My squad had a layover in NYC the evening of May 2nd until the morning of May 3rd. I decided that I would stay in the airport with the bags while other people went out in the city or to houses of family.
So when we got to JFK, we fond a spot out of the way that we could put our bags and I would watch them.
And before you think that I’m a saint for volunteering to watch bags to let other people go have fun-
I’m not- I did get $5 a bag from each person.
After everyone left and Becky was asleep, a guy came and asked me if he could leave his bag with me while he went and made a phone call. I said sure. A little while later, he came back, sat down beside me, and said that is so frustrating. Thus began my 3 hour talk/hangout with Godwin.
Godwin is a 24 year old man from Nigeria. This was his first day in America. He is going to go to school in Utah. Godwin is a Mormon- he’s already done his two year missionary work in Nigeria.
I told him about me and the squad. I told him about the World Race and what we do. After I finished saying what we do on the World Race he looked at me and asked me to tell him about Jesus. I talked to him about Jesus and what I believe. I found out that Godwin did not believe in the eternal security of the believer. He believed that salvation can be lost and that we need to keep God’s commandments to keep our salvation.
I have a degree in Accounting. I have not studied the Bible like crazy. Yes, I went to Bob Jones all of my life and granted, I know a lot- but I don’t remember all the references to verses and such.
I would think of verses that I wanted to share with him but couldn’t remember the references. I was intimidated. This guy knew his stuff. He knew exactly the verses and references because he spent two years preaching this stuff and repeating the things Mormons believe over and over. I was fumbling. As I searched for the references to the verses that I wanted I would pray to Jesus to help me find them. I found all of the verses that I was looking for. It was incredible! As I searched for verses and ways to explain why we don’t need to work for salvation- that it is a one time thing- God gave me an analogy. I think that it really hit home too.
Once we are saved, we enter into the family of God.
It’s just like an earthly family. When you are born you belong in the family you were born into. Once Ashley was born to Daniel Albert- she is an Albert for life. No matter what she can’t shake it. Ashley is a sinner. When Ashley sins, it doesn’t make her not an Albert, it makes her father sad and disappointed. It also makes Ashley sad because that marrs her relationship with her dad. No matter what she does though, her father stills loves her or should still love her. That is where there is a difference. Earthly fathers fail. No human is perfect and that just shows that no father is perfect. God is the perfect father. There is nothing that we can do that makes Him stop loving us. There is nothing that we can do to lose our salvation. There is nothing that we can do that will make us not be in the family of Christ. That being said, if we indeed have a relationship with Christ- we will want to do things for Him. When we have a good relationship with our earthly father- we want to make him proud, we want to do things for him.
We don’t stop sinning (or sin less) in order to be saved, we stop sinning (sin less) BECAUSE we are saved.
Because we want to please our Father.
The absence of sin is not a requirement for salvation. The absence of sin is a result of salvation.
And we can take that to the bank.
Godwin was super suprised and excited to meet young adults that are passionate about our Saviour. I think that he truly loved our meeting and conversation. I know I did.
<3 Ash
