Celebrating 38 Years of Living Life (2014-07-06)
Today I celebrate my 38th birthday! No, I am older than 38, but it was 38 years ago, on July 6, 1976, Jesus Christ gave me life – I was born again (John 3:3). What a wonderful day that was!
As the Bible describes it, I was “translated from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of His Dear Son” (Col 1:13)…”out of darkness into His marvelous light” (2 Peter 2:10). Although raised by parents who held strictly to Christian moral standards (for which I am extremely grateful), I was, nonetheless, completely “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), and I realized that day that all of what I assumed were my “Christian” works to get me to heaven were totally “dead works” (Heb 6:1; 9:14) and “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) – works that were just as “dead” as me!
A person doesn’t know they are dead until they come alive; and when the “Zoe*” life of God was birthed within me, how different everything became! (My full testimony can be viewed here: www.slentz.org/testimony). The Bible was not just my religion’s textbook! It was my Father’s love letter delivered directly to me! Prayer was not a duty to be checked off on a chore list, but a precious privilege of intimate conversation with the Lover of my soul! Christianity was no longer a religion, but a relationship! Life now had so much more meaning and an eternal purpose for me! It was as when “…the day breaks, and the shadows flee away…” (Song of Solomon 2:17; 4:6). Being birthed miraculously by a God into His family, I could feel that I had become a “new creature” (2 Cor 5:17) or a “new species” as C.S. Lewis wrote about in “Mere Christianity”.
What a wonderful life! Today is my birthday! Today is my celebration of that wonderful day that began a wonderful journey which includes wonderful companions to encourage me along this Way of Life – my loving wife and children, and so many others that put joy in the journey! The Life for which Jesus died and rose again to make it available for me! Hallelujah!
*”Zoe” is the New Testament Greek Word for “Eternal Life” which is extremely different than “bios” the Greek Word for biological life.
