When asked, “How did you come to know Jesus Christ and how do you live that out today?”
I began with a story,…
“A month ago as I was typing an e-mail to my discipler, I wrote each word in utter shame, disgust, and frustration.
‘Dear L, I have refrained from telling anyone about this sin that I am struggling with for couple weeks now. This sin festers like cancer cells that won’t stop reproducing. The symptoms are unseen, but the depth of its destructiveness is horrendous. Ultimately, my sin is a combination of my lack of lovingness and my excessive amount of pride. I constantly pray to God to help rid me of sin and magnify everything good, yet I continue to fail in my attempts. Couple days ago, I read in James 5, ‘Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.’ So I felt convicted to share this sin with you.’
On an occasion much like the one described in my letter, I came to the realization that my sinfulness had forever separated me from my Creator a few months before my sweet sixteen. Though I had been exposed to the gospel since sixth grade, it was not until four years later that I laid myself bare before God knowing that there was nothing I could do to save myself from sin. Through one of my pastor’s sermons, God gave me faith to believe that the birth of Jesus Christ along with His death on the cross is God’s ultimate gift of grace that paid the ransom for my dying soul. I was no longer my own. My Savior gave me life; so whether I live or die, I am the Lord’s.
Knowing that I am now dead to sin and alive in Christ, I consider my struggles and trials all joy. There is no greater joy than living in the comfort of Jesus’ triumph over death and in hope of Jesus’ return.
Not too long after I confessed my sins to my discipler, the Lord was faithful in revealing to me His purposes.
‘Dear L, Praise God! Last night, when I confessed to C that I struggled to love her, He reached down to earth and opened my eyes to two alarming truths: 1 My disobedience to God in my sin is far more despicable than any sin anyone could commit against me. 2 Though God is perfect and holy, He chose to love us regardless of how wretched we are. How much easier should it be for me, a sinner, to embrace a dear sister in Christ!’
This glimpse at my story prompts me to ask, “How did you come to know Jesus Christ and how do you live that out today?”