For starters, I thought I would share my testimony.
I was born into a Christian home, as are like 90% of the people I have met in my life. (Pulled that percentage out of my butt; it's probably not accurate.) I was raised going to Sunday school, learning Bible stories, having family devotionals, practicing all the Christian holidays, and telling everyone that I was a Christian.
It was not enough to save my soul.
My head knew it all. My heart knew very little.
I kinda sorta did as I pleased. I knew I had to uphold myself publicly as a Christian, therefore the decisions that I made that were not in alignment with Christianity, I justified.
Me, gossiping? Everyone already knows that about _____. I'm just saying facts.
Me, being impure & physical in my relationships with boyfriends? At least I'm not having sex. It says to not have sex in the Bible. (And even when it came to sex years down the road, I was most likely going to marry this boy in the future, so at least I "saved myself" for him.)
Me, idolizing music & performing? It's what I do with my life, I can't help but put everything I am into these things.
Me, drinking underage? I'm in a controlled environment with my friends. I'm not going to make bad decisions.
You see, I called myself a Christian but actually wasn't. Not because I was sinning, because I still sin every stinking day of my life. No, not because of what I was or wasn't doing, but because Jesus hadn't saved me yet. He hadn't called me. He hadn't opened my eyes. My time hadn't come.
There came a point during college where my decisions couldn't be justified any longer. I plainly knew what I was doing was sin. I needed to be saved from myself. And in those moments where I continued to choose my flesh, my sins, this world above Jesus, He came and revealed to me that He chose me over Himself.
Jesus died my soul to save. At the beginning of time, my name was written on the palm of His hands {Isaiah 49:16}. He knew, before man was even created, that I would come into existence and that I would need His saving grace. He knew that in order to do that, He would have to humbly leave the riches & glory of Heaven to become a poor human. He knew He was going to be betrayed by the ones who claimed to love Him most. He knew that He was going to be questioned, mocked, beaten, whipped, and murdered, all to accomplish my salvation {John 12:27}.
Because of that unfathomable grace, I am now free from being enslaved to the law and to my works! I don't have to hide the things I am doing wrong, because it's not avoiding wrong and doing good that makes me a Christian. It is by grace through faith that I am a believer of Jesus Christ {Ephesians 2:8-9}. I can freely proclaim my unrighteousness, because that points to how righteous our God is!
And PEOPLE, it doesn't end there! Yes, I need to know how unrighteous I am in order to view God in all His glory & splendor, but because I have received the gift of faith, I have been clothed in His righteousness {Isaiah 61:10, Romans 5:17-19}. What this means is that I have been washed as white as snow {Isaiah 1:18}. I have been deemed a new creation {2 Corinthians 5:17}. When the Lord looks at me, He sees Jesus, because Jesus' blood wholeheartedly covers my sins.
Day by day, He is sanctifying me to become more like Him {Romans 6:22}. I don't have to continue into the destructive path of sinning.
"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives for God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." {Romans 6:6-11}
Does this mean I do not sin anymore ever for the rest of time? No, of course not! But the pull towards sin patterns has been broken. My chains are gone. I've been set free. He has given me the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell within me, to convict me of sins, to lead me on the path towards righteousness {John 16:8-10,13}.
Okay, so this is my testimony. You may be wondering where you fit in to all of this. Let me tell you.
Some of you who are reading this are saved. Some of you who are reading this are not saved. You may be a believer. You may be where I was at the beginning of my testimony. You may be in a place where you feel anger & hatred directed at God. You may be confused. You may want to know Jesus, but don't know how to get there.
"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"" {Romans 10:13-15}
Humans who are reading this: we are living in a time of anticipation of the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is urgent that you know Him so that you do not spend eternity away from Him. It is not enough to try to spend your life doing good. Everyone needs Jesus. Call on Him, and He will save you. And for those of you who know Jesus, how are unbelievers to know of Him if they never hear of Him? As a believer, you are called to preach. You have been sent by Jesus! Go!
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe al that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." {Matthew 28:19-20}
Someday I will meet my Savior, face to face. I will come to know all the fullness of God. I will spend my eternity bowing down at the feet of the One who saved me {Revelation 5: 11-14}.
Will you be with me?
And PEOPLE, it doesn't end there! Yes, I need to know how unrighteous I am in order to view God in all His glory & splendor, but because I have received the gift of faith, I have been clothed in His righteousness {Isaiah 61:10, Romans 5:17-19}. What this means is that I have been washed as white as snow {Isaiah 1:18}. I have been deemed a new creation {2 Corinthians 5:17}. When the Lord looks at me, He sees Jesus, because Jesus' blood wholeheartedly covers my sins.
Day by day, He is sanctifying me to become more like Him {Romans 6:22}. I don't have to continue into the destructive path of sinning.
"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives for God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus." {Romans 6:6-11}
Does this mean I do not sin anymore ever for the rest of time? No, of course not! But the pull towards sin patterns has been broken. My chains are gone. I've been set free. He has given me the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell within me, to convict me of sins, to lead me on the path towards righteousness {John 16:8-10,13}.
Okay, so this is my testimony. You may be wondering where you fit in to all of this. Let me tell you.
Some of you who are reading this are saved. Some of you who are reading this are not saved. You may be a believer. You may be where I was at the beginning of my testimony. You may be in a place where you feel anger & hatred directed at God. You may be confused. You may want to know Jesus, but don't know how to get there.
"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"" {Romans 10:13-15}
Humans who are reading this: we are living in a time of anticipation of the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is urgent that you know Him so that you do not spend eternity away from Him. It is not enough to try to spend your life doing good. Everyone needs Jesus. Call on Him, and He will save you. And for those of you who know Jesus, how are unbelievers to know of Him if they never hear of Him? As a believer, you are called to preach. You have been sent by Jesus! Go!
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe al that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." {Matthew 28:19-20}
Someday I will meet my Savior, face to face. I will come to know all the fullness of God. I will spend my eternity bowing down at the feet of the One who saved me {Revelation 5: 11-14}.
Will you be with me?
Kylie, You have a gift. You are an amazing writer. I love reading these blogs and listening to how you represent the person that you are. The love of God shines through you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so, so much for your encouragement. The Lord continues to reassure me through other people that this is what He wants me to do be doing right now. Thanks, Sarah!
DeleteKylie! Finally read up on your blogs! Thank you for sharing your heart and your life. :) miss our #realtalk in the hallways of Abel. Wishing you and your hubby nothing but the best on today - GO BIG RED!
ReplyDeleteHannah, thank you so much for your encouragement! Hearing this from you means so so much to me! Love & miss you, always!
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