“The Missing Piece”
He walked up to me after I finished teaching the Bible lesson. From the way he carried himself and his confidence when he talked, he acted as if he were 13. “How old are you, John?” I asked.
“I’m eight years old,” he answered, looking me squarely in the eye. “I came back because I ask God to forgive my sins, especially lying, every single night before I go to bed. Sometimes I lie to my grandma to keep one or the other of my parents from getting into trouble. But then I go upstairs and tell God I’m sorry, and then I tell her I’m sorry too, and she says, ‘Thank you for being honest with me. Try not to lie again.'”
I quickly responded, “Well, John, you’re on the right track by asking God to forgive your sins,” Inwardly I was thinking, He’s probably a Christian already, and just needs to realize that he was forgiven for his sins as soon as he trusted Jesus. “John, did you know Jesus died on the cross to take away your sins?”
“No, I didn’t know that,” John answered, still looking me in the eye. “But now that I do know, I want to tell Jesus I believe in Him to take away my sins.”
He closed his eyes and prayed right then, succinctly and confidently. “I believe You died to take away my sins. Please forgive all my sins.”
John needed help putting together the whole picture. He had already understood the “puzzle piece” about the fact that he had sinned. He already had the “puzzle piece” about the fact that only God can forgive sins. By explaining about Jesus’ death and resurrection John was able to connect the missing piece and truly understand who he was in Christ, it was an amazing moment.
