A friend asked: "How did you come to where you are now instead of remaining in the Roman Catholic Church?"
My answer:
I was a serious Catholic.
I went to confess my sins to a priest and every time I sensed that I have sinned, there was a burden in my heart, and my conscience alerted me that I had a blackened heart, and there is an awareness of danger that if ever I would die, I might be thrown into hell. So I would hurry to the next chance to confess my sins.
One day, I was so tired, timid, ashamed of going to confession that led me into thinking, "There must be a better way"
I even prayed to an image of Jesus, and I said, "Please help me know how all my sins will be forgiven and be sure that I will go to heaven when I die."
One day, someone approached me, telling me that all my sins can be forgiven, past, present and future, if I would just receive Christ into my heart because although I know Christ, He was outside my life.
That illustration stuck in my mind.
After many years, I was alone in my room, and I took Christ at His word. I told him "Lord, if I have never truly received you before, now I am making it firm, please come to my heart and be my Savior" From that moment, I knew that Christ truly came. I look around and observed the room if there will be some light or sound that will show me that Christ was with me, but nothing of that sort happened. So I just told myself, even if no physical thing happened, Christ is in the Spirit and I know He is now in my heart.
I have always loved reading books, but this time reading the Bible was different because it talked to me as if I was being personally instructed and I can relate the experiences written there. Then I was immersed by Pastor Abante Sr. and since then I always visited his library. I read the books of John Rice, Charles Spurgeon, and the booklets of Leroy Shelton. Somehow, the books of Spurgeon made sense to me although it was in hard English. It was on those books that I learned how Christ was sent of the Father according to the scriptures, they showed me how Jesus, as the only begotten Son of God died for me as my substitute to cover all my sins with His blood.
Because all of those teachings were in Scriptures, I readily understood them and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as my substitute.
Another preacher came and told me that I am not saved by the sinner's prayer, but by the sacrifice of Christ alone, and I believed that, because it is in scripture.
Another preacher and another book explained to me some more about how I have no part in my salvation, but God planned it before the foundation of the world. And so I give glory to God all the more because He chose me to be saved.
My answer:
I was a serious Catholic.
I went to confess my sins to a priest and every time I sensed that I have sinned, there was a burden in my heart, and my conscience alerted me that I had a blackened heart, and there is an awareness of danger that if ever I would die, I might be thrown into hell. So I would hurry to the next chance to confess my sins.
One day, I was so tired, timid, ashamed of going to confession that led me into thinking, "There must be a better way"
I even prayed to an image of Jesus, and I said, "Please help me know how all my sins will be forgiven and be sure that I will go to heaven when I die."
One day, someone approached me, telling me that all my sins can be forgiven, past, present and future, if I would just receive Christ into my heart because although I know Christ, He was outside my life.
That illustration stuck in my mind.
After many years, I was alone in my room, and I took Christ at His word. I told him "Lord, if I have never truly received you before, now I am making it firm, please come to my heart and be my Savior" From that moment, I knew that Christ truly came. I look around and observed the room if there will be some light or sound that will show me that Christ was with me, but nothing of that sort happened. So I just told myself, even if no physical thing happened, Christ is in the Spirit and I know He is now in my heart.
I have always loved reading books, but this time reading the Bible was different because it talked to me as if I was being personally instructed and I can relate the experiences written there. Then I was immersed by Pastor Abante Sr. and since then I always visited his library. I read the books of John Rice, Charles Spurgeon, and the booklets of Leroy Shelton. Somehow, the books of Spurgeon made sense to me although it was in hard English. It was on those books that I learned how Christ was sent of the Father according to the scriptures, they showed me how Jesus, as the only begotten Son of God died for me as my substitute to cover all my sins with His blood.
Because all of those teachings were in Scriptures, I readily understood them and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as my substitute.
Another preacher came and told me that I am not saved by the sinner's prayer, but by the sacrifice of Christ alone, and I believed that, because it is in scripture.
Another preacher and another book explained to me some more about how I have no part in my salvation, but God planned it before the foundation of the world. And so I give glory to God all the more because He chose me to be saved.
No comments:
Post a Comment