Eddie

How IBecame a Christian

When I was 21 years old, I began to have adesire to get closer to God. Having grown up in the Catholic Church, I figuredthat getting back to weekly mass was the best place to start. I was dating agirl at the time, and we were involved sexually. I knew this was against thewill of God, and I wanted to stop, but it's pretty hard to quit. One night Itold my girlfriend that I didn't want to have sex anymore. After that, ourrelationship lasted about a week.

I felt good about my decision, but I knew Istill needed to ask God to forgive me for having sex outside of marriage. Idecided to go to confession. I told the priest what I'd done. He asked if I usedprotection when I had sex. I asked him if he meant a condom. He said yeah. Isaid yes. He said that it was O.K., as long as I use a condom.

I walked out of that church a happy man. Iresumed my sexual activities. A few months later, however, the guilt returned. Iknew it was wrong, condom or not. I stopped having sex, and decided that I wouldtry not to have sex until I got married.

A friend of mine invited me to HorizonChristian Fellowship in San Diego. Having never studied nor read the Bible (orbeen encouraged to by the Catholic church), I enjoyed the sermons very much. Iheard the gospel and understood it, and believed it, but I wasn't ready torepent (change my ways). I thought I was cool with God, since I wasn't havingsex anymore. Then I heard the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapter 5-7.Jesus said that if you lust after or fantasize about women, it's just as bad ascommitting adultery, as far as God's concerned. I'd stopped having sex, but Ihadn't stopped lusting after girls, or fantasizing. I figured that if I set mymind to it, I could probably (maybe & hopefully) hold out from having sexuntil I got married. This was a possibility. But I knew that there was nopossible way on this planet that I was going to stop fantasizing, or looking atand lusting after beautiful women. No way.

I continued going to the Bible study, andlearned about the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that God can give youpower to resist temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtakenyou but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, and will not allow you tobe tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will allow you away out, that you may endure it). I figure that made sense. If God is allpowerful, and if He can do anything, then yeah, He can keep me from lustingafter women.

So, after about two months of bible study, Iprayed to Jesus and asked Him to forgive me of my sins. I asked the Holy Spiritto come into my life, and give me the power to live the way God wants me to.This happened at a service at Horizon Christian Fellowship, at a Miles McPhersonservice on a Wednesday night.

The very next night, I got a call from agirlfriend that I hadn't seen in months. She wanted to take me out. She hadnever offered to take me out before this night. The only time we ever spenttogether was when I went to her house in the middle of the night, maybe onceevery couple months. Now, she wants to drive over and pick me up, and take me toher "special place", some mystery location that she wouldn't reveal. Iremembered something about being tempted after you get saved. I thought Iprobably shouldn't go out with her. But dumb as I was, I told her to come getme.

She arrived at my house at around 10:00 PM. Iasked her to stop by the post office before we went to her "specialplace". The Sports Arena post office is open late into the night. As I wasleaving the post office, I noticed something on one of the counters. The placeis usually cleaned by that time, this object caught my eye. I picked it up. Itwas a Bible. A little red Bible booklet with Old English type. I immediatelyremembered something about God always being with you, and helping you resisttemptation. I put it in my pocket. I got back in the car, and headed for the"special place".

I grew up in San Diego. I'd ridden my bike anddriven my car all over San Diego. This "special place" is visible fromthe I-5 freeway (a road I'd been on many times), yet I had never seen it. I'dheard about this "special place", but had never been there until thisnight. The "special place" turned out to be the Mount Soledad WarMemorial - A thirty foot tall CROSS. Yeah, a cross. So now I'm standing therelooking at this cross, with a Bible in my pocket. I was so happy. I felt likeGod was saying, "You're my boy now." All I could think of was howawesome God is. All I talked about was God, and the cross, and, "Ya knowwhen I was little, I went to Sunday school, blah blah blah....." Of coursemy date was frustrated, so we left. When we got in the car and turned on theradio, there was a PREACHER on!!!!!

It was a commercial or newscast or something.I was laughing at this point. God rules! We ended up at her house. Now, for thepast few years, I hadn't set foot in this girl's house without ending up in bed.But tonight was different. Sex was the furthest thing from my mind. We sat inthe kitchen. She gave me a hot chocolate. After about ten minutes of nothing,she asked if I wanted her to take me home. I said yes. And that was the end ofthat. That used to be the end of this story, but a few years after thishappened, she called me out of the blue, and I invited her to a Harvest Crusade(outdoor evangelism meeting, similar to a Billy Graham service). She ended upgetting saved, and she's been walking with the Lord ever since, PRAISEGOD!!!!!!!!

God totally delivered me from sexual sin ANDfrom fantasizing & lusting after women. When the desire to lust comes, whenthat initial thought comes, I'm able to stop it immediately, by the grace ofGod. I got saved at age 21. Six years later, I married my best friend. Havingkept myself pure for so long, I was able to come into a marriage relationshipwithout the excess baggage that comes with being in one sexual relationshipafter another. I praise Jesus for setting me free!!!! God can do anything, hecan change your life, no matter what you've done. JESUS CHRIST ISLORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EddieRoman
Santa Ana, CA

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