What was life like before you met Jesus?
I have struggled with sin because I wanted to feel free in some way. The only thing that could pay for that sin, even though it didn’t go away, was to ask God to forgive me. My sin struggles will always be something that I remember but I have been forgiven for.
How did you meet Jesus?
Last summer when I was at youth camp I was struck when one of the youth pastors talked about Colossians 3:17 which says “and whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” My sinful activity was not serving the Lord. When I heard the message, I felt free in God. My sin was offering a temporary solution that would not last. God never changes and is eternal. I stopped looking for worldly pleasures and started to look toward Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for me even though I was born a sinner. I notice every day. We can’t save ourselves, we need someone else to do it. I needed a perfect person to die on the cross. He loves me enough to die for me; he was the sacrifice to forgive me of my sins so I could go to Heaven and be with the Lord someday. That’s the number one thing I want to do. I want to meet Jesus in person. I felt so much freer after reading the Bible. Jesus dying on the cross for me means that I’m free from being trapped by temporary worldly pleasures to live for Jesus! I want to be baptized because Jesus is my Lord and Savior and I want people see me now proclaim that Jesus has saved me.
After being saved by Jesus, what is your life like now?
God never changes. He is always there for me and so I get to spread the gospel without fear of what others think of me because even if they dislike me, God's love is forever.
Ephesians 5:1-3 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” My desire for reading the Bible is more than my desire for my sinful actions. When I’m tempted to do or say something sinful, I ask myself, “what does the Bible say about this?” The Bible says that all sin is an abomination in God’s eyes and I should serve and live for Jesus. I look forward to being able to see Jesus face to face!