"And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."   (Mat. 15:14)

Dear Reverend,

After sitting through your sermon, and responding to your invitation, I invited Christ into my heart.   However, in the week since, I've become concerned.   The excitement I felt immediately after raising my hand and repeating your prayer has worn off.   I was wondering if this was normal, or should I be expecting more?   I remember you mentioning how exciting and victorious the Christian life truly is.   However, I'm saddened to say that I've quickly returned to my old sinful ways and don't seem to have the wherewithal to overcome them.
     To make matters worse, I found the following verse in the Bible:
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."   (2 Cor. 5:17).
Does this apply to me?   If it does, then you can see my dismay.   I don't feel like a new creature, nor do I seem to be thinking like one.   Are you sure I've done everything right?   I remember you saying to simply believe and pray the sinner's prayer and that's exactly what I did, yet there's nothing profoundly different about me.   Nothing has changed.
     I would also appreciate your opinion on something else I keep coming across in the Bible: the word, "repent."   In one verse, it talks about "Repentance toward God, AND faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).   In another place, the Bible says that God: "Commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30).   I even found one verse in Second Peter 3:9 saying that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."   I hope I'm not insulting you by pointing out verses you probably already know, but what really disturbed me, was the fact that Jesus, Himself, said: "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
     So, could you please send me some information on repentance?   I don't recall you having said anything about it during your sermon.   Perhaps this will explain why nothing has seemed to change in my life.

Yours Truly,   
Still the Same

[Christian Helps Ministry (USA)] [Christian Home Bible Course]