Shalom Aleichem haShem Yeshua HaMoshiach!
In the language of my Hebrew ancestors, "Peace be unto all of you in the Name of Jesus the Messiah!" I am Jewish by birth; Baptist by conviction; and saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone!
My parents reared me as an Orthodox Jew. But, while trying to live a Jewish life, I found I had two major problems:
I had sinned against a holy God. God commanded the Jews to "love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deuteronomy 6:5). I failed to do that. Thus I stood condemned before God as a willful sinner.
I had no means of atonement. Under the Mosaic Law, God told the Jews that, I have given it (the blood of the sacrificial offering) to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls, (Leviticus 17:11). But I had nothing to offer God that He would accept. Thus, I had no basis for believing that God could forgive my sins. I first received a New Testament when I joined the military. As I read that book, I saw how Jesus Christ provided what I needed.
I needed an acceptable sacrifice. Jesus Christ was that sacrifice - better than any Old Testament sacrifices. No sacrificial blood could take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). But Jesus Christ "by his own blood...entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." (Hebrews 9:12). I needed an acceptable high priest. Jesus Christ was that high priest - better than any Old Testament High Priest who ever served. It became necessary periodically to replace Jewish High Priests, Jesus Christ, however, has an unchangeable priesthood (Hebrews 7:23-24).
Several months later, two Christians at a military religious retreat shared the gospel with me. They showed me that when I totally trusted in His Son's shed blood and completed atonement, God would freely forgive my sins and redeem me (Ephesians 1:7). After several days of questions, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.
God has burdened me for Jewish souls. He called me into His service and commanded me to, "...go get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them" (Ezekiel 3:4). You have just read my testimony. I pray that God will use it to draw you unto Jesus Christ, His Son, and that you, too, might "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled by a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him," (Psalm 2:12).
Testimony originally appeared in The Everlasting Nation publication, March/April 2011- p.9. Reposted with permission.
