Growing up I firmly believed I was a Christian, I went to church every Sunday and I would pray before I went to bed and was sure God was happy with me for these things. However when I was 16 I began reading the Bible for myself more thoroughly and I realised very quickly that was not the case. God’s word told me things like that I was dead in my sins and that I was storing up God’s wrath against myself.
Offensive as these things were, I couldn’t help but be convinced of their truth. God was making me very aware of my sins, how much I loved the things he hated and constantly rebelled against the very one who made me and that these things would lead to judgment. However even as God’s words convicted me of my great sin, God also made it very clear to me that he loved me with a great love, in that he sent his only beloved son to face the judgement for my sin. He had poured out his just anger towards me for my wicked ways on the one who had known no sin. I had no choice but to put my faith in Christ, as it was clear my righteous deeds were filthy rags and that only through Christ’s blood could I be made right with God.
I desired to repent of my sins as I knew I could no longer call Christ my saviour if he wasn’t also the Lord over my life. In this God has brought me from death to life, he has taken my heart of stone and made it flesh as my baptism today will symbolise and despite the Christian life being hard as I swim against the tide of the world and aim to walk in the spirit instead of the flesh I know that the God who started a good work in me will complete it and that his Holy Spirit dwells within me to help me fight the good fight of faith.
