back to index4-25-2021 Callista Lu Baptism Testimony
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Hi everyone, I'm Calista and I'm a fourth year at UCI. 00:00:10.600 |
I was born into a Christian household and grew up in the church. 00:00:14.640 |
I gained a lot of biblical knowledge but was never truly convicted of my sins. 00:00:18.720 |
I started college believing that I was saved and decided that I would check out brewing 00:00:23.880 |
However, when I came to my very first brewing service, I felt ashamed and guilty after the 00:00:28.600 |
sermon because I knew deep down that I was sinning just as the message had described. 00:00:33.800 |
But rather than turning to repentance from these convictions, the pridefulness of my 00:00:37.560 |
own heart led me to distance myself from the church in order to escape from having to humble 00:00:45.120 |
My first two years of college were lived in fear of man rather than God as I chose to 00:00:51.880 |
As a result, I did not pursue knowing the Lord and lived a life solely trying to fulfill 00:00:57.640 |
During my sophomore year, I ended up falling into depression. 00:01:00.800 |
I was constantly wondering why I didn't have a purpose in life and struggled to understand 00:01:07.400 |
Because I found my worth in my friendships, I was let down time and time again. 00:01:10.920 |
Ironically enough, it was during this time period where I continued to tell my non-believing 00:01:18.240 |
Despite living in complete disobedience to God, I was still selfish in my own thoughts 00:01:22.160 |
by demanding God to show his love to me through my circumstances. 00:01:26.120 |
I questioned why God would allow me to suffer so much if he truly cared about me. 00:01:30.920 |
At the end of my sophomore year, it took not just one but two near-death experiences for 00:01:35.640 |
me to finally realize how far I had fallen from the God that I so claimed to have a personal 00:01:41.400 |
By his grace, the many years of struggling and these sobering experiences caused me to 00:01:45.480 |
finally humble myself and admit that I was not truly saved. 00:01:49.080 |
I came back to Bruin with a strong desire to know more about God and to have a genuine 00:01:54.720 |
I understood that reconciliation with God was not going to be through my own works, 00:01:59.160 |
but that it would ultimately be through Christ's sacrifice that I would be able to be saved. 00:02:03.560 |
Just as Ephesians 2.8 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this 00:02:09.040 |
It is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast." 00:02:13.080 |
I understood that I was a sinner but made righteous through his sacrifice and faith 00:02:17.920 |
This led me to complete dependence on him in knowing that he is truly the only one that 00:02:23.560 |
When COVID hit and I had to move home for quarantine, God used the time of physical 00:02:27.360 |
separation from the church body to grow me in my faith. 00:02:31.040 |
I am thankful because God used that time to convict me of my sins and bring me to repentance. 00:02:35.880 |
I now understand the weight of my sins and how much I am in need of Christ as my savior. 00:02:40.360 |
I am eternally grateful for his mercy and grace that he would send his own son, Jesus 00:02:44.280 |
Christ, to die for me and I surrender my life to follow him. 00:02:47.640 |
I desire to live out Galatians 2.20 which says, "I have been crucified with Christ and 00:02:51.800 |
it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the 00:02:55.640 |
flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me."