Personal testimony - Term Paper Example

I am now saved through faith. And this faith I have according to Ephesians 2:8, did not even come from me, it came from God. In retrospect, everything about my salvation, my decision to receive Jesus in my heart, my humility to repent and all that led me to this salvation I now enjoy, all came from God as a gift so I have nothing to boast about. Works are nothing when we do not have Jesus. They do not bring us to heaven as most people think it is the way things work so that they spend much money in doing good things for others.

Looking at such a perspective, people who do so are like buying their own salvation, which of course is a futile endeavor. Works matter when Jesus is in a person’s life because works are the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit of God in man, showing the love of God to all men who are the very reason why Jesus came to this earth. Salvation is a gift, however, a Christian also has the responsibility of working out his salvation as Paul encouraged his disciples in Philippi (Philippians 2:12).

As a soldier enlists in the Army, he has a responsibility to carry out his duties to be worthy of his profession. No one enlists in the Army and runs away and does whatever he likes to do, otherwise he is not a true soldier. The same is true in Christianity, once a person receives Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, a contract is made which is sort of a marriage contract, sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Enlisting in the Christian Army, one expects to be in the battlefield where Satan is the enemy (Matthew 13:39, Luke 10:19, Acts 13:10).

The enemy’s job is to steal, kill and to destroy (John 10:10) thus, it is encouraged of the Christian to exercise his faith, waging war against evil and not giving in to it. When temptations come our way, Satan is there to steal our peace, destroy our relationship with God and kill our love to the Lord. The Christian fights by overcoming temptations, silencing the evil whispers of Satan and standing by the Word of God. My Testimony ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…’, this very popular verse found in the book of John 3:16 seemed to me like just another literary piece of work that Sunday school teachers teach to children to augment one’s appreciation to literature.

Growing up in a Christian family; going to church, opening the Bible, singing in the choir and joining other church activities was not at all different to me than what we do in school. They all seemed to me a part of living, a responsibility that I needed to do without truly understanding. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, another well known verse on love, helped me understand the love of God. Of course it is easy to understand that when I think of God’s love because He is God, I know He is able to be so patient, kind, not keep records of wrongs, to always protect, always hope, always persevere and never fail.

It is so easy to say ‘I love you’ to God because everyone in church says so and soon it becomes a fixture, one says the words without even thinking about it. Yet when it comes to my self, I find it so disappointing for me to be unable to love others as I should. 1 John 4:20 slapped me awake to the profound truth that I was a liar, saying I love God when in fact I do not love my fellow men according to the Bible’s definition of love. Getting into a relationship with God, I am able to relate with how I am supposed to live a Christian life through the life of Hosea.

Reading the prophet’