STEEMCHURCH: PERSONAL TERTIMONY OF MY LIFE
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Since I have mentioned so many times the need to be born again in Christ and published the testimony of others, I have considered it appropriate to relate my conversion.
My life before being born again was a life without illusions. I had had a very sad family life and parents who did not get along. There was no love in my home but constant fights.
A few years later I met a man in the office where he worked. People spoke behind their backs and said they were Protestant. That intrigued me. As we worked together, one day I had the opportunity to ask him.
"Is it true that you are a Protestant?" I asked him. "Well," he said with a smile, "that's what they call us, but in reality I'm a Christian." I did not understand, are not we all Christian Catholics?
Another day I ask him: "Hey, Juan, do you believe in the Virgin?" "Yes, he answered me, but we only believe what the Bible says about the Virgin. What the Bible does not say, we do not believe it. "
"And do you believe in the Pope?" He replies, "No, the Bible does not speak of any Pope."
I told him: "The Bible, the Bible, whenever I ask him something, he answers the same thing, which the Bible says. The Bible is a book written by men, why is it so important? "
"It is written by men, but it is inspired by God," he replied. Afterwards, I kept thinking and meditating on everything that Mr. Juan said.
To all this Juan had a very good testimony. It was different from the other men who worked there. He always helped everyone he could disinterestedly, he did not play sexual connotations, and his life reflected a lot of peace. The others respected him very much.
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When Juan saw that he was asking so many questions, he decided to invite me to the evangelical church where he was one of the pastors. The following Sunday I decided to attend. In those days there were few evangelical churches in the south of Spain, but despite being so few in the congregation there was a different spirit and they received me with much affection. There was an atmosphere of love and peace that impressed me. It was just what I needed. The praises they sang touched my heart. I had never heard such words. All he knew was the solemnity and coldness of the official church. I decided that I would return to the small congregation because it began to give me courage. They gave me a Bible, my first Bible. I still have it in memory. But I did not find salvation there because it was not time yet.
One day I was invited to some Bible studies in a Christian cell. In the Bible study I first heard the expression "be saved." Everyone who attended that study claimed to have been saved. They were full of joy and confidence. They had no doubt that if they died that same night they would go directly to Jesus. That was a shock to me. Never in my life had I heard such a thing.
During a time of having been attending an evangelical church and having a Bible (which I did not read or study), I considered that I was already well with God, although I had no peace and I could not tell you how to know Jesus and receive eternal life or salvation.
The more I knew these people from Bible studies, the more I noticed how different they were from others. They trusted totally in Christ as their personal Savior and prayed aloud without shame. They loved others disinterestedly and sacrificed for others even for those they almost knew.
I began to study the Bible thoroughly looking for answers. After meeting these people and seeing the peace and security they had in their relationship with Jesus, I knew that they were very close to the Lord and I was not.
One day I decided to speak alone with the person who ran the Bible study. That day was the most important of my life.
When I asked him, "How is it that you can say without a doubt that if you die this very night you go straight to heaven with the Lord? I do not understand that, I can not say such a thing and I also believe in Jesus Christ. "
With great wisdom he answered that the Bible taught us that all those who have trusted in Christ for their salvation repenting of their sins, are saved and have passed from death to life.
He took the Bible and began to show me God's plan for the salvation of man. It started with Romans 3: 10-13 "There is no righteous nor even one." Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
He continued with Romans 6:23 "the wages of sin is death, but THE GIFT OF GOD is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord."
John 3:16 "For God so LOVED THE WORLD, that he has given his only Son, so that EVERYONE who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life."
"Eternal life, salvation, is a gift from God," he told me, "not for doing good works, but for faith in Jesus Christ," Ephesians 2: 8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of you, it is a gift of God (gift of God), NOT BY WORKS, so that no one can boast. " Surely he read me other passages until he saw that I had understood, I do not remember them all.
Then he closed the Bible. He put it in one hand and explained:
"Look. Let's say this is a gift for you. I offer it to you, it is for you, but if you do not accept it, it does not become yours. You have to accept it. "
This is the salvation of God in Christ. It is a gift that must be accepted. You do not have to work to get it, it's a gift is God's offer to the sinner.
Then he opened the Bible again and read Romans 10:13 "because everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
God offers you salvation. It is a gift that must be accepted through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no work you can do to get your salvation but you have to repent of your past life and invoke his name believing that only he can save you BY FAITH in his sacrifice on the cross. He paid for all your sins and now he offers you forgiveness. Each person has to do this personally. Do not think only in general terms, 'Christ died for all men', but think and say "Christ died for me. There is nothing I can do. He has done everything. "
I still did not understand something. I asked him a question that I do not remember well, but I remember the answer, Ezekiel 18: 4 "the soul that sins, that will die". That ended up opening my eyes. It was as if I had had some curtains in front of me and only saw in a veiled form but without understanding. At that moment the curtains were drawn and finally I saw clearly. If I did not accept God's plan for salvation through the sacrifice of Christ, I would have to pay for my own sins in hell.
At that time I was under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. At that moment I understood clearly for the first time in my life why Jesus Christ had to die to save me. There was no other way out. I was in sin and only Jesus Christ could get me out of the condition I was in. His death was the payment of my sin, he paid the debt and that is why he could offer me salvation. Finally, after so many years of hearing about the death of Christ on the cross, I clearly understood the reason why he had to die. HE HAD TO DIE. There was no other way, there was no other Way. There was nothing I could do except repent and believe. Good works, going to church, confirming myself, confessing to the priest, giving money to the church, NOTHING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, just accepting the gift of salvation BY FAITH I could satisfy the justice of God.
Someone had to pay for my sins: either I paid them in hell or I let them be paid by Christ in my place on the cross. There was no other way out. Everything was clear as water. I had a decision to make. The fear of dying without Christ took hold of me. I saw that hell was waiting for me because one sin was enough to send me there (James 2:10). God is perfect can not allow a sin in his presence.
"The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin" 1 John 1: 5-10, 2: 1-2.
Jesus said:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who is not born again can not see the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit, spirit is. Therefore do not be surprised if I tell you: I have need to be born again "John 3.
That day I knelt before God in prayer and I asked Jesus for forgiveness for my sins and to enter my heart and save me.
Revelation 3:20
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me. "
There are no words to express the peace and joy that filled my heart at that moment. A great weight was lifted from me. My joy could not be contained. Then I started telling everyone I knew, starting with my family. They had no idea what I had experienced and were rather scared thinking that I had become a sect. But what had happened is that he was born again by the Spirit of God.
Over time and seeing my faith and my life some of them would also become. All the glory is for the Lord, but he uses his servants through his Word to take the Gospel to the lost.
Today I am sure of having "eternal life and having passed from death to life" (John 5:24). I am a new creature, old things have passed, all are made new, (2 Corinthians 5:17). All the glory is for the Lord Jesus Christ because he is the only one who deserves it. That is why it is not pride to say that we are saved, but thanks and Faith.
I want to share with everyone the salvation of God in Christ because I know that like me there are many who are oppressed by the devil and the sin that dwells in them as he lived in me.
If someone wants spiritual help, or anyone has any questions, you can leave a short comment and we can speak by mail if you prefer.