16: THE PERFECT GUEST

IF THERE’S ONE VERSE IN ALL OF GOD’S WORD that fills my sails with speed-propelling wind like no other, it would have to be, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). You know what that means? God wants you to be in His family! The way He accomplishes that is to give you the grace to open the greatest Christmas gift you’ll ever be able to touch with your own hands.

To make this most-important-of-all chapters clear, I offer some pictures. The Bible identifies three kinds of people.

A drawing of a throne surrounded by a jumble of words (worries, work, dating, school, decisions, friends, parents). The word Self is on the throne. Outside the cloud of words is an arrow labeled Christ moving toward the throne.

Natural Person

1. The throne pictured here is the throne of your life. Whoever sits on the throne calls the shots. When self is on the throne, self is in control, and all areas of life revolve around the self. This life is usually characterized by searching, guilt, confusion, and loneliness.

First Corinthians 2:14 says, “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him.”

A drawing of a throne, with the word Christ on the throne and the word Self below it. Radiating from the throne are the words worries, work, dating, school, decisions, friends, and parents.

Spiritual Person

2. Here, Christ has been invited into the life. The Holy Spirit now has been placed in control, and He gives the person strength and power over the areas of his or her life. (This life is characterized by love, happiness, and peaceful feelings.)

Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10, KJV). He not only adds years to your life, but He adds life to your years as well. He came not only for the sweet by and by, but also for the nasty here and now.

A drawing of a throne, with the word Self on the throne and the word Christ below it. Some of the surrounding words (friends, work, worries, school) are aligned with it, while others (decisions, dating, parents, and prayer) are misaligned.

Carnal Person

3. Here, the Holy Spirit is in the life, but self is back on the throne. Most of the decisions are made to gratify self. Christ is resident, but He’s not president. (This life is characterized by an up-and-down spiritual and emotional existence.)

I believe that once a person sincerely gives his or her heart to Jesus, He is there forever. But if this “carnal person” picture is you, you need to ask, “Did I really, sincerely give my life to Him in the first place, or was I just saying the words of a prayer that had no life-changing meaning to me?” If you are practicing habitual sin, and that fact doesn’t bother you, read Romans chapters 6, 7, and 8, and give your heart completely to the Savior!

Which of these represents you, and which would you like to be? If number two (spiritual person) is your goal, you can expect your smile to grow. Your ability to love and be loved will become greater.

Here’s why: When you become a Christian, the Perfect Guest (the Holy Spirit) comes into your life. When Christ went to “sit at the right hand to judge the nations,” His Spirit was given to the earth to bring people happiness, satisfaction, and power for holy living.

The Holy Spirit is a “helper” to give you peaceful feelings.

The Holy Spirit is the “comforter” to give you loving feelings.

The Holy Spirit is “power” to give you the ability to do what you know is right.

To be a spiritual person, you need to ask God to control every area of your life and be your Lord. Then, by faith, thank Him for doing it.

“Ask and you will receive” (John 16:24). Is God a liar? I know He’s not.

“Lord, fill me with Your Spirit. I give my life to You.”

After years of trying to do it all myself, I found I had achieved all my goals except one. I was unhappy. I didn’t know anything about love, particularly in terms of sex. I finally gave my life to Jesus. The “Perfect Guest” came into my home, and what a difference He made in my life!

Now almost every day, I get to watch Jesus change another person’s life. I watch Him remove guilt from so many young people who’ve made mistakes and want to turn around. I’ve seen kids pray in desperation before or after a suicide attempt, and that self-destructive desire was replaced with a desire to live, love, and grow. I’ve watched Jesus grow in every member of my family and make them more attractive and more lovable every day.

I watched Him completely turn my brother around as He has done for so many others. My brother was an undercover agent (a “narc”). He worked heroin traffic in the streets and in the ghetto. He was mean, tough, bitter, rebellious. The church was not his favorite hangout.

I watched that man weep as Jesus moved into his life and gave him peace.

I’m convinced Jesus can do it for you, too. It happens in the quietness of your heart as you open the door to your life and by faith receive Him.

Those of us in youth work have always been aware that the odds of a person’s becoming a Christian after age eighteen are only about 15 percent. That is, around 85 percent of those who reject the opportunity during their teenage years will never see heaven.

If you feel a need to receive Him into your life, just close your eyes and pray the most sincere prayer of your life. The moment you ask Him in, He is there forever. Thank Him for a new beginning. Thank Him for eternal, abundant life!

Discussion Questions

  1. Truthfully, who sits on the throne of your life today?
  2. Even if you have asked Jesus to be your Savior, what are the things that tempt you the most to put yourself back on that throne?
  3. If you have not yet asked Jesus to be your Savior, would you like to do that now? And if you have but the Holy Spirit is not on the throne of your life, are you willing to put Him there? Why or why not?