God’s grace.

I was born in a Christian household where my parents cultivated weekly scripture reading at our kitchen table and provided a church community during the weekends. At a young age I was baptized without fully acknowledging my sin and the great work of Jesus Christ at the cross. Despite attending church and identifying as a Christian. I was still prideful and blinded by my sin, transgression, iniquities, and unbelief. I still lived according to my worldly desires and could not see fruits in my personal life. I lived a selfish life. A life that was easily influenced by what this world offered. Ultimately, I lived by what my deceiving and wicked heart desired.

I lived blinded by sin until my early 20s when God opened my eyes and put a new desire in my heart. I had witnessed the amazing work of God in the life of my sibling and desired “what he had.” Ezekiel 36: 25-27 says, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” I know that on my own I could have never desired righteousness, but rather it was all God’s grace and work in my life. As I read scripture, I was convicted of my sin and hypocrisy. Sorrow took hold of me as I accepted the gospel truth of 2 Corinthians 5:21 where “God made Him who had no sin [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” I repented of my sins and asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. Once I struggled with selfishness, lust, emptiness, lack of identity, and lack of self-control. I was set free by the blood of Jesus Christ. I am now born again and fully dependent on the Lord.

I thank God for using my family to plant the seed of the Good News in my life. I can now say “one thing I do know, I was blind but now I see!” My new desire is to love His word and live for Jesus Christ. I am unworthy of this gift of salvation. However, I have put my full confidence and assurance in Jesus Christ, my redeemer. All the glory and honor be to our Lord and Savior, Amen.