I grew up in a Christian home. So from an early age, my mother brought me to church. As a child I went to church on Saturday and I realized that it wasn’t the norm for most people.
I went to church almost every week and as I got older, I started participating in church services and activities.
Then one day my church decided to have a crusade. So a tent was set up and we invited people from the surrounding communities.
It was exciting for me and I enjoyed the services because the Evangelist was very lively and humorous. He also seemed like he had a very good knowledge of the Word.
I Decided To Get Baptized
One night when the Evangelist was preaching, he said something that caught my attention.
He was reading from St John 3. And when he got to verse 3, I started paying keen attention.
This is what St. John 3:3 (NIV) says:
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
-St. John 3:3
That verse stood out to me.
I started thinking that I need to be baptized to go to Heaven.
So I told my mother that I want to be baptized.
She allowed me and I got baptized.
But I didn’t really understand what I was doing. The only thing I knew is that I didn’t want to go to Hell.
And at the time, I thought the way to get out of Hell and to go to Heaven is to get baptized. So that’s what I did.
Looking back, I don’t regret getting baptized so early because it helped me to make fairly good decisions during my teen years.
However, I had a lot of questions because some religious practices seemed burdensome to me.
My Experience of Legalism
I want us to be on the same page so I will take a second to explain what I mean by legalism.
When I make reference to “legalism”, I’m talking about an excessive focus on rules and commands instead of relationship with God.
I am also referring to the belief/teaching that a person can work for their salvation by keeping the laws of God.
The church that I attended at the time would never admit that they believe that we can work for salvation by keeping God’s laws.
But I could tell that they believed that deep down based on the teachings and actions of the leaders.
Prohibited Activities
According to the teachings at my church, I wasn’t allowed to do the following:
- I wasn’t supposed to work on the Sabbath (Saturdays). This meant that I was not allowed to complete school assignments, cook, do laundry or any other household activity.
- Leisure activities such as shopping, going to the beach or watching non-Christian shows and movies were also prohibited on Sabbath.
- The wearing of jewelry and makeup was also forbidden at all times, not just on Saturdays.
- I wasn’t allowed to eat unclean food such as pork. They also encouraged us to stop eating all animal flesh. I was once strongly advised to stop eating chicken.
What Legalism Felt Like
I often felt like I was working for salvation. But the list of things that I needed to do kept growing and I felt overwhelmed.
I didn’t think I would ever match up to all these requirements. And at the time I didn’t realize that some of them were man made laws.
I became discouraged because salvation seemed like an unattainable thing. I felt like I was doomed to go to Hell.
And that made me really sad and hopeless. There were many times when I felt depressed when I thought about the state of my soul.
I know I couldn’t live up to all the laws and commandments. And at that time, I thought the only way to be truly saved was to keep the commandments of God.
I had no assurance of salvation and I thought God was always watching and waiting to condemn me to a life sentence in Hell.
I felt like I was always working for salvation.
And I was always checking to make sure I was doing all the right things.
I tried to keep the Sabbath holy.
I also tried to dressed modestly.
And I didn’t wear makeup or jewelry.
I abstained from unclean food.
And it felt like the list kept getting longer.
I never experienced the freedom, joy and peace that the Bible spoke about.
I didn’t like being a Christian and I didn’t want to encourage anyone to be a Christian. It felt way too burdensome.
I Started Asking Questions
This matter of salvation was really bothering me. So I started asking questions. I turned to church leaders for answers.
And that’s when I noticed two things:
- They didn’t have answers for some of my questions
- Some of their answers were based on their own understanding not based on what the Bible says
So my questions weren’t being answered. And as time went by, I had even more questions.
One of the main questions I had was “If I never broke one of the 10 commandments, would I need Jesus as my Savior?”
I didn’t understand why we needed a Savior and why Jesus needed to die on the cross.
Remember, I believed that all I needed to do was keep the 10 commandments and I would be saved.
If I can do that perfectly, what’s the point of Jesus dying on the cross?
I didn’t have an answer. But this question lingered in my mind.
A Glimpse of Liberty
During this time of experiencing legalism and searching for answers, I got enrolled in a university to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree.
So I was in a new town and I had new classmates.
One of the things that stood out to me during this time was the liberty of the Christian girls at the university.
I could tell that these Christian girls truly believed in Jesus Christ and that they had a serious relationship with Him.
But they also had a freedom that I did not have.
They had joy, peace and freedom and I could tell that their relationship with Jesus was an integral part of their lives.
They were not burdened by a long list of rules. Yet they were living abundantly in Christ.
So I started talking with them and asking questions. The more I spoke to these Christian ladies, the more I realized that I was focused on the wrong things.
They were focused on their hearts before God. While I was focused on outward appearance and behavior modification.
I was operating from a place of fear. They were living from a place of love and grace.
I was intrigued by this life of liberty, joy and peace. And I wanted that. But I didn’t know how to get it.
I Found Liberty
One day, I decided that I wanted to be more intentional about reading the Bible daily. So I decided to read one chapter each day.
I began with Romans in the New Testament.
Little did I know that my decision to read Romans would be the turning point from legalism to liberty.
As I read Romans, there were several verses that stood out to me.
My questions were finally being answered.
For the first time, I understood that when Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world. And we became sinners because of Adam’s disobedience.
But the good news is that we can become righteous because of Jesus’ obedience. That’s what I read in Romans 5.
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
– Romans 5:19 (NIV)
I finally understood that keeping the commandments could not save me or make me righteous.
I learnt that the laws of God were given so I would know what sin is and realize that I don’t measure up to God’s requirement.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
– Romans 3:20 (NIV)
This realization should then help me to recognize that I need a Savior and that the Savior is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
– Galatians 3:24-25 (NIV)
The Truth
Finally, I could see that God was not a tyrant waiting to usher me into Hell.
Instead He loves me very much to the point that He sent His only son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins so I could have eternal life and be with Him forever.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
– Romans 5:8 (NIV)
It wasn’t about what I wear, which day I attend church or what foods I eat.
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
– Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV)
It was about recognizing that I am a sinner and I need a Savior and that Savior is Jesus Christ.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
– Romans 6:23 (NIV)
I could see that God loves me like a Father loves his child and He wanted to be with me eternally.
God wants a relationship with all of us.
…he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Peter 3:9b (NIV)
Living A Life Of Liberty
Now, I am experiencing the peace, joy and righteousness of God.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
– Romans 14:17 (NIV)
I have assurance of my salvation and I know that my citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20).
I’m not bogged down by rules and cares about what I wear, which day I attend church or what I eat.
I can freely bask in the love and grace of God and get to know and serve Him without worrying about where I will spend eternity.
But I want you to remember that the freedom and grace in Christ is not a license to sin.
Use your freedom to glorify God and to honor Him with your body.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
– Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
Takeaway
Do you want to be saved? Well, in Romans 10:9-13 (NIV), we learn how we can be saved. This is what it says:
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Prayer
Are you ready to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior? If you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and you are ready to accept His gift of eternal life, say this prayer:
Dear Jesus,
I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that You died for my sins and that God raised You from the dead. Forgive me of all my sins; come into my heart today and live forever. Give me a home in Heaven when I die. Help me to obey you. Amen.
Now that you said that prayer, welcome to the family of God. You are a new creation in Christ.
You’re like a new baby so you need spiritual food to grow. And the best food is the Word of God.
So take some time to read and meditate on the Word daily.
You also need to surround yourself with like-minded individuals. That’s why it’s important to be a part of a church family.
If you want to talk about next steps, let’s connect on Instagram (@rejoicingwithpurpose).
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