Profession of Faith...

I’d like to begin by sharing my favourite Bible passage: Psalm 23.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (NIV)

Throughout my life this Good Shepherd has been leading and guiding me. I was born into a Christian family and was baptized as an infant. This baptism showed that I was God’s child and included in His covenant. I would like to thank my parents and the churches I was raised in for instructing and teaching me. I cannot remember a specific date that I became a Christian, but I don’t think I took my faith very seriously until high school. At times I considered doing Profession of Faith, but I wanted to wait to make sure that I was doing it because I wanted to and not because it was expected of me.

Soon after graduating, I packed my bags and headed to Edmonton for university. I was now living alone and it was time for me to start thinking about things for myself instead of just accepting what others told me. As a science major, I was confused by the apparent conflict I saw between science and Christianity. I began to realize that two of the ways that God reveals himself is though Scripture and through nature. God would not lie to us through nature and he would not lie to us through Scripture. I finally realized that when science, the study of God’s nature, and religion appear to conflict, we must be either misinterpreting the data or misinterpreting Scripture. This led me to try to approach science and Christianity with a more open mind.

After graduating from university, I decided to move to Thailand to teach. At the time, I didn’t feel called to go, but I thought that maybe God had opened this door for me so I stepped through. This year in Thailand was one of the hardest yet one of the most fulfilling years of my life. On the other side of the globe, surrounded by only a handful of people who I could communicate with, I realized that I would have to rely on God if I was going to get through the year. In a country where things seem chaotic, unorganized, and always changing, it was good to lean on God, who is always consistent and unchanging. While attempting to share my faith with my students, it made me think more carefully about what I actually believe in. I began reading my Bible not just for the sake of reading it, but to gain a better understanding of my Heavenly Father. I finally decided that I was ready to profess my faith before the church and that I had no reason to wait.

So where am I at now? I am a sinner. I have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. Even though I know that the penalty for sin is death, I continue to sin. This sin separates me from God. But God, in his infinite love, sent his Only Son down to earth. Jesus was mocked, humiliated, scorned, beaten, and killed because of my sin. Jesus took my punishment in my place. God sent Jesus so that those who believe in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. I believe in Jesus. He is my Saviour and Lord. His sacrifice for my sins bridged the gap separating me from God. My sins are washed away. I did nothing to deserve this. I did not earn it. It was a gift from my loving Father.

I am here today to profess that I am a Christian. I believe that God exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe that God created the universe and all life, although I do not know the mechanism he used to do this. I believe that humans were created in the image of God, but we rejected him. I believe that the only way to be reconciled to God is through Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I believe that he died in our place. But the story did not end here. I believe that Jesus overcame death and was resurrected. Just like Jesus conquered death, I believe that those who accept Jesus will have everlasting life. I believe that one day he will return to earth to judge all who have lived on it.

I continue to make mistakes, but God is patient with me. As I age physically, I plan to age spiritually. To grow spiritually, I need food: the Bible. I plan to keep well fed and learn more about my Heavenly Father through his Word. I plan to speak to my Father through prayer. I hope that others will notice something different about me and want to learn more about what has changed me. I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know how long I will live, where I will live, who I will be with, or where I will work in the years to come. In fact, the future sometimes scares me. Sometimes, I feel alone. I wonder: is God here with me? Does God have a plan for me? At times like these I reflect back on my life, and see how God, the Shepherd was always there, leading and guiding me, even though I didn’t know it at the time. I trust God will continue to lead and guide me in the future as he has in the past.