My Story

For most of my life I was unable to hear the Gospel message because of my pride, because of my stubbornness, and because of my love for sin. That last one, my love for sin, was a tremendous obstacle in my path. It felt like it was physically in my way, physically stopping me from moving forward. Looking back at how I lived my life then, I realize now that my love for sin was ultimately very selfish and always insatiable. Because I denied myself nothing I desired, I found that I was denying myself everything that mattered.

Not too long ago, I was spiritually broken and twisted inside when I asked Jesus to help me to be a better man. To be someone my children and wife could be proud of. I was always fighting and my victories were short-lived, so I asked him to fill me with hope and give me a victory that can never be taken from me.

Jesus answered my prayer in a way that was so incredible, my only response was to dedicate my life to serving him. Being a slave to Christ has given me the greatest freedom I have ever known. I was addicted to cigarettes and alcohol for over 25 years, and suddenly the cravings just stopped. I stopped putting anything into my body that would dishonor God, and on that day forward, I craved only Jesus.

Before I experienced saving grace, I was spiritually dead inside. I learned that accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior was the only absolute truth that gave meaning to my life. The plan God has for my life is not the plan I had for my life. This is a good thing. God’s plan for me is eternal life. Isaiah 26:19 says, “Your dead shall live, their bodies shall rise” and 1 John 2:25 says, “And this is the promise he made to us—eternal life” and “…this life is in his Son” (1 John 5:11).

My life today is not perfect, because it won’t be until the new creation that sanctification is made perfect. Until then, I still sin—but I don’t love it. I reject it. I remember I once had a void so cavernous I thought I could never fill it, no matter how much sin I tossed into it. It is my love for Jesus that finally filled that void inside me. Unexpectedly, loving Jesus has given me another gift. It has given me the courage to speak with authority about the one who saved me.

-Vin

To hear my more details about my salvation testimony or more about my Celebrate Recovery ministry, play the podcasts below: