That's interesting, can you give any details of that, like how he led you from that day forward until you repented? (If you want to, no pressure).
I had an experience 5 years ago where I was shown God is already there within our spirit..like the whole reason we're even alive is because of him...and it is our minds and our human will that keeps us separated from the truth. (Of course, I could not verify that with scripture alone I don't think) but in the case of redemption, when Jesus died on the cross, and from that point forward, he has been drawing people to him. He took the sins of the whole world, and for all time, upon himself - and now its up to us to answer his call...
One of these days I'm going to do some serious journalling, and study of scripture, but since I'm "newish" to the faith, and early in my walk, I don't want to make a mistake and be deceived, so I am taking my time to learn of him through the lens of the bible alone.
My understanding completely contradicts the usual evangelical viewpoint.
Romans1 is very specific that God has revealed himself to ALL MEN, that all men know the truth deep inside, deep in their conscience.
Read the words carefully..........
Romans1v18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
The above scripture is not about understanding Doctrine, not about the Christian gospel, nor the crucifixion. It is a constant drawing of the Holy Spirit pulling on the heartstrings of all men calling them to bend their will towards him.
When a man bows his heart and acknowledges God, IT IS AT THAT POINT HIS SPIRIT IS BORN AGAIN.
Take note, new birth has absolutely nothing to do with preaching the typical gospel message.
Taking it even further.-
1Cor1v18For the message of the cross is FOOLISHNESS TO THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The above phrase, "Those who are perishing", refers to those who are spiritually dead, ie. not born again. Such people cannot possibly understand the cross because they are SPIRITUALLY DEAD.
The above tells us at least 3 things. -
1) To comprehend the message of the cross, ie. the death and resurrection of Jesus, you must already be born again!
2) The message of the cross was never aimed at getting people born again.
3) The message of the cross is meant entirely for those who are previously born again, and is about discipleship and growing in spiritual power.
Getting people born again was never the responsibility of Christians, pastors or evangelists. Getting people born again is the sole job of the Holy Spirit.
According to Romans1, as posted above, God has a hotline to the inner heart of every man. If God through his spirit cannot convict that man, how do we expect to do so!
Paul makes it clear that a man without the Spirit is a dead man and does not have the equipment to comprehend the message.
1Cor2v14But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Before man can accept THE THINGS about God, he first has to be made alive by accepting THE IMPLANTED SEED OF GOD. In other words, as per Romans1, man has to surrender to God's convicting presence in his conscience. This is what the parable of the sower is all about. How deep do we allow the seed of the Spirit to be planted?
The extent that we allow the seed of the spirit to grow in our hearts, is the extent that spiritual discernment grows.
So back to my own experience.
I mentioned that God spoke to me in my early teens. But before that, I had already had an encounter with God in my bedroom, and I said to God "Don't forget me..........".
He didn't forget me, and some years later he spoke to me in the street.
I was with a group of kids from an Anglican church youth club at a bus stop. I was at the periphery of a discussion when someone suddenly said,
"OK then, who goes to heaven and who goes to hell?" Everybody turned around to an older lad called Ray who was the altar boy, and he boldly answered,
"That's easy, good people go to heaven and bad people go to hell!"
As that happened, it was as if a blanket descended upon me, a blanket of truth. I heard these words.
"He is totally wrong because everybody is bad, and I am bad, but God has made a way, and I don't live in that church, I live in your heart!"
In the four years we were at that church, I do not recall the gospel being preached, so those words were not from my head knowledge but external to me, although heard within.
From that time on I switched off to Christianity, or at least what passed for Christianity by my limited experience. As far as I was concerned, my belief in God was an internal experience. I knew what I knew and church was an irrelevant nonsense. (That was a subjective judgement of weak Anglican preaching.)
Then in my mid-twenties, I was doing a college course and ended up being accosted by the Godsquad, the college Christian union. I made it clear that I had no interest in Christianity, but there were some interesting girls there, so I went along for amusement's sake.
Gradually, after a few arguments, I realised they were talking about the God I already knew.
At that point, it was the conviction of the Spirit that drew me. I was being drawn in.
I made a full commitment to Christ and started walking with him.
They made me jump through their hoops, pray the "sinner's prayer", and told me I was now "born again".
I was quite overwhelmed because I was experiencing the Holy Spirit in a far deeper way than I'd ever done before. But there is no way that I was newly "born again". That had happened long before in my childhood.
