back to index2022-04-24 Yourie Kong Baptism Testimony
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Hi, my name is Yuri Kong, and I'm thankful to God for allowing me to share my testimony 00:00:11.400 |
Looking back at my life, I'm so thankful to have grown up in the faith, mainly because 00:00:15.920 |
of my mom, who shared the good news with me, brought our family out to church as early 00:00:19.880 |
as I can remember, and ultimately made Christ more real to me. 00:00:23.760 |
While it was a blessing to be born and raised in a Christian home, it indirectly caused 00:00:30.120 |
For me, I didn't see God as holy instead of part, and along with that, I didn't have a 00:00:34.280 |
proper view of my sin or think that my sins were as bad as they were. 00:00:38.920 |
Throughout my adolescent years, it was apparent that I feared man more than God. 00:00:42.880 |
I was driven by my fear to please people rather than pleasing God himself. 00:00:47.120 |
As a result, anxiety was the driving force in my decision making, and it not only affected 00:00:51.960 |
me but the relationships with others around me. 00:00:55.160 |
It was a life of outwardly declaring that I've accepted Jesus Christ, but not feeling 00:01:02.840 |
Looking back, I can say that during this confusing time of professing to be a believer, my life 00:01:10.120 |
To my friends and family, as long as I seemed to be walking in faith, that's all that mattered. 00:01:15.000 |
But my heart posture showed that I didn't have a deep need for God in my life because 00:01:19.120 |
I wasn't ready to give up everything just yet. 00:01:22.160 |
I had many idols in my life that I was chasing after. 00:01:25.200 |
After I graduated from Biola, I was in a transition period of obtaining my teaching degree and 00:01:32.000 |
This period of uncertainty was a time during which I frequently compared myself to others 00:01:38.800 |
It made me wonder why my own life wasn't coming together like I had hoped or expected. 00:01:44.040 |
But for the first time, I was having to ask myself, "Who am I trying to glorify and honor?" 00:01:49.040 |
And I knew it was only God who was convicting me of this truth, that glorifying myself can 00:01:53.400 |
never bring me the security that can be found in Christ and Christ alone. 00:01:58.240 |
It was clear to me that through this time of internal struggle, Christ was revealing 00:02:04.880 |
I feared the opinions of others more than God himself. 00:02:08.600 |
Despite this realization of the depth of my depravity, I also saw the depth of his mercy 00:02:13.800 |
and love for me, that even in my brokenness, I could go to him as I am, and even though 00:02:19.400 |
I am undeserving, that he would and has already forgiven me of my sins. 00:02:24.320 |
For the first time in a long time, I wanted to look to Christ and have peace, joy, and 00:02:28.840 |
fulfillment in him, instead of looking to myself and the approval of others. 00:02:33.260 |
I strived to submit to Jesus as Lord and to fully turn away from my old life. 00:02:38.400 |
The past five years of allowing his promises and truth to really reign over my life have 00:02:43.280 |
been humbling, sanctifying, and awesome in their own way. 00:02:46.800 |
Getting to know my Lord and Savior in this current stage of life has consisted of much 00:02:53.200 |
I am no longer defined by how others perceive me or seek to win the approval of others. 00:02:58.280 |
Now because I have newness of life and in my mind and heart continue to experience the 00:03:02.560 |
freedom from sin through God's even grace, I seek to honor and glorify him and him alone. 00:03:07.960 |
This freedom through his grace is reflected in Ephesians 2, 8, which reads, "For by grace 00:03:12.640 |
you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." 00:03:16.920 |
Recently I was asked when I was overcome with God's holiness, and I would say right now 00:03:21.800 |
God is showing me so much of what his holiness means for my life, that there can be no worship 00:03:27.640 |
and no true obedience without seeking to understand what God's holiness means. 00:03:31.800 |
In this way, I am so thankful that Christ has allowed his holiness to touch my life 00:03:37.960 |
Like it says in Colossians 3, 3, "My life is now hidden with Christ, and my union with 00:03:42.280 |
him gives me hope and a full assurance of my eternal life in him." 00:03:46.080 |
And that's where true joy and freedom is found. 00:03:49.080 |
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