“When Jesus Christ enters a life, life changes. If there is no change, there is no Jesus. Sorry, everything is about fruits and changes.”
~ Peter Pollock
The Holy Spirit challenged Peter Pollock, the former test cricketer from South Africa in the 1960s, the night he became and was born again from above, “You are in the process of trying to win the whole world, something May you never, ever do it! But tragically, you are in the process of losing your soul. “
He had been watching a television debate involving evangelists and atheists. Peter was on the side of the atheists.
God had broken into Peter’s soul, and it was through something of Jesus that he had recognized in Reinhard Bonnke (the evangelist) that he had recognized earlier in his wife, who more recently, herself, had been born again from above.
Then the Holy Spirit told Peter that the real things in life were not all his many accomplishments, the esteem he had earned through fame and fortune, but that it was his family; his wife and four children. They were the important ones.
It suddenly occurred to him how much he had fallen short. Suddenly, the waste of a life not lived for Jesus washed over him. But then the Holy Spirit assured him that the years he had eaten the lobster (Joel 2:25) would be rewarded, he would have a second chance to restore those family relationships. They were not abusive; they were simply not what they could become.
Despite what had happened, Peter spent the next several hours debating Christ in a small fellowship attended by his wife, just down the street from their home. He kept resisting. But when they left that house, they gave him a piece of paper that had the prayer of the believer on it, and when they got home, he said that prayer in the depths of his garden in secret. There were no flashes of bright white light or anything, but there were real tears, tears of regret, and Peter hadn’t cried for so many years.
Peter had the eyes of his heart opened and he had given his life to the Lord, all in six hours.
***
Change is something that happens to people when they are inhabited by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not about trying to keep up appearances, none of that at all. It’s about being real. The more real a Christian is, the more glory of God works in and through them to transform them, day by day, into a greater Christlikeness.
Here is some advice Peter Pollock was given, having confessed that he had given his life to the Lord, the best advice he has ever received:
If you are worried about your sin or sinning, don’t worry … just keep your eyes on Jesus Christ.
All goes well.
© 2014 SJ Wickham.
