Growing up in a Christian family, I was very familiar with Jesus when I was very little. However, I could have cared less who he was and what he did for mankind at that time. As I became older, I learned from Sunday school that he was sent by God the Father to die on the cross for us. Little did I know how much this single fact would change my entire life.
Ever since my childhood, I have been going to church frequently. In fact, I went so often that going to church felt like a chore—becoming more and more loathsome, less and less meaningful. Most of the time, the only reason I went to church was because my parents forced me. Despite my regular church attendance, my life felt empty—something was missing. In addition to this emptiness, I also felt that I was separated from God, straying far off of God’s path for me. Trying to fill this emptiness inside, I look to fill my mind with more secular items, which only made it worse. Nothing could get rid of the gaping hole in my soul. Rapidly losing my faith, I went to church less and less until I stopped completely.
Last summer, I found out that our church received a new English pastor. Having met him at tennis camp before, the new pastor, Christoph Bajewski, seemed like a great person. At that time, I had no idea that he would be the instrument of God that led me to stand before you today, delivering my testimony after baptism. I decided during the summer that I would return to church to listen to Christoph preach. I connected well with Christoph’s sermons well and realized my past disobedience to God. Learning more and more about Christ, I decided it was time for me to be baptized. Ready to be saved, I planned to do exactly as stated in Acts 22:16: “Now why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.”
Now that I have entrusted my life to Christ, I can shout to the world that “I am not ashamed to be a part of God’s family.” With God watching over me, my faith matures every single day. Although living a true Christian life may not be an easy path, I know that God will bless and guide those who are willing to make great sacrifices for Him. With today’s baptism, I now know that Jesus lives inside me, shielding me from sin with the “armor of God,” as stated in Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” To those of you who are still considering baptism: “repent and be baptized every one of you… and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 2:38) as I have done today.
In conclusion, I would like to give my personal thanks to pastor Christoph, my parents, and all those who have supported me in my spiritual conversion. Finally I have been given a new life to fulfill my only purpose in life—to glorify God and show His love to the world.
