I received the following incredible testimony from one of my faithful web
visitors and friends in March of 2018, which Eddie humbly asked that I share
with others to encourage anyone else who, like Eddie, has been shunned away
from churches when he needed help the most. Praise God for Brother Eddie, that
he has found the truth of the saving Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and is
now a soul-winner himself! Here is Eddie's precious testimony...
My name is Eddie, and I would like to share with you my testimony of salvation. It is a long and difficult story, but I want to tell it, to assure you that God is plenteous in mercy (Psalm 103:8-10) and will forgive even the vilest sinner if they come to Him by Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 1:18, John 14:6)
I was raised in church. As a child, I went to church almost every Sunday and had many wonderful friends in Sunday School and in the youth group. However, something seemed to be missing. Looking back on it, I realize now what it was, but as a child, I didn't know it: it was that the gospel is sufficient for salvation. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) The church I attended preached (and still does to this day) Lordship Salvation, that a person must commit themselves to Christ in obedience to be saved. This, of course, is heresy, and is not the gospel. Lordship Salvationists preach another Jesus. (2 Corinthians 11:3-4) I was baptized in this church, but I still felt empty afterwards.
As time went by, though I enjoyed fellowship with my peers in the youth group, and going to church camps during the summer, and participating in ROC Night one Saturday every month, I did not enjoy going to church. I hated having to get up every Sunday morning just to hear the pastor go on and on about how God wants our total commitment to Him in order for Him to save us. I grew to hate church, and eventually stopped going. My mother and aunt left too because of the elitist, self-righteous attitude of other church members. For years afterward, I absolutely refused to read the Bible (my parents gave me an NIV in 2004; I do not trust it, but I do use it when exposing the NIV for its many lies, perversions, and contradictions).
As time went by, I came under the delusion that I was born homosexual, and that nothing was going to change it. Near the end of high school, in the spring semester of my senior year, I began indulging in the homosexual "lifestyle." I will not go into detail, but looking back on it, I do recall that the more I engaged in it, the angrier, more hateful, and more bitter I became against God; every time something went wrong, I cursed Him using many expletives, constantly and shamelessly took His name in vain (BOTH the Father and the Son), and I began to view myself as a progressive liberal Democrat. Because I was ignorant, I thought that being a progressive liberal Democrat was THE thing to be. I know now that I was wrong.
For years, I was active in the homosexual "life", doing ungodly things and not feeling an ounce of conviction. In 2014, while driving past my favorite old building, I saw that it had been converted into a church (it once was a school). The doors were open, and my curiosity peaked. I spoke to the pastor, who welcomed me to the church. It was here, for the very first time, that I learned about the King James Bible. However, in my ignorance, I did not use it under the delusion that it was "too hard to understand." I used the New King James Bible instead, believing it to be good enough. The pastor of this church did not preach obvious Lordship Salvation, but he did preach about "asking Jesus into one's heart", "asking Him to save you", and he also preached about Israel, and that Christians should bless them. Oh, that Zionism... For a time, I was constantly judging others by their actions, reasoning within myself that they were not saved because of things they did. This is wrong.
My homosexual sins continued even after going back to church, though not as frequently. I was still, however, lying to myself that I was born that way, that nothing could change it. One day, I confessed my sin on Facebook, and the pastor, having seen it, immediately gave me back the money that I had donated to the church, telling me he didn't need it. It was then that I left the church again. However, I didn't stay away long. I went to a different church, a progressive, liberal church, which preached all about the love of Jesus, and how we ought to live like Him (even while saying He's the only way to heaven). I felt right at home almost immediately because the preacher was telling me everything I wanted to hear, and it seemed like I could relate to everything he said. However, I know now he was just scratching my itching ears with feel-good sermons. (2 Timothy 4:3) Eventually, this too wore off and yet again, I despised going to church. This time, though, I did not blame or curse God for anything. Bear in mind that I was NOT saved by not cursing God.
Eventually, I came across the website "Jesus Is Savior." I cannot recall the first article that I read, but I believed it to be the truth. I do believe God was working on me, because I kept coming back to read more articles, and I learned a lot of things that I did not know before. It was on this website that I found the gospel presented, with nothing required to receive eternal life except by believing the gospel, and therefore receiving Jesus Christ as one's Saviour. It was here that I learned for the first time that a homosexual sinner like me COULD be saved, simply by receiving Jesus Christ as one's Saviour. (John 3:36, Acts 16:31, 1 Corinthians 6:11) It was also here that I learned WHY the King James Bible is the ONLY trustworthy Bible we have today, and I also learned about the false teachers of our day, such as John MacArthur, who my childhood church sadly promotes.
I know that I am saved because I acknowledged my guilt as a sinner under condemnation of God (Romans 3:10-23) and I have put my complete trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. (1 John 5:13) Today I preach the true gospel on Facebook because I want my loved ones, as well as the rest of my friends on Facebook, to be saved. I plant and water the seeds, but only God can give the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) Granted, the temptation to commit sodomy is still there because the old man has not left as long as I am in this rotten flesh. But praise to God, my head is no longer filled with homosexual thoughts all day long.
God saved me because I put my trust in Him to be saved from my sins. He can save you too, if you desire to be saved. All you have to do is realize your guilt as a sinner and believe on the Lord Jesus to save you. He died on the cross for our sins, and He was buried, and He rose again the third day, and He ascended to heaven to apply His blood to the mercyseat. Keep this in mind, for it is so simple and requires nothing but faith.
