Meet Angela. She grew up in the Catholic Church, but didn’t really understand what it meant to have a relationship with God. Instead, she tried to find salvation through good works, and began idolizing the idea of a perfect family. As Angela continued to search for true joy and peace in her life, she tried to make people fill voids that were meant only for God. Finally, Angela went back to church, earnestly seeking the Lord, and at just the right time, He opened her eyes. Instantly, Angela felt the love and peace of God be poured into her body and she began the journey of becoming a new creation. Now, instead of looking to sex and alcohol for contentment, Angela looks to Christ. She has been able to release her sin and her shame on a God who sees her as pure and blameless, and this freedom allows her to walk daily with Christ.
Here’s what Angela says about her relationship with Christ, how the Gospel spoke to her as an unbeliever and how it has helped her grow as a Christian:
I couldn’t believe that all my imperfections would be washed clean.
I think the biggest thing was…not having to live a perfect life. Jesus lived the perfect life for me, and made the perfect sacrifice to cover all my imperfections. The most detrimental doctrine I’ve been set free from is the idea that my works could get me in right-standing with God. My entire life I had been striving, striving, striving, and always falling short. But by living my life for Jesus, that’s who God would see on judgement day. That was mind-blowing for me.
The reason I gave my life to Jesus, and so fully, was I had this ridiculous amount of gratitude that I couldn’t believe that all my imperfections would be washed clean. To this day, it’s still an overwhelming thing, in a really good way. I am able to live for Jesus freely, because the burdens and pressures of being good enough (which is not possible!) were lifted off my
I think the biggest thing was…not having to live a perfect life.
shoulders and placed on the only One who could carry them. I could live for Him because how I stacked up in the secular world didn’t matter anymore.
As time has gone by, 7 years since I was overwhelmed with God’s love and grace, He has been so incredibly faithful. To write down all that He has done for and through me would require a novel. I have seen Him answer prayers instantly, over time, and not yet. I am currently experiencing one of my deepest yearnings answered 7 years later–to REALLY understand His love for me. As each day goes by, He invites me to go deeper. And as He takes me deeper, it only gets sweeter and sweeter. HE IS GOOD.