The Call to Act

by Orlando Gonzalez

Conversion stories are quite fascinating to hear, aren’t they? For me, I’ve heard my fair share of interesting stories. I have heard of men who used to be devout worldly religious members of certain denominations who were fully convinced that they were right with God. Still, when they came into contact with actual Christians and decided to investigate the Scriptures more meticulously, they found out the harsh truth that they were far from saved. Some used to be heavy into the gothic culture and Wicca, only to abandon their former lifestyles and beliefs once exposed to the glory of the imperishable Word.

These kinds of stories not only tell a lot about a specific person but also give valuable lessons that can help listeners. I know that almost every time I tell someone about how I became a Christian, they are usually left in amazement, probably because of how much God had worked in my life to get me to be here in Nebraska and how ingrained it is in the minds of young people to be curious to find true meaning, purpose, and spiritual fulfillment in this life and beyond, even if your family and your peers are not all that invested in God. I won’t go telling that whole story. Instead, I will tell you about how I finally responded to accepting the invitation to become a child of God.

Several years ago, I was baptized at the Eastside Church of Christ in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I was 19 at the time, and a sermon caused me to decide to take the plunge into the water finally. That particular sermon, delivered by an elderly gentleman (I can’t remember his name, unfortunately), was simple, direct, concise, scripturally accurate, logical, and loving. The preacher didn’t speak harshly, nor did he speak with fear or nervousness. Even to someone who didn’t act like his age at the time, I could still tell when a person knows what he’s talking about and whether he’s making sense. As he preached, that man excellently explained what the spiritual Kingdom was about, including why it was important for the lost to become a part of it.

I had already known that Christianity was special, but I still wanted to fully understand what I was getting myself into. To many, there is comfort in learning about something as much as possible before making a major decision.

As the sermon went on, I quickly connected the dots with the information provided to me, and I naturally realized that I was now at a critical step in my journey, a step that I could not ignore or skip that very morning. For you see, at the time, I was already:

• I was open to hearing the Word (Romans 10:17)
• I had faith that Christ was the son of God (I John 4:15)
• I knew I was a sinner and a lost person (Luke 19:10; Romans 3:23)
• I needed to repent (Luke 13:3)
• I needed to get baptized (John 3:5; I Peter 3:21)
• I needed to stick with God for the rest of my life (I Corinthians 15:1-2; Galatians 6:9)

However, I was missing two things: an understanding of the whole process and knowing where I was in that process.

When that preacher delivered his sermon, it became clear where I stood. I realized I needed to get baptized immediately (Acts 3:36-39; 22:16). Any further delay would mean acting out of cowardice and risking my chance of securing a place in Heaven if I waited another day, let alone another hour. Furthermore, I would deny the rational thought, conviction, boldness, and sense of obligation within me. All of these pointed to one thing: I was God’s creation, and I was made to make the right choice -- not to remain on the fence for the rest of my life.

I left my old home back in New Jersey to achieve an important goal: To live my life the best way possible, and that required me to become an adopted child of God. There was no turning back once I had left my childhood home and my physical family. So, once the sermon was completed, the final prayer was said, and members and visitors went about talking to each other or exiting out the front doors, I went up to my long-time friend and father-figure, and told him (nervously), that I was ready. The rest is history.

Now, there is another conversion story that I want to mention. I have a good friend, who shared with me what made her want to choose Christ.

When she was about nine years old, she experienced several things that were quite terrifying to a child her age. Having a bad fall in the woods (which resulted in her getting stitches in her head), a severe allergic reaction, and a few other things the next few years had given her a high level of anxiety, which, coupled with her vivid imagination, led her to have some terrible nightmares.

Eventually, she got into a state where she felt like everything was either going to maim her or end her life seriously. After a while, she realized that she could not sleep at peace anymore, with the thought of dying in the current spiritual state that she was in. So, one night, she decided to express her concerns and her urgency to her parents about this (they were both Christians), and after some talking to make sure that she was indeed ready, her parents decided to fulfill her request, and on that very night, she was baptized.

I want to say that although she grew up in a strong Christian household, she still had the choice to either embrace the teachings she received from her parents and follow the Gospel or disregard them in favor of seeking fun, which is what many children often do. However, when she faced crippling fears, she demonstrated some important spiritual behaviors that we could all learn from: the recognition of your vulnerable state and finite existence on Earth (Psalms 103:15-16), the willingness to share with someone about your spiritual problems and concerns (James 5:16), and the great fear of God to motivate you to do what needs to be done (Matthew 10:28).

I have brought these two stories up because they both showcase the presence of two major human attributes that help us get closer to our Lord: fear and understanding.

On understanding, Proverbs 4:7 states: “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.” As for fear, Proverbs 9:10 tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

You will notice that my story showed more of the presence of understanding, and my friend's story showed more fear, but the two still carried both qualities. The fear of God and our desire to better understand Him are intertwined, and we must not ignore that special call when we feel that tug in our hearts to answer it. However, this is not a light thing to do. It takes a lot of boldness and humility to stand up against the world and accept God’s offer (John 15:18-25), and it takes a significant level of comprehension to know what you’ll be getting yourself into. Notice how Philip asked the eunuch if he understood what he was reading in Acts 8:30 before he baptized him.

My friend admitted to me that she isn’t a particularly strong Christian, and I don’t think I am either (at least not yet), but if there’s one thing I know for sure, it is that neither of us has given up. The journey of a Christian involves continuous personal growth, and we both are far different people now than we were before we joined the Kingdom of God, and clearly, that is for the better.

If you are not a Christian, but you fear God and see that the way of salvation does involve full-body immersion in water, then why are you still waiting? Why are you still delaying? Why do you still hesitate? Ask yourself this: Is it reasonable to do this? Is it truly worth risking your soul by putting off baptism for a future point in time, or, worse, never participating in it at all? How do you think God will see that? How do you know you will still be favored in the eyes of the Lord if you disobey a clear commandment such as this (John 14:21)?

Remember what the Apostle James said in James 4:17: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

I hope to see you in Heaven one day. I love you, and God loves you.