Grace For Y'all Part 2

by Jon Gee
Hello everyone, this is the other half of team Gee. I want to echo what Michelle said in her post about Redemption Group Training, that it would be intense. We knew we would be confronted by our sin and we knew we would have to be vulnerable in front of strangers, what we did not know is how profoundly we both would experience the Holy Spirit’s love, grace, and power. 
           
By trade I am a therapist, and on a daily basis I see people who are suffering, broken, looking for fulfillment, and trying (with varying degrees of success) to change.  As a result, I assumed what we would experience at the Immersion would be similar; I couldn’t have been more wrong. When the Holy Spirit shows up all we can ever really do is underestimate Him because there is nothing so big as the power of God. In three short days I saw miracles being worked in my life, Michelle’s life, and the lives of the men in my group.
           
What we learn at Redemption Training sounds like what you hear in church service on a given Sunday, but what Redemption training does is enable the understanding to penetrate into all aspects of our life. I came to understand so much better that God is truly good and He alone is necessary and sufficient for joy. I learned how to rest in His glory, trust in his sovereignty, and how to truly repent and experience the forgiveness, love, and grace of Christ.
 
Before this immersion I even thought I had a decent understanding of grace and repentance, but that was a lie. Intellectually I understood the blood of Christ covered my sin, but I was not living as if I believed that. After I sinned, I would dwell in my sins and attempt to atone for them myself by working or trying to spend more time with Christ. When I failed at this (and I always would), my heart would become hard and I would distance myself from God. I believed foolishly that my sin was too great for Christ to overcome, which ultimately belittled the power of the cross. 
 
In my group, I was given the opportunity to repent of my specific sins to Christ in front of men I hardly knew. When I did this I was surprised by how I felt. I no longer felt shame, guilt, despair, or even a skeptical attitude toward Christ’s goodness, but instead, felt a freedom, peace, and joy that I never remember having. I felt loved, and finally understood what it means to rest in God’s presence. Reflecting back on it, it seems so simple and yet I cannot articulate how truly miraculous it was; something changed in how I understand God’s love for us. I have never felt like I have had a more genuine relationship with Christ than I do today. I experienced something I want everyone to have—a true understanding that God loves us and He is more than enough.
 
Convinced of Christ’s love, and now having a deeper understanding of his grace, I am currently emboldened through the Spirit and actually feel passionate about sharing Christ’s love. Since I had previously not been convinced of His goodness and grace, my faith had been something that I only shared if asked about it. However, seeing firsthand the power of God in the immersion, I have been given the courage and understanding to pursue those conversations about faith with others. For example, I did this with my sister, who is currently not a believer, just yesterday, and we had an incredible conversation as a result. I now realize that the more loving act is to confront others with the truth about who God is.
 
As I said earlier, it is hard to articulate what exactly happened at the Redemption Immersion, but God’s love for us is real, and He is SO GOOD. It is amazing how much happened in three days, it was nothing short of a miracle (and they do still happen).
 
As Element prepares to begin launching its own Redemption Groups (that will be 10 weeks and not 3 days) we encourage you to trust in the goodness of God and the miraculous changes He will make in people's lives. If you are interested in hearing more, please reach out to me (Jon), Michelle (the other half of team Gee), Mike Harmon, Eric Djafroodi, or Deb Harman about our experience.