Grace Testimony From Nigeria : Freed From Condemnation by jiggaz(m)grew up in an environment where keeping the Ten Commandments was upheld
as a virtue and a sign of being born again. I was taught that God would
punish me whenever I sinned, and if anything bad happened to me, it was
because I (or my ancestors) did something wicked in the past. I was
also taught that I could lose my salvation. As such, I spent years
anticipating God’s punishment for my bad deeds.
I even pretended
to speak in tongues in secondary school to appear holy. Shortly after
that, I read that there was no forgiveness for sinning against the Holy
Spirit. In my twelve-year-old mind, I thought I had committed the
unpardonable sin by pretending to speak in tongues, and believed I was
doomed for hell. I held this belief for more than twenty years.
I
saw how impossible it was for me to do right every day by my own
efforts. I would wake up in the morning and promise myself not to sin,
but fail woefully every single time. I would also feel so guilty in
church because I was unable to “crucify the flesh” as the pastor said we
should.
I also lost friends because I was so tense and stressed out
trying to please God. I even thought I was a better person than them
because I was fasting, praying, and denying worldly pleasures for God.
But in all of these, I never felt complete. I felt that if the rapture
happened, I would be left behind because my life wasn’t perfect.
In
2010, I went for a tooth extraction and became very sick a few weeks
after. Despite being an exercise buff, I would get extremely tired just
from walking ten steps or taking a shower. I went for all sorts of tests
and a CT scan but the doctors could not find anything.
On my
own, I googled my symptoms and they matched those of chronic fatigue
syndrome. I read that it could be caused by a dental procedure. Shortly
after, I also heard a sermon that payback for our sins could come in
anyway, even from something as simple as a tooth extraction. You can
imagine how I felt! I thought the message was for me and that I was
being punished for sins that I had committed. To make matters worse,
most of my molars were cavity-ridden and hurt terribly. But there was no
way I was going back to the dentist after hearing that message. I
thought I would die if I did!
In December 2014, I started watching Destined To Reign
, sometimes up to three times a day. I learned that I am the
righteousness of God in Christ, and as Jesus is, so am I in this world. I
also learned what it means when Jesus cried, “Finished!” on the cross,
and how He had already taken my sins, condemnation, sicknesses, and
unrighteousness.
After receiving all these revelations, I had the
courage to visit the dentist five times last year and got my teeth
fixed. During those visits, I even forgot that I once had fears about
going to the dentist. Thank You, Jesus!
Reading my Bible used to
be a chore for me. Today, I love it so much as I see Christ revealed in
the Old Testament and His love poured out in the New Testament! Telling
people about Jesus also used to be a chore before. Today, lifted by His
grace, love, and His gift of no condemnation, no one can shut me up. I
LOVE talking about Jesus! He truly works in believers both to will and
to do for His good pleasure.
I have also been healed from
physical exhaustion. Instead of panting like a dog after taking ten
steps, I can now exercise like I used to. Moreover, I no longer carry a
twenty-year burden of believing I’d committed the unpardonable sin and
have even begun to pray in tongues.
Today, I am an entirely new
creation in Christ and this transformation has nothing to do with my own
efforts. It’s all because of what Jesus has done for me at the cross.
Indeed, His strength is made perfect in my weakness.
Last but not
least, God has blessed me in the area of finances. I am now an
entrepreneur with business deals that literally fall onto my lap. My
sister has also received Christ and I know that my entire family is
next.
God bless you and your church, Pastor Prince!
No comments:
Post a Comment