Lesson Nine: What About Me?

In the last two months you have been on a journey of faith. You have learned about God and His love for you. You have learned about God's church, with all of its victories and defeats, its glories and its tragedies. You have a better idea now than you had at the beginning of our confirmation class about what it means to be a Christian.

A wise man once said, “Knowing that Christ died is history. Knowing that Christ died for me is salvation." There is a great deal of truth in this statement. Confirmation, you remember, means to “make firm," or to “make sure." This week you will have the opportunity to meet with the pastor. He will talk with you about one of the most important decisions you will ever make - the decision to give your life to God. He will remind you not just that Jesus died, but that he died for you. He will ask you whether you want to take Christ as your Savior and the leader of your life.

We have talked in Confirmation Class about how Jesus Christ died for your sins. Now you must decide whether you will respond to God's love by making a serious effort to live for God rather than yourself. You are a young adult now, and you must decide for yourself whether you will take seriously Jesus' command to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is not to say that you will always live perfectly. You will make mistakes. Yet God promises is His Word that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and can be depended upon to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9)

There are many different terms that the church uses to talk about this decision to live for God. Whether we call it “receiving Christ," “being born again," or “making a decision for God," we are talking about the same thing. In making this decision you are simply taking the first step on a great adventure that will last the rest of your life. Deciding for God will affect how you live your life, your personal values, your choice of a spouse, and your choice of a job.

Another way to talk about taking God's gift of salvation is to use John Wesley's language. In deciding for God you are promising to live a life of holiness to the best of your ability. You are promising to try to perform acts of piety and acts of charity every day. You are promising to support God's church with your prayers, your attendance, your financial support, and your service to the church and the community. You are promising always to be part of Christ's Church, to attend faithfully to private and corporate worship, and to serve others through the church and other helping organizations.

The result of a decision to live for God is that you receive His gift of salvation. This gift assures you that your sins are forgiven and that God will take care of you now and forever. This gift makes you part of God's family, both here on earth and in heaven. The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Accept Christ as your Lord and Savior today. Doing so is the first step on a journey that lasts forever.