My testimony is that I was totally convinced that God would and SHOULD accept me the way I am. If He didn’t, oh well, I’d find a god that did? Besides, I was a good person. A REALLY good person. Why wouldn’t God like me? I said grace for food, I was nice to strangers, I was a good brother and son, surely I’m going to heaven?
This carried on until one night, I was out with my then girlfriend and a couple of close friends. One friend pulled me aside and started questioning my relationship with God and my salvation. I didn’t really care too much and just ran a rehearsed set of answers through my mouth. I heard the Gospel that night and didn’t even know it.
The conversation ended with “…you might not be saved?!”. The audacity! How dare my close friend tell ME about MY relationship with God. If I wasn’t then forget them both!
I have come to know now that what took place over the next 3 years is described as regeneration and is beautifully described in Titus 3:5-6 “…he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…”.
I spent this time reading the bible trying to prove my friend wrong, only to find that I indeed was a vile filth laden sinner, dead in trespass and sin, having no ability to make myself right with God and completely deserving of His perfect justice.
I was broken. What was I to do?!
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved-…” Ephesians 2:4-5
God’s graces have lead me to make my wonderful girlfriend my wife after hearing the Gospel for the first time; overcome my fear of social relationships and find a loving family of worshippers here at Shore Baptist to plant roots in. By Gods grace, my wife and I have now been baptized and Lord willing He will continue to guide me for His glory.
To testify to these events is a grace in and of itself. I am unworthy of having God’s grace give me new eyes to see, new ears to hear and a new heart to love, and for it I am eternally grateful.
Soli Deo Gloria
