My testimony aka. why the wretch

Sometime in late 2005, when my son was 2 years old, I started noticing that he was picking up things that I was doing. This really got me thinking about the things that I was doing. Not just everything that he could see, but stuff that I was doing when nobody could see. Did I want my son to turn out like me? Did I want him doing the things that I was doing when people weren't around. This realization of who I was and what I was doing drove me back to God. I knew who God was, I had been sitting in church for 10 years, but until this point in my life I thought that I was a pretty good person. God was pretty lucky to have me on His team. But I realized, I wasn't really on His team. I was just pretending, and all my efforts at being good were just another big lie heaped up on tons of other lies. I found out shortly after this realization what true repentance is. It is not just feeling sorry for what you did and trying to do better on your own, but it is turning completely from your whole way of life and moving in a different direction. Then by placing your faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of you sin, He will give you the Holy Spirit that allows you to continue on this new path.

I skipped something, right? Why would you even need to repent or place your trust in Jesus. An easy way to get to the point where you see yourself as I did is to look at God's standards or His law.

How many lies do you think that you have told in your life? If you are like me, you probably cannot count them. What do you call someone who tells uncountable lies? A Liar

Have you ever stolen anything, no matter how small the value? Been late for work, or cheated on a test? What do you call someone who steals things? A Thief

Have you ever taken God's name in vain, or used it in place of a 4 letter filth word? You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

Have you ever been angry with some one unjustly? Ever got torqued at someone on the rode?

Jesus said,"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matt 5:21,22)

Also Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matt. 5:27,28)

So are you a liar, a thief, a blasphemer, a murder, and an adulterer at heart? Don't think about it according to your standards or the worlds, but think about it according to Gods standard.

9.Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God ? Do not be deceived ; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,10.nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor 6:9-10)


I mentioned early that I repented and placed my faith in Jesus. Ray Comfort explained placing your faith in Jesus in a really good way. He described it as a parachute. You wouldn't hold your parachute out at arms length, but your would put it on. You would also leave it on no matter how uncomfortable it made you feel, or if other people thought you were strange for wearing it. If you know that at any minute, you will be jumping out of an airplane, then you would make sure that you keep it on.


Jesus called this whole process of repentance and faith being "born again." Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."(John 3:3)


That is how I got to the point in my life where I saw myself not as a good person, but as a bad person, aka. a wretch. This drove me to the point where I knew that I needed a savior. The Bible clearly states that Jesus is this one and only savior. "And there is salvation in no one else ; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)