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I meet a lot of people who tell me that they have always been Christians. Well, have you ever been awakened and convicted of your own sin? Have you ever come to that conclusion about yourself? Because that’s the first mark of being a Christian. Of course, this happens in different ways, at different times, and with different degrees of intensity in different people. So how would you know if this has happened to you?
When you are awakened, you will come to the clear conclusion that you are a sinner. You will say, “I have already sinned enough in my life to fully deserve the eternal condemnation of God.” That’s the first thing that happens when you become a Christian.
Have you come to this conclusion about yourself? When you do, the pride, the swagger, the self-righteousness, and the pretense will all be gone. You will feel that you are a person whose only hope is in Jesus Christ. And hope will have begun for you.
