I am growing up in a Christian home and have been going to church my whole life. Before I was a Christian, I went to church because I had to and said, “I’m sorry,” because I had to, not because I was sorry. My heart was sinful, and I wanted what I wanted, when and how I wanted it. Several years ago God opened my eyes to where I was going in life if I continued on the path of disobedience. God helped me understand the Gospel.

The Gospel is the good news about Jesus for me. God is a holy God who can’t be with sin. Sin is not loving God or my neighbor and disobeying the rules God gave me. I am a sinful person who had no hope of being reconciled to God and was bound to spend eternity in hell without a Savior. The penalty for sin is death. But Jesus lived a perfect life. He was tempted in every way as I am, but he did not sin. And he died on the cross to save me from my sin. Through God’s grace, I confessed my sins to him, turned away from my sinful path, and was saved when I put my faith in Jesus Christ.

Now, I have a desire to obey and am truly sorry when I sin. Coming to church to be with God’s people now feels like something I get to do, not something I have to do. Jesus is a friend to me, and I know I am not alone in my struggles because Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Verse 16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” So today, I am getting baptized in obedience to God’s command because I have drawn near and received mercy and grace in my time of sin and need.