I was born and raised in a community where we worshipped together, worked together, lived together, and shared everything. I was taught that there is a God in Heaven, that there is sin, and bad people go to Hell. I knew that Jesus died on the cross, but sadly, no one ever told me why He died.

I was taught to pray at night before I went to bed, to go to church and listen to Bible stories. We thought because we were living and working in a community and doing all these things that we were going to go to Heaven - maybe. We were not sure.

When I was about eighteen years old, I got in with the wrong crowd. I knew the things we were doing were sin, and I can now see that God was convicting me about those things. I knew I was a sinner and that I was going to Hell because the Bible said I was going to Hell, but I didn’t know you could be saved. I was taught you had to get baptized, and then start trying to work your way into Heaven by being good. The Bible teaches salvation by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and His blood alone, and that by trusting in Him we can have access to Heaven, to the Father, through Jesus Christ. It is not by our good works.

About this time there was a movement among various communities with which we were associated. Young people, and some older ones, were beginning to discover what salvation really was and were being saved, but we were told to stay away from them and avoid them, and I was afraid of them. What I didn’t know was that they had the truth.

My cousin visited me, and he started telling me about the “end times,” and about “the rapture,” and all those exciting things from the Bible that I hadn’t heard before. Some time later, he took me into a group of Christians who were singing and praising God. It was all strange to me, but I could see that they were not weird, but nice, happy people. When we were getting ready to leave my cousin gave me a book to take home. As I read it, I realized that there was forgiveness for sins. I realized that there was a Saviour, and that salvation is a free gift and all you have to do is accept it. Being convicted, I got down on my knees beside my bed, and simply confessed to God that I was a lost sinner on my way to Hell, and that I needed His forgiveness - that I needed to be cleansed - and I accepted Jesus Christ as my own personal Saviour.

I didn’t feel saved, but the next day was a totally different day than any other I had lived. I had stacks of rock cassettes, but I didn’t want to listen to them. Something inside me was telling me not to do it, and wasn’t letting me. There were many other things, like swearing. I wasn’t a very nice person before I was saved. I had such a rebellious attitude always, but as merciful as God is, He saved me and I thank Him to this day.

Before you can be saved, you have to realize you are lost. The Bible says: “Now we know that whatever things the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19). That word guilty! Who is guilty? It says all the world, and later on in the chapter we read, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Why do we sin? Because we were born sinners. Then how are we going to get to Heaven? It says in verse 20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His (God’s) sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” God gave His law, not as a means of salvation, but so that we could see that we were lost. And because we were lost and needed a Saviour, God had mercy on us and sent His Son down from Heaven. That is how much He loved us - “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The punishment that I should have had was put on Jesus on the cross, and now, if I put my faith and trust in Him, God gives me His Holy Spirit - He sets me free.

I am thankful today that no one can take my salvation from me (John 10:28). It is mine. God gave it to me. No one can take it from me, and I rest on that assurance. I am where I am today because of God’s grace. If you are not saved, you are in a very dangerous position. I hope that what I have said will help you find the Saviour, but please don’t wait too long. “Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart” (Psalm 95:7-8). Time is running out. We believe we are in the end times, and it is very important that you find the Saviour.

Derrick Waldner