I'll Never, Ever, Be A Christian!

This is Victor Tey's story.

Ever since I can remember I was a believer in the theory of evolution (ie. big bang, molecules to man), and it was due to this belief which was indoctrinated into me mainly by my father and the many science teachers I respected at school, that I never gave eternity and the things of God a chance. Afterall, when you die it's all over right?

My story would have to start with my older brother Jason Tey accepting the Lord Jesus in 2001. I was at a stage in my life when I was really looking forward to the university party life, no cares, no worries. I distinctly remember a conversation with my brother's old friends which included the phrase "I will never ever be a Christian!". Well since Jason's appointment with Christ, heated debates, discussions and arguments were had in the small unit of 53 at 6 Hampton Street in Burswood where gracefully God was slowly peeling away the false teachings of this world and replacing it with layers of Biblical truth.

You see, like most ignorant athiests and self-professing "bible-experts", I was under the impression that the stories in the bible were nothing more than moral tales and myths, including the life and person of Jesus. I never realised how blind I was until after months of pride-guided research, God graciously opened my eyes. Not only was He making me question my whole belief system and perspective on life, I was starting to realise what God was really like. His Holiness, Perfection, Goodness, Love and His perfect Law. It was about this point in my life that I didn't know what to believe, but I knew that if I was to face a God who knew everything about me, and was the judge of whether I would go to heaven or hell, I would definitely be going to hell.

In 2003, BPCWA held a national camp at Nanga Bush Camp. To tell you the truth, the only reason I agreed to attend was because it was being solely financed by my persistent and "brain-washed" brother, who "just wouldn't see it from my point of view". So I went with the assurance I was getting a free 5 nights of food and shelter. The only thing I can thank that camp for, was the people I made friends with when I was there, because I left the camp satisfied that Christians did not have the answers I was looking for. I remember being told by some of the camp attendee's "You will never know everything, only God does". Fair enough, but I wanted to be sure of enough to know I wasn't being suckered into something. So after the camp, life returned pretty much to normal. The topic was stressful to think about so it was easy to put it on the to-do list for a time when it mattered, like retirement.

Two years passed and God wasn't letting me get away that easy. I was reaquainted with a friend, called Sue-I, who attended a nearby church who wasn't hesitant to bring up the topic of God. Knowing I was somewhat open to the topic she would never fail to call me up every Sunday morning and pick me up to take me to church. Being polite, and having the feeling I was doing the right thing, I would drag myself out of bed and get ready for church. I hadn't accepted Christ yet, but it did reignite the desire to find out more. So my research and never-ending line of questions to believers continued, to the point I was making evolutionists questions their beliefs with what I had learned. Jason delicately described me as "someone who was helping build the ark but refused to get on board".

Then on one fateful night in 2005, it was a Friday and I knew Jason would come home and then head to church. I told myself "If Jason invites me to church tonight, I'm going to go." Well praise God who answers prayer, because the first words out of his mouth as he walks through the door were "We're having a gospel rally tonight would you like to come? There's dinner as well." God or no God, who would decline that invitation?

That night Pastor Ed preached a message about heaven and hell and what it was going to be like. The passage was:

[Matthew 8:11] And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
[Matthew 8:12] But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But it was the story of the restaurant owner who put a sign outside his shop which said "Pay today, eat FREE tomorrow" which woke me up to reality. That I could die at any second and salvation was not something to be put off and become the tragedy of too-late. It was then I learned about the other attributes of God, His Grace and Mercy. I was ready to accept Christ although when I sat and talked with Pastor Ed, and he asked me if I wanted to pray and accept Him there and then, I politely declined and said "Maybe another time".

On the Saturday night as I sat quietly in front of my computer reading a "This Was Your Life" tract all the way through, I eventually reached the last page containing the sinners prayer. I admitted I didn't know everything but I knew enough. That the bible was true, that Jesus was real, died and was resurrected, that in God's eyes I was a sinner and that if I was to die right there and then I would end up in hell. So I asked Jesus that night to come into my heart and be the Lord and Saviour of my life.

At that moment, I thought their would be a loud noise, perhaps a gush of wind through the apartment... but nope, nothing. Although everything was the same there was something different that I couldn't quite explain. I felt the weight of a thousand bricks being lifted off my shoulders as God gave me the peace of knowing His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and Him knowing me. I knew from this moment on if I were to die I would be spending eternity with God in heaven because Christ had paid the price for my sins.

Although I thought I knew quite a lot about God and the Bible, as I began to grow in Christ I realised how little I actually knew and how much God was teaching me everyday. Revealing to me more and more each day not only my own sinfulness but the sinfulness of the world around me. God started to change my heart to hate the sins I once loved.

A few weeks into accepting Christ I attended a Street Evangelism with the church and it wasn't until explaining the gospel to a muslim, using the the judge, criminal and courtroom analogy that the sacrificial death of Christ clicked with me. It made absolute sense! I know I had already "accepted Christ" but I don't think I felt saved until that day, when God gave me His wisdom to understand His love for us in sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins.

My worst fear when accepting Christ was the thought that I could have been wrong and made the wrong decision. To be showed up and ridiculed by my friends and family. But what I've found is that every time I've ever had a doubt, a question or a problem, God has always been faithful and provided me with answers and explanations. Each time this happened I could trust God's Word more and more. Now I know 100% that the bible is THE Word of God written down for us through the pens of His servants. As I continue to live for Him, His Word becomes more and more real, making sense of the world around me and showing me what really matters in this life.

So I hope for those of you who are sitting in the audience reading my story, that you will learn from my experience and come to the same conclusion. Sure you may not know everything, but you know enough, and that is; that you are a guilty sinner before a Perfect and Holy God, that he sent His only Son to die on a cross for sins you have willingly committed against Him, was raised from the dead and YOU need to put your faith in God's promise of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. If you get up out of your seat now, walk out the door and something unfortunate were to befall you, you know that your only destination is hell. It's not somewhere I'd want you to end up and I may not even know you! Don't trivialise this issue, there is nothing more important to you than your eternal salvation.

NOTHING.

In Christ,
Victor.