My name is He Ruo. I’ve been to the high peaks and low valleys in China.
Figuratively speaking, I have also been through life’s ups and downs. I graduated from the National Political Science University in China with a law degree. After graduation, I worked as a lawyer and devoted much of my time in the field of jurisprudence. In 2011, I migrated to America and the United States became my permanent home.

Today, I am taking a step of faith in baptism under the Cross to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior. I had been an avid atheist. I had gone through many uncertainties and struggles in my spiritual beliefs. I’ve always perceived spiritual beliefs as something personal, not subject to the influence of others. So, why did I decide to change my atheistic belief and come to Jesus Christ? After coming to America, I began to realize that my basic understanding of the Christian faith is incomplete and flawed. I started participating in various church activities such as Sunday School classes and fellowship meetings. I began to experience God’s presence in my life.

On Sunday mornings, I became a keen observer of the worship services. I admire how God’s children would enter His presence with honesty and piety. They would sit down quietly in the pews – beholden to the Cross. This is totally different from the numerous bureaucratic meetings I attended before. In the sanctity of the church, brothers and sisters worship their Father in Heaven together as God’s beloved children. Before long, songs of praise from the congregation and the living word of God from the pulpit would fill the air with all the culmination in the reconciliation of God and men in utmost truth, goodness and beauty.

I’d like to share four points in my personal testimony:

(1) A pastor once said, “to know God and to know the Holy Spirit begin with knowing Jesus.” I believe in the birth of Jesus Christ as our Messiah. I believe in His virgin birth, word made flesh and lives among us. I believe in His death on the cross and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. These are all historical facts, not myths and fairy tales. With His death on the cross, He is the Lord of our redemption who forgives our sins and cleanses our iniquities. With His resurrection, He is the Lord of our renewed lives.

(2) To believe in Jesus is to receive His saving grace. Genesis 2:16-17: “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”” Sin came unto the world as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s disobedience after they ate of the fruits from the tree of the knowledge. As I pondered and reflected on my past, I realized how self-centered I was. My greed to amass material things is insatiable. My desire to attain fame and glory knows no end. Today, I stand before God to confess my sins. I want to be redeemed by his death upon the cross. I want to receive His saving grace.

(3) A Chinese general once said, “The core of Christian belief is “faith””. God speaks to us through these verses from the Holy Scriptures. Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Today, this is being affirmed with the advancements in modern technology. As scientists look deeper into the origin of matters, God’s presence is felt everywhere. God’s revelation through His creation of the universe is made clearer, more discernible and absolutely irrefutable. Consequently, this congruence of the scientific mind and Christian faith has prompted many people with atheistic beliefs, such as me, to reexamine the foundations of their faith.

(4) My wife Liu Yu Zhen was baptized in April 2014. In 2013, between the months of July and September, she went through four surgeries of varying complications. With God’s providence, she received a second chance at life. Pastor Chan, Pastor Lim and Sister Joyce, together with many brothers and sisters visited us at home. They also prayed fervently for her recovery. Their caring and prayers truly touched her. They also touched me deeply. Today, as I accept God’s salvation through Holy Baptism, I rejoice with my wife and everyone present here. May we continue to witness for God’s Kingdom, to honor and glorify Him.