I grew up attending church. I often heard that Jesus was the Son of God and died to pay for my sins. By believing in Him, I could have eternal life (John 3:16).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 3:16 (KJV)
I made a profession of faith at age 13 and was baptized. I thought I was saved and would go to heaven when I died. But there was no real change in my life, and in time my life got worse.
Ten years later, in the midst of a lot of pain and suffering because of my sin, God opened my eyes to see that I had never been truly saved. Yes, I had intellectually accepted what the Bible taught about Jesus being the Savior. But I knew nothing about Jesus’ full message to “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:15 (KJV)
To repent is to awake to our sins and turn from them. To believe is to turn to Christ and trust Him for pardon. True conversion always involves both. They are like two sides of a coin. You can’t have one without the other. In my original profession of faith, I had no real awakening to my sin, only a fear of hell. And my belief in Christ was really just an assent to facts about Jesus, not actual trust in Him and turning to Him.
Once my eyes were opened to my sins, I knew Christ was my only hope and greatest need. I got on my knees, confessed my sins, asked His forgiveness, and gave my life to Him.
Something changed inside. God became real to me in ways I had never known before. I had a hunger for the Bible and prayer and wanted to live for Him. And these have never left me. I experienced what Paul said:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
This new life set me on a lifelong journey of following Jesus and being increasingly transformed into His likeness (Romans 8:29).
“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Romans 8:29 (KJV)
What about you? Have you turned from your sins, trusted Christ, and given yourself to Him? Are you a new creation, following Jesus and becoming more like Him daily?
Discover how you can grow in following Jesus. Explore the new series on Authentic Discipleship by author Thomas Tarrants:
