’s first letter “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).
Since that day I have been walking with the Lord. I no longer drink or smoke (I was a thirty a day man!). God miraculously took away these addictions. I now have become hard working and consequently enjoy work. But above all I know that one day I will be in heaven.
I have experienced what it is to think of myself as a Christian, without actually being one. I have also experienced the Holy Spirit working in my life as a believer, so I feel quite qualified to talk about these things. But I do get things wrong. However, there is something much more reliable than my opinion.
The Bible
There have been a few days in the last four and a half years when I haven’t read the Bible, but you could probably count them all on the fingers of your hands. I have studied the Bible and have never found it to be wrong about anything.
Amazingly it is the only religious book that dares to authenticate itself through prophecy. No Biblical prophecy has ever been shown to be wrong. In addition the Bible gets to the heart of man’s problem – his lack of righteousness. And it provides a solution.
I would encourage you to be like the Bereans who Paul met – “they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:11).
I believe that the message I have given in this website is a true representation of the scriptures. If, however, you do find anything wrong with my interpretation of the Bible, please e-mail me to let me know.