A pastor, who has been serving in grassroots churches for over two decades, always says, "You need to experience God," when he meets a person.
Reverend Ju, who has been stationed in a southern Chinese city for more than twenty years, often went to church with his mother since young, following his mother's faith. In his youth, he found God’s teachings to be excellent and was willing to follow God's word, but he said he believed rationally. However, when he began practicing God's truth, he discovered that while his spirit was willing, his flesh was weak. Even as someone already serving God, he found himself unable to live out God's word.
He was already 26 years old when he experienced God’s renewal and transformation. For the first time, he felt, "God is with me, and I belong to God." When God's grace came upon him, his heart was enlightened. From that point on, he felt that he had finally begun to preach the kind of messages that could bring people into God’s presence.
"This is the first threshold of faith," the pastor said. If a Christian, even a pastor, has not passed this stage, their subsequent faith and service are meaningless. Without a renewed life, a person may understand God's word theoretically, with a lack of conviction and is even unclear. They are uncertain when they testify to others about the gospel or preach the truth.
In fact, many Christians in the church, and even some pastors, have not experienced spiritual renewal.
As for how Christians can experience God, be renewed, and be transformed, the pastor said, "When a believer stays in the church listening to sermons and waits for the work of the Holy Spirit, they will inevitably be transformed."
The pastor not only experienced God himself but also witnessed many others experiencing God's grace.
One Christian man from the pastor's church, upon hearing that the pastor was going out to serve, insisted on accompanying him. That day, he unexpectedly arrived at another church, sat in the front row, and began to listen attentively. During that sermon, he experienced God’s renewal and was reborn and saved. Others have experienced renewal from God during prayers of repentance.
"God’s word is like a seed," the pastor added. "But a person's heart must also be prepared. When the Holy Spirit works, the seed will sprout. However, if a believer attends services but lacks sincerity, they may still not experience rebirth and salvation."
To help believers experience God, the pastor often reminds them to make prayers of repentance. However, he cautions, "If you don't have the assurance of salvation, don’t assume you are saved. For those who are assured of their salvation, do not waver or doubt."
The pastor continued, "Many times, we hear God's word and assume that we are saved. But in reality, we cannot obey God’s word, and there is no change in our behavior. This indicates that we lack the true faith."
The changes in a person’s life after coming to faith also vary from person to person. Some experience noticeable changes shortly after believing, such as no longer gambling or cursing. "These are superficial changes," the pastor noted. "Such changes come from human willpower, and by human will, one can follow God's word. However, in certain circumstances, God may allow a person to experience failure so that they can truly humble themselves to seek Him and realize, 'I have no grounds for boasting.'"
He reminded, sometimes Christians may be overcome by sins. When this happens, the Holy Spirit will remind us to repent. In our repentance, we often resolve not to commit the same sin again. However, after a week, we might fall into the same sin, repent again, and then fall again after ten days. Through continuous repentance, victory over sin gradually comes.
Overall, each person’s experience of faith is different and cannot be generalized. "The truth of salvation may be the same, but people’s experiences and feelings differ. Some, after experiencing God’s salvation, have great assurance and believe that whether in life or death, they are saved. This is not about doctrine, but whether or not we have assurance," the pastor concluded.
- Edited & translated by Abigail Wu
