I don’t remember a time in my life where I did not believe that there was a God. I was born in a Christian family and was taught early on from my parents and from church that God had created the world and that the Bible was the word of God. I distinctly remember one day where my Sunday school teacher talked about John 3:16 and how Jesus came to earth to die for my sins. The part the stood out to me most as a little kid was “shall not perish but have eternal life.” Although I had my whole life ahead of me, I wanted to live forever. From then on I declared myself as a Christian because I had prayed a prayer to accept Jesus into my heart. However, this declaration of faith in Jesus had nothing to do with an understanding of my sin before a holy and righteous God. Instead, it had everything to do with not wanting to die. As I grew up in the church, I slowly learned about what it truly meant to be a Christian. I soon began to realize my sin before God and how Jesus had come to take my place. Eternal life was no longer a prize to be won, but a result of God’s grace and forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ.
As I entered junior high I began questioning my faith. I wondered why I believed in a God who would send His only son to die for my sins. Not only was I asking questions, but my classmates and teachers also seemed to show me evidence that God did not even exist. Struggling through my questions and thoughts, I began reading multiple apologetics books and having long discussions with my mentor and pastor. By God’s grace, I came out of this period with an even stronger conviction that what I believed was true. At the same time, I came to a realization that being a Christian meant more than having good behavior on Fridays and Sundays. Being a follower of Christ meant that my life was changed and that Christ lived in me everyday. From then on I aimed to live in a way that reflected the truth that I believed.
When I graduated high school, I knew I needed to find a Christian fellowship in college. By God’s sovereignty, I was accepted into UCLA and joined Grace on Campus my sophomore year. During small group at GOC, I went through evangelism training. Not only did I learn to share the gospel with others, but also my understanding of the gospel was significantly deepened. My eyes were also opened to see how lost a world we live in. By the grace of God I have come to know and believe in Christ’s substititionary death on the cross. Salvation does not come through my own works but all glory goes to God as He is the only one who saves.
As I entered junior high I began questioning my faith. I wondered why I believed in a God who would send His only son to die for my sins. Not only was I asking questions, but my classmates and teachers also seemed to show me evidence that God did not even exist. Struggling through my questions and thoughts, I began reading multiple apologetics books and having long discussions with my mentor and pastor. By God’s grace, I came out of this period with an even stronger conviction that what I believed was true. At the same time, I came to a realization that being a Christian meant more than having good behavior on Fridays and Sundays. Being a follower of Christ meant that my life was changed and that Christ lived in me everyday. From then on I aimed to live in a way that reflected the truth that I believed.
When I graduated high school, I knew I needed to find a Christian fellowship in college. By God’s sovereignty, I was accepted into UCLA and joined Grace on Campus my sophomore year. During small group at GOC, I went through evangelism training. Not only did I learn to share the gospel with others, but also my understanding of the gospel was significantly deepened. My eyes were also opened to see how lost a world we live in. By the grace of God I have come to know and believe in Christ’s substititionary death on the cross. Salvation does not come through my own works but all glory goes to God as He is the only one who saves.