I grew up in a mainly Christian home and used to go to church when I was little, but when I got older I stopped going. I had so many other things I wanted to do instead; play video games, watch TV, surf the internet, etc.
I have heard the gospel message since childhood, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) I knew I needed Jesus, but I don’t think I truly knew what that meant. I knew there was a God and knew who Jesus was, but I was waiting for…something.
I was waiting until I was better person; I kept telling myself, I would put my trust in Jesus when I was good enough and didn’t sin anymore, like I could earn God’s favor by my actions. This is of course is flawed and is not possible, we cannot “earn” our way to heaven. Jesus answered this in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I also knew I was a sinner, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), I just didn’t feel I deserved forgiveness until I was good enough. The truth is, none of us deserve it, none of us are good enough, that’s why we need the gift of grace God offers to us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
While I was sitting alone in my bedroom, one night, somehow I ended up on www.wayofthemaster.com website. On this site there was a pop-up asking if I was a good person, even though I knew I wasn’t perfect, deep down I still thought I was a good person, so I clicked yes. Then it walked through the 10 commandments, God’s Law, asking if I had broken any of them (have I ever lied – even once, stole anything – in my life, have I ever hated anyone – Jesus called that murder in your heart, have I ever desired for myself something that belonged to someone else, etc.). At the end I realized, not only am I a sinner but there is no NO way I can be good enough on my own to get out of the punishment I deserve for my sins, for “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
But this story doesn’t end there, there is Hope, there is Good News. Though we deserve death for our sinful ways, Jesus took the punishment meant for us, he died on the cross as a pure, sinless, sacrifice and paid our debt of death for our sins; then 3 days later, he was raised from the dead and concurred both sin and death. Once I realized the sacrifice Jesus made for me, I confessed my sins and accepted him as my Lord and Savior and at that moment I was “Saved.” As it says in Romans 10:9 – “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
