For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jason and I’m one of the many Jason’s you’ll meet at GracePoint church. It’s a privilege to share my testimony with you on how Christ has saved a sinner like me and how I have placed my trust in Him, the King who saves. I’ve broken down my testimony into three segments starting from Understanding Christ, Saved by Christ and Trusting in Christ. So let’s begin!
Understanding Christ
I grew up in an non-Christian family, having so-called typical Asian parents, with mum and dad both being Buddhist and quite traditional. They wanted for me to study hard, get high grades and make sure that I got into a good university with a well paying job in the end. Surprisingly enough, they sent me to a Christian school and their reason behind this ‘for a better education‘. But little did they know that’s how I came to know of Christ. It was through the weekly Christian Studies classes that I was first introduced to the man named Jesus. It was also in the weekly church services that I came to know about what He has accomplished. Although early on, it was only when I faced troubles, things that I desired for but couldn’t get or worries out of my control that I would pray to God. That was the only time I would ask him for His help or for His power to work in my life. You could say I viewed God as more of a wish granter than the King over the universe.
It was also during my early youth that I would question God’s existence. You know growing up, I used to do a very childish thing while standing at the free throw line and shooting a basketball. Almost every time before I shot the ball, I would always ask God “If you exist, help me get this shot in!“. Thinking that God answers to me but not that I follow Him. Looking back at it, I found it quite funny cause the ball would go in sometimes and other times wouldn’t, so that left me even more confused.
Being the stubborn person that I am, I also simply rejected the notion of sin and the love of Christ in my early high school years. I’d be thinking to myself, “I’m not that bad of a person… I simply don’t need saving!“. It was also the surrounding culture of the world around me that made me completely turn a blind eye to Christ and to strive to make a mark in this world.
Saved by Christ
Moving on from high school and my early university days, my relationship with God was still based on my need for Him during my times of troubles. My notion of Christianity continued to be quite obscured, thinking that it was only a relationship between myself and Christ, or that I didn’t need to belong to a church. I was still caught up in my daily habitual sins and trying to search for a place in this world, being completely unaware of how sinful I’ve become. Little did I know that God had a plan for me and He has always been working in my life.
One day, a friend of mine struck up a conversation about faith and asked me “Are you a Christian?“. To which, I replied “Yeah I would call myself a Christian!”. Then she followed up by asking me “Oh, what church do you go to?” and I just simply sat there like “Errrrr I don’t“. What followed on from that conversation started to make me think “Am I taking my faith seriously?” and “Am I truly a follower of Christ like I say that I am?“. That night, I picked up my Bible and started to read it. In the following days, I attended my first ever Bible study at ACG and church service right here at GracePoint as recommended by a friend.
“As much as my arrogant heart says that I can do it all on my own, I simply can’t. As much as my prideful heart wants success in this world, I now know it can never truly satisfy”
Pastor Eugene was preaching that day and in the sermon he said “A church is not a place full of saints but a place for sinners like you and I“. Those words that day completely rebuked and corrected my conceived view of what church was meant to be. It made me realize the fallen nature of my own heart and to see Christ’s true redemptive work on the cross. There is no greater thing in my life than putting my trust in Jesus. Not only has he died for my sins, forgiven me and promised eternal life, but he has taken the burden away from me. As much as my arrogant heart says that I can do it all on my own, I simply can’t. As much as my prideful heart wants success in this world, I now know it can never truly satisfy. Everlasting joy and peace is only found in Christ. I now no longer live for myself but for Christ.
Trusting in Christ.
In Proverbs 3:5-6, it reads “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
To “lean” on God means “to put all of your weight on” the wisdom and love of the Lord. It is to completely rely on, and completely rest in, the One who knows all and supplies all. He is the high King of heaven who has led my paths straight. The difference with my life now is that I am sure of God’s love, forgiveness and acceptance and am proud to say that I am a Christian, a child of God. That’s not a promise that I will always make the right choice. Rather, it is a promise that no matter what He will be with me, and His purposes will not fail.
Family and friends, brothers and sisters, I hope my testimony today has served as an encouragement for you and to help you wonder – would you call yourself a Christian? If so, why? And if not, my prayer is that you may to look to Christ and His amazing saving work and place your trust in Him. As Hebrew 13:8 reads, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever“
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