Hi, my name is Enoch and I’ve decided to take the step of water baptism. Now, many people’s baptism testimonies have a crazy life changing experience that led them to believe more strongly in God’s mercy and grace. Mine is nothing of the sort. I don’t have an earth shattering revelation that occurred to me, or a near death experience that led to my belief of Christ. Instead, mine is quite average. This, while very normal among Christians, is really such a blessing if you think about it. God has given grace to me for not having to suffer anything huge, but has also given me mercy for something I really deserve; which is eternal torture and suffering.

I was born into a Christian family and came to CGBC when I was around 2. Though I don’t remember much of my childhood, I remember a lot of what I learned in Sunday School. Some lessons I learned were that Jesus loves me and I should love him back. Unfortunately, my faith was rooted in a very shallow way; it was grounded by what my parents wanted me to believe and fear of eternal death in hell. This, while limited, allowed me to continue in my rather simple walk with God.

I was a regular attendee of the annual VBS program that was held here. These programs were one of the few times I paid close attention to what the crew leaders had to say. It was great just being surrounded by so many people who didn’t know me but cared so much about me. In the VBS of 2010, I decided to accept Christ as my personal Savior. Though no angels sang from heaven, no shine of power filled my life, I felt so changed, because in those few minutes I realized, if only for a little,  God’s amazing mercy.

My transition into a youth program was slow, but life changing. I was accustomed to going to 3rd hour Sunday School and going to a mainly English congregation group was definitely different. However, this change was really a positive one for me, as I got to meet many more Christian youth who had similar stories to mine. As I grew throughout TIGS, the junior high group and now CYF, the senior high group, I went into different leadership positions that led me to learn more about God’s character and how to serve with others.

Recently, a talk with my friends really got me thinking. This discussion addressed the reasons behind our student leadership and  our walks with God. Through this talk, I really questioned how I worshipped, led, and did my devos. Did I really know God, or was I asleep to God’s character the whole time? These spiritual highs that I experienced shouldn’t be “highs” but norms. We are supposed to ALWAYS be utterly amazed by God’s awesome power and mercy. A discussion had never really changed me like how this one did.

And furthermore, a recent message contained a quote from Jonathan Edwards: “Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.” This resolution, though so simple, changed how I thought of my actions. I want to live my life accordingly. Am I living a life to glorify God? The answer, of course, should be yes. And I hope in the near future, my answer will also be a confident yes. My decision to become baptized is not because of pressure or because I have nothing else to do. I am no longer ashamed to call myself a Christian. I want to declare my faith openly and dedicate my life to Jesus, my eternal Savior. Ephesians 2:4-5 says this: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”