Like many people in Ireland, I was brought up as a Roman Catholic. I was baptised as a baby, made my communion and got confirmed. I always believed in God, but as I reached my teens, I rebelled and stopped going to mass. I didn’t really want to be a hypocrite, not living for God from Monday to Saturday and then appearing at mass on a Sunday.
I knew about Jesus and of some stories from the Bible but I never understood why he died on the cross, why he was called “The Lamb of God” or why he was called the Saviour of the world. I believed in heaven and thought that God would allow most people in, if you were a good person and didn’t murder anybody.
After college I went to Australia for a year and while I was away God was definitely working on my heart. I kept thinking there must be more to life than just growing up, getting married, raising a family……then what? I tried to ignore those thoughts but they kept resurfacing. My dad was saved a few years before and he had tried to tell me that, according to Gods holy word, I was a sinner and on my way to Hell if I didn’t have Jesus. I would not accept this fact, that without asking Jesus to save you, if you died, you’d end up in Hell.
By the time I arrived home in Oct 2004, I was ready for the gospel. Dad was reading a tract in the kitchen and I asked him what he was doing. He then began to tell me again…Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. I agreed, you only have to look around and see the terrible state of this world. I could see the state I was in too.
Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death…” This part I didn’t understand before – but it means that what sin earns, is death. When our bodies die, our soul will either die spiritually or live spiritually. We will either spend an eternity in Hell, or spend an eternity with God in heaven.
I realised that I was guilty of breaking Gods laws, I had lied, stolen, taken the Lords name in vain, not honoured my parents and never put God first in my life. I knew that on Judgement Day I had to stand before God – and what would I say? Sorry? It is not enough to just be sorry – I had to repent – turn away from sin and towards God. Jesus paid the fine that I owed, when he died on the cross at Calvary. He said “It is finished”, and it was. No amount of good works, good deeds, no efforts can earn you a place in heaven. It is a gift, a free gift. I realised that Jesus died on the cross and suffered a terrible death to save me from a Devils Hell and if you ask him to save you, he will.
On 16th Oct 2004, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me. He is the ONLY way to heaven.
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me”
Gina now attends Bible Baptist Church in Ballincollig, Cork and faithfully serves the Lord there.
