Rev. A.J. Ogden

Not many times in my eighty year pilgrimage have I purchased a new car. One reason is that they are priced too high. If you buy one at a dealer and drive it five miles home, it will be worth several thousand dollars less. That little ride is an expensive one, isn’t it? I believe a used one is a better deal if you are careful, very careful.

But I have noticed one thing that happens on the very few cars I bought. When you start to drive it, everything and his brother tries to damage your pretty new paint job. A deer will jump up out of a ditch and smash your grill in, or some flying object like a rock from a lawn mower will come from nowhere to ding or dent your paint job. A shopping cart at the super market will target your new car. It almost seems to draw dings and dents from all directions. You must watch out for fender benders as everyone seems to aim at it!

Almost the same thing happens to a person when they accept Christ as their Savior, and become a born again believer. The world around you is not very happy about your conversion and they will always be throwing things at you, trying to make dents and dings in your joy filled life. They cannot take away your salvation but Satan wants to steal away your happiness with all kinds of slurs, insults, and mockery to put you down.

Sometimes a new Christian will let sin dent him before he realizes it. That is exactly what Satan and his crowd wants. Stand your ground and don’t be ashamed of our Lord. He was not ashamed of you at Calvary.