I had the privilege to grow up in a home with parents that took me to church and taught me about Jesus. I knew stories about Jesus and people in the Bible, but I didn’t really know Him until I was 6. I had a friend named Anna who was born with heart problems and had some other health issues. I did not know she had these issues since she seemed like a normal child. One night Anna went home to be with the Lord. I was at her funeral and saw her lying in the small casket and wondered why she had to go. There are few things I remember from her funeral, but one thing I will never forget is people coming up to me telling me not to worry because Anna is with Jesus now. Since I had the privilege of growing up where I was taught the truth from the Bible, I knew that Heaven and Hell are real. Now I knew that my friend was with Jesus in Heaven for all eternity. This thought scared me, not because my friend was gone, but because I knew I had never asked Jesus to come into my life and save me. I knew I was a sinner because we are all born sinners and this separates us from God (Romans 3:23). When I lied and was not nice to my brothers, that was sin and I instantly started feeling bad about those things. I knew that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I began to wonder where I would go if I died. What if I was the one that died instead of Anna? These thoughts worried me for a couple of days after the funeral. I could not stand the thought of going to Hell and being eternally separated from Christ, I knew I had to do something about it. I knew that the Bible tells us that God died for my sin, taking it upon Himself so that I could have eternal life in Heaven with Him (John 3:16). He rose from the dead three days later, defeating death. I prayed and said “God I know I am a sinner, I know you died for my sins. Please forgive me for all the wrong I have done. I want you to come into my life and make me new”
After I prayed that prayer I felt a joy and peace like never before. I knew of God before, but I had not known Him as my Savior. I now know that when I die I will go to Heaven and spend eternity with Jesus Christ. Since accepting Christ’s free gift of salvation I have not lived a perfect life, but I am free from my old way of living. I now have a hope, which is Christ. I still have trials and sin tempts me, but with Christ I am able to resist it. As I spend time reading my Bible and praying I grow closer to God and He directs me in what He wants me to do.
Everyone’s story is different, but no amount of sin is too much for God. Apart from Christ we cannot save ourselves and there is no other way to Heaven, but God offers salvation to us freely. He is the only one that can satisfy us. I pray that through reading my story you will see that Christ loves you so much that He sent His own Son to die for you so that you can spend eternity with Him. I hope that you will see that sin separates you from Christ, but through salvation you can have a relationship with Him and share in the joy that I now have!