A friend told me a story of a group of them, as teen-agers, hanging around a garage talking as they often did. In the garage was an old light that they had never seen work; the bulb had been changed, a different outlet was used, but no matter what was done the old light never worked that they knew of. For whatever reason, the light was never thrown out, and the boys never gave it a thought.
On this day, the conversation went to a discussion about God and one of them said, “I just don’t understand why God doesn’t show me something, why can’t I see a sea part, where’s my burning bush?” As the words left his mouth that old light turned on and they all looked at each other wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open.
You would think that experience would have sent them all on a quest to learn about God; but it didn’t, they all went on with life as most teen-agers would.
Like this “crazy experience”, many people have experienced visions, or overwhelming feelings and emotions during concerts or messages; but experiences are not the equivalent of salvation, God may use such “crazy” experiences to get someone’s attention or use it as a catalyst to their ultimate salvation, but the experience itself is not equivalent to, or evidence of salvation.
On the other side of the coin, many people are discouraged because they have not had a “crazy” experience. They are often envious of those that have had such experiences. They might think, “well, I have never experienced anything like that, so I must not be saved.”
To this person I would also say, experiences are not the equivalent of salvation.
Salvation comes by repenting and believing the Gospel.
The Bible DOES NOT say, salvation comes by first receiving a miraculous experience, then repenting and believing the Gospel. The Bible does say, “repent and believe the Gospel”.
Two things must happen in the process of being saved and they are far more amazing than an old light turning on, or seeing a vision at a concert.
1. A person must “move on”, they must “leave”, what they thought to be true and embrace the Truth of the Gospel. They must have a change of mind.
2. God must initiate and enable this change of mind. He must open a man’s mind and heart to the Truth.
God MUST ALWAYS initiate, if He didn’t, men would be perfectly content, and even prefer, to continue to gratify their flesh in every sin they cling so closely to until they die and go to hell.
So I would ask you, which is the greater miracle, an old light turning on, or the Light of God illuminating the dark mind and heart of men who love the darkness?
