Before or after your water baptism?
I was baptized when an infant in the Catholic Church. In my case, my catholic baptism did not give me any new life that I could hold on to, nor did the other sacraments I received through the church. My eyes were not opened by any means through the grace we were to receive through these sacraments. Instead, my love to practice sin grew stronger and stronger and dominated my will throughout my childhood and adult years.
Instead, what I did receive through the church, and am thankful for, is God’s Holy Law. As it was His commandments that eventually did their glorious work in me to slay me and condemn me to everlasting damnation.
My faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior came through the hearing of the Word of God which was prompted through my desperation of seeking forgiveness for all that I had done. It was then and through this experience that God opened my eyes to reveal His Son, Jesus Christ.
Through reading the Word of God, praying to Him, and searching for Him, there was an eventual trusting of the free gift that Jesus offered, because I was convinced that He was True. I came to believe that He was indeed the “Son of the Living God” and only He held the keys to everlasting life and the forgiveness of my sin through the shedding of His precious blood on the alter that His Father had prepared for Him.
The more I learned of Him, the more I saw Him endlessly Pure and Holy beyond any words can explain. Knowing this, and who I was, a sinful, undeserving, and unworthy beggar, I put my hand with His hand, and trusted Him for my salvation. You see, I knew I had nothing to offer before Him. I was condemned to eternal damnation before His righteousness and Holy law. So, mercy and grace is all that I can ever receive from Him.
Most importantly as I stated before, I knew who I was and my love for sin and therefore there was no reason to reach out for His hand if He were to leave me without the promise of His helping me. Else I would just return to the same lifestyle I was leading. Why enter into an agreement if you know that you are unable to fulfill your word?
I can say that He has remained faithful to me and through His promised spirit and the seed of an uncorrupted love in my heart for Him, He has lifted me out of the eternal damnation I deserved. Now He goes before me and proclaims me as an adopted son of the Most High and I proclaim Him as King and Savior of Heaven and Earth.
My testimony to you is that Jesus Christ is Alive, and “He IS”, and He sits on the heavenly throne to redeem sinners into His kingdom of everlasting life. This is as I understand the “Good News” of the Gospel.