A Great Friend in the Body of Christ -- "Terry"

One guy whom I really looked up to, Terry, was a man who was after so much more in this life. He did not want to settle anymore for any less.

This man shared with me a number of times how he was tired of the life that he was leading. He wanted more , a man who was not afraid to quote God’s Word when times were tough.

It was Terry who ministered grace to me, even after I had the worst day at Hawthorne High School, then I gave one of the best interviews ever. Even the principal had to admit that I had a lot going for me --- in the interview.

Terry was the first person who taught me the importance of getting my mind off of myself and to focus on the truth of God’s Word – God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.

Terry was a great guy, one of the first people who questioned the whole Twelve Step cult – which at the time I was not prepared to do, since I did not see anything wrong with taking my inventory, with trying to make myself better so that I could better serve God and others. At least, this was based on my terrible lack of understanding about the Gospel.

He started getting in touch with other support groups, which then brought him to the celebrated passage of John 8:

“Neither do I condemn thee -- Go, and sin no  more!” (John 8: 11)

Now, the "Little C" Church has got it bass-ackwards- "Sin no more, then we will not condemn you" – but that never changes people – never! The condemnation is no longer there:

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8: 1, NIV)

We need the gift of righteousness first, and then the grace of God flows in our lives – Romans 5: 17.

He had learned what I was still struggling to accept – there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Yet because I was so suffused with AA, I could not break away from the idea that I had to keep taking my inventory– at least, for the time being. When  a man has such a conscience of sin in his life, he will find himself getting nowhere, and fast:

"21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7: 21-24)

Too many people for get the last verse in Chapter Seven:

"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7: 25)

But Terry was already learning about it, and now so have I!

Terry was one of the first men to stop going to those CR meetings. He was not afraid to admit that he was not getting the help that he needed from the Twelve Steps.

He was the first of many who introduced me to the grace of God, the unmerited favor of God almighty.

God has already forgiven us! This gives us the power to forgive and to live!

Terry was always there when I needed to talk to him. He was someone who was interested in sharing the Gospel with others – he was the type who was tired of the hum-drum run-of-the-mill Christian walk which brings so many people into bondage.

I do not know where he is, but I have tried to get in touch with him time and again. Terry figured out something sooner than I did, I believe, because he was not imbibed on the terrible AA program the way that I was.