My Testimony
Hi!
I’m Jerome Guina.
Ever since I’ve accepted Christ as my personal Savior and my only salvation I’ve been much better in life. Once I was blinded and deceived by powerless religion, but now I’m free from all these things. I always say to myself that religion will just bond you with works and stuff, but relationship with Jesus Christ is a feeling of being accepted and free from all bondage.
I attended my grade school at CNCES (Concepcion North Central Elementary School) and at CCS (Concepcion Catholic School). I never really knew my real Christianity back then. I always thought that I was a Catholic. Turned out, I wasn’t. I knew that I was not a Catholic when one day, we had a project in Christian Living that we should present a picture of our baptism. All my classmates presented one with the priest pouring water on their baby heads. I on the other hand was wondering why there were no priest on the picture I got. I see a pastor laying hands on me, instead. Then, I asked my mother about my Christianity. She said that I was “dedicated” in a Born Again Christian Church. Knowing this, I still insisted that I was a Catholic. Since I was a small boy I’ve impersonally known Christ. He was like a brother to me (since I don’t have a brother) and I’ve been like most little brothers are, small and nimble from all sins. My temper is very short back then. I’d idolize people and stuff. I’d believe in ghost and purgatory. I’ve been away from my Big Bro… Until that faithful day. The day that we moved to our current house now.
(I have nothing against the Catholic religion by the way. Almost my friends are Catholic and they are the best friends you can ever have. Well, I was once on a Catholic organization called “CFC-Youth For Christ” and I’ve been a leader in the said organization. It doesn’t really matter what your religion is as long as you have this relationship with Jesus Christ, you accepted Him as your personal God and Savior and you uphold all his commandments then you’re a Christian by heart. ^_^)
This house that I lived in was recently owned by the pastor of the church I am attending now. Since the family knew him, I was slowly coming back to my Big Bro. We eventually attended the Church and at first, everything was new to me. At the gate of the church are people greeting you with handshakes and hugs even if you don’t know them yet. People are kind and are like your close friends already. It felt like I was accepted. Then, something came through me. The feeling of extreme happiness. Is this the feeling of receiving Christ?
As time passed by, ages go up. My grandmother, whom raised me had a disease. She was slowly getting weaker and eventually, she passed away. I was very sad and very angry with God back then. I blamed Him for not saving my grandmother. “Why do you have to take her this early?”. The question that rang on my head for a long time. I stopped attending the Church that made me felt accepted. I became much more farther to God. I strayed away from His path.
Years came by after my grandmother passed away, I forgot about my real Christianity but still upholding the beliefs I knew from the Church. I was in High school. I met this person that is like very close to God. He understood me and my beliefs and he became my best friend. I share my problems with him, and he explained that God has a plan for us. He wouldn’t let those problems happen if we cannot overcome them. We shared the same beliefs, turns out, He’s a Born Again Christian, too. I came back to God because of him.
At college, people are tough with the “God thing”. Almost, if not all, the students in our campus are Atheist. It became uneasy for me to go through with these. Invitations of partying here and there, Drinking liquor and smoking here and there. Then there was this guy that is different in all of them. This guy is also sharing the same beliefs as mine. It’s so awesome that I knew Christ more because of him. He introduced me to another meaning of FAITH. Back then, I wasn’t reading the bible, I wasn’t praying regularly, I was astray from the path that I knew was right. I was believing in God but my beliefs were a bit off-course. He was used by God to correct the path. He urged me to read the bible and pray regularly. He also told me that works are not needed for salvation. No other person can save you. Asking for saints won’t save you. Only faith in Jesus alone will save you. I accepted the real way of Christ because of him.
Good things came to me after this.
I was gifted with good friends.
I was given a God-fearing family. (I am currently sharing the gospel to my sisters now.)
I followed what is written in the Bible.
Chains of religion were broken.
I turned away from religion and embraced Jesus as my Savior.
I came back to my old Church and they accepted me wholeheartedly.
I died but was reborn in Christ.
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” —John 3:5-8
Now life became much better.
Now Christ lives in me.
Now I see God’s love.
