The Everyday Club

7/24/10 Arturo #3 about 40
Today I met yet another man named Arturo, also with a soft heart and ready to hear the Gospel. Arturo didn't want to be counted among the many church people who act like angels at church and like demons the rest of the week, and he knows his own life doesn't measure up. It was helpful to explain the distinction that "good people don't go to heaven, forgiven people do", and Arturo was glad to hear how he too could be forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ. Much of our conversation after that focused on what that kind of faith looks like, that it involves a repentant heart. Arturo knows that he can't stop sinning whether he wants to or not. I believe he said this because he has given it an honest try and I told him that he's right - he can't stop sinning, and even with God's help it will be involve daily repentance and a long process, but God will gradually remove his appetite for sin. Arturo is counting the cost, and although I didn't want to push him into a premature (and false) faith, I challenged him to put his faith in Jesus and repent of his sins today, for tomorrow isn't guaranteed. He gladly took more info, asked a lot about my church, thanked me profusely for what I am doing, and said he would indeed pray to God about this today.