When I was a small boy I would pray every night for my sins to be forgiven, but I did not really mean it. Because of this, I doubted if I was a true Christian. But then you might ask, “why did you pray on your own when no one else could hear or see you?” and my answer to this would be, “I was deceiving myself”. I would do a lot to please my mum and dad, but they were not the only people I was deceiving: I was deceiving myself! I would try and say to myself that I was a Christian, but I knew I wasn’t. I would do lots of the things that were easy for me to do (the outward things), but when it came to the hard things (the inward things), I would fail. That is why I was constantly sent up to my dad to be set right again, but it never took a permanent effect on me. I used to get very angry and frustrated not only at my brothers but also at my Dad, without any good reason. After listening to thousands of sermons and messages, one night I thought about what would happen to me when I was going to die. I often used to have bad thoughts about hell and if I was going there, and this night I had the same thought, and also worried about other family members. I thought about all the sins I had committed and I also felt very guilty. It was a feeling that I did not like, and I hoped that it would just go away. Then for the first time, I really wanted to stop sinning and I got down on my knees and prayed for forgiveness. I knew this was true repentance. It was April 21st 2008 and I was 9 years old. After that I felt happier and set free, and it seemed like I had just destroyed all the sins I had ever committed before. It was the first time I had any intention of trying not to sin again, and although I knew this would be impossible, it is what I really wanted.

 

However, I do not get the credit for any of this, because it is all due to God’s work inside me. The only reason I am standing here today giving my testimony is because the Lord God sent his Son to die on a cross for me to wash all my sins away. I thank him with all my heart. It is truly amazing grace. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who could save me because he is the only perfect man. No one else could have taken my sins away. It fills me with joy to think that, although he had lived in heaven in perfect harmony with His Father and the Holy Spirit for all eternity, He came down to earth to be insulted and rejected by the ones He came to save. Then He was beaten and spat on and crucified when He had done no wrong. And He did it all with a good spirit. Then He was buried and rose again on the third day. These things will be signified in my baptism: when I go under the water it signifies death and burial, then when I come out I am a new person, cleaned by Jesus’ blood. By the power of the Holy Spirit I now want to live the rest of my life serving Jesus my Saviour. Being baptised tonight and becoming a member of this church in Ramsbottom will open doors for me to serve him. When I am older I would like to be a deacon of this church and if God gives me the gifts I would also like to preach His word. But I can always serve Him and I will try to do this for the rest of my life. Please pray for God to give me strength to do this.