Remembering Salvation - Happy Birthday

by Brian Bill
Published October 2, 2007

(Written on October 2, 2004)

I approached my sophomore year in college with some trepidation. Not only had I suffered through a long summer, languishing in the aftermath of a relational rupture, but now I was headed back to the University of Wisconsin to face a new college roommate. As far as I was concerned Bruce was just plain boring. He didn’t party like I did and he read his Bible all the time. But I had a plan for getting rid of this religious nerd.

I hung “cold beer” signs up in my room, stocked the refrigerator with Miller Lite so he couldn’t get his milk in it, and asked my buddies to smoke in the room because I knew he hated it. My goal was to get Bruce so angry that he would want to move out. And when he did, I would hopefully get a roommate who knew how to live it up. Without fail, no matter what I did to Bruce, he responded with kindness. I was the one who ended up getting angry.

One day Bruce told me that he was going to find another roommate and a different place to live. I was thrilled but tried to hide my enthusiasm. I even dared to ask the obvious question: “Why do you want to move out?” I wasn’t prepared for his answer. He told me that he wanted to live with a Christian. Well, that set me off. I told him that I was a Christian. I’ll never forget what he said next: “I don’t think you are.” I can’t repeat what I said in a family newspaper but suffice it to say that I did not appreciate his self-righteous and judgmental spirit.

Later that night, after I had cooled off a bit, I tried to fall asleep but was nagged by what Bruce had said. What if he was right? I knew he was but I was having a hard time admitting it. Finally I said to myself, “I’m not a Christian but I want to become one.” That sent me on a spiritual journey that began that very next morning as I picked up Bruce’s Bible after he left for class and started to read it (I was in the habit of cutting classes so I had plenty of time to read). The more I read the more I wanted to read. During these days I can remember sitting out in the courtyard reading his Bible with one hand and holding a can of beer in the other. This was really a metaphor of my life at that point in time. I was battling between following Christ and going the way of the world.

A short time later Bruce invited me to a Bible Study. I went but didn’t say a word the whole night. I was dumbfounded by how relevant the Bible seemed and I was bowled over when I saw about 10 other guys from my floor in the room. I continued to read Bruce’s Bible (without letting him know) and attended the Bible Study the next week. This time I asked a bunch of questions and argued with every answer.

The following week I went again and this time I asked questions and took the answers to heart. I still remember the passage we were studying from John 3:3 when Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” My buddies explained to me that just as I was born physically, so too, I needed to have a spiritual birth.

I went back to my room that night, and after Bruce went to sleep, I stayed up and read the entire Gospel of John. When I finished reading I started praying what was perhaps the first prayer I ever prayed from my heart. It went something like this: “Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I’m making a mess of my life. I know that I’m not a Christian and I want to become one so I’m asking you right now to forgive me and to come into my life. And if there’s anything I’ve been doing that you don’t like, please get rid of it.”

I prayed this prayer on October 3, 1979 and I will celebrate my 25-year spiritual birthday tomorrow. I’m so thankful that Bruce had the boldness to question whether or not I was a Christian. May I be so bold to ask you the same thing? Do you have a spiritual birthday? Don’t put off the most important decision you will ever make. As 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, it’s dangerous to delay: “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”

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