I was raised in a home where my parents taught me the basics about God. I devoted many hours to praying and I tried to follow the Ten commandments as best as I could. The older I grew, the more evident it became to me that I could not please God through my conduct. I tried my best, but I became constantly aware of my sin. Consequently, I decided to stop trying. Occasionally I would try and turn to God but I did not feel as though I deserved anything from Him. Eventually, I gave up and turned to the world. This led to several years of intense depression.
One day at USF, I met a campus minister with Cornerstone Christian Church. He shared a Gospel tract with me. The first question asked, "Do you believe you will go to heaven when you die?" I answered, "I was not sure." The second question asked, "Why do you believe this?" I answered, "Because I have tried to keep the Ten Commandments." I had never known that the Law was not given as a means to justify mankind, but to show us our sins. At this point, I was very interested in getting to know more. I started a weekly Bible study and eventually surrendered my life to Jesus. The Lord allowed me to see His mercy through His Son, and how He has forgiven me. He promises to remember my sins no more. I am so thankful that my trust is in Jesus and that He has set me free. I am really excited about all the changes I am seeing internally and externally. I look forward to seeing all that God has for me, so that the Lamb may receive His reward. ~ Carlos
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