JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING

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JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING

          My devotional read, “There is no sin that cannot be forgiven.”  I thought of the extremely evil men that had ruled during my lifetime, Hitler, Stalin, idi Amin, men that had murdered thousands, maybe millions of innocent people. No sin? Their sins were so horrendous, I couldn’t imagine how their hearts could possibly be turned to ask forgiveness—or to forgive themselves.

          I thought of the aborted babies all over the world and it brought to mind the painful memory of sin I committed. There was a time when I was a young mother with three little ones I adored, all under the age of four. I couldn’t fathom the tragedy of a baby being born with no one to love and care for as I loved my precious children. They were in their teens when I was given the opportunity to endorse the petition to approve Roe vs Wade. Sincerely believing in my heart that I was protecting babies from living without love, I signed it.

          The Supreme Court hadn’t yet taken up the case when the deepest longing of my heart was filled—Jesus became my Savior and my Lord. As I discovered truth after truth in God’s word, my worldview changed drastically. Scriptures like Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Or from Psalm 139:13, “For you formed my inward parts, you covered me in my mother’s womb,” and many others revealed the horror of my thinking. I fell to my knees and repented with many tears. How could I have thought that death (I had no knowledge of the cruel procedures used at the time) was better than any lack a child might endure? “God,” I cried. “I am devastated! Can you forgive such a terrible sin?”

          I had joined the ranks of evil men by uniting with all those responsible for helping to get that bill passed, leading to the deaths of millions of innocent babies. But God in His mercy understood my faulty reasoning, warped as it was, and fully forgave me. I wished many times that my name could be blotted from that petition, and then, with joy, I discovered it had been nailed to the cross with all my sins and covered with the precious blood of Jesus.

          Every life has value and is precious. What was I to do with this beautiful revelation? God put a zeal for life in my heart and I boldly shared it with whoever would listen. A woman I was close to wasn’t convinced, but when an abortion happened in her family, she changed her mind. Another close friend listened to me expound on what I’d learned and saw it completely afresh. She became a warrior in her church for Life and witnessed my argument to a local congressman whose votes now reflect prolife. In time I began to see those who protested against life as Jesus saw me, a soul he loved who had yet to receive the truth and be set free.  

          But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 NKJV