The Lord Had Set Me Free!

Salvation Testimony _ Christian Parry (Good News Salt Lake Church, United States)

This is my story. I had so much joy in my heart! Although it’s true that I am a dirty, filthy sinner, God calls me righteous. God forgot all my sin like Joseph forgot all his toil after he begot Manasseh! The Lord had set me free from sin. I have the righteousness of God now. Oh, thank You, Lord!

My name is Christian Parry. I was born in Baltimore MD, in 1958. After that, my family moved to Delaware and there, my father became a millionaire. We moved to NYC when I was thirteen years old. Later, I became a pothead and I used to drink alcohol when I was attending private schools. I thought that my life was meaningless. My father failed in business and the family moved from town to town. Eventually, I began my journey to true faith. I believed that I had received salvation in the early 1990’s. At the time, my parents were living in Salt Lake City. One day, I received the bad news that my father was in a coma after a brain surgery that was meant to remove a benign tumor. I was devastated. I knew none of my family was saved. They were involved in false faith.

I went to the hospital and I prayed Psalms 107:20 “He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.” The next morning as I stood beside his bed, he awoke! Only my mother believed God did it through grace but I was able to speak about God to my father. During the six years I stayed with him, I taught him several things about Jesus though he was an atheist. During that time, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Shortly before his death, he was comatose again. The Lord spoke to my heart that my father would be saved, that my father would return to God soon. A sense of peace came over me. When I went to his bed and asked him, “Now dad, do you belong to Jesus?” He awoke and stated, “Oh yes!” He was serious. The next morning, he was gone. I had peace regarding my father’s soul.

I wanted to add things to my salvation. I attended “deep” Bible studies and began playing drums in many praise bands, trying to please God. To pack knowledge upon knowledge seemed to be so good.

As I went on with that life, my spiritual life became more difficult. Although I experienced

God’s grace from time to time, sadly I fell deeply into sin. I had become useless. I fell into fornication, drinking alcohol and smoking pot. I became very depressed and went to secular counselors, even to a Christian counselor, but nothing helped. I had moments of grace and joy but they faded. I suffered from sin.

One day, the church I was attending had a Bible seminar held by the Good News Church. It captured my interest. The Lord was calling! As I sat and listened to pastor Sang Yul Kim, I began to weep; I could not stop crying. I said to myself, “Lord what’s going on?” The message was about Jesus and two thieves on the cross. At the end of the seminar, someone asked me “Christian, are you free from sin?” I was deeply conflicted. I mumbled something like…

”I know Jesus died for me but, but, but… Oh I’m not free from sin.” Then some students and a counselor sat with me. I felt the love of God. They gave me a book Notes on Genesis 1 by pastor Ock Soo Park. As I read the book, starting from Cain and Abel, I could learn the world of the heart before God. Our works to please God are worthless. However Jesus’ works are perfect to God but I did not understand God’s grace fully. I was not free yet.

The Good News Church did not arrive in Salt Lake City for another year. I waited, but during that time I fell back into alcohol. I didn’t have a church I wanted to go to because the Lord told me, “This Good News Church is for you to attend.” Finally, after one year, I found a flyer next to my truck. Good News Church had arrived in Salt Lake City!

There was Bible seminar; Pastor Eddie Pennoyer came to speak. He spoke the words from John 5: 25, Jesus said “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” I knew I was dead according to Jeremiah 17: 9. And the Lord shined light on that, and I knew I was His. Also he spoke about Genesis 41: 51~52. ‘Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh for God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house. And the name of second he called Ephraim for God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.”

This is my story. I had so much joy in my heart! Although it’s true that I am a dirty, filthy sinner, God calls me righteous. God forgot all my sin like Joseph forgot all his toil after he begot Manasseh! The Lord had set me free from sin. I have the righteousness of God now. Oh, thank you, Lord!

When I first met Pastor Andrew Nam, I noticed he was much younger than I. Satan tried to deceive me and said “He is a novice, don’t listen to him.” After one service at the Good News Salt Lake Church, I knew he was truly a servant of God. God gave me a very special love for Andrew and his wife Nicole. I finally found a church that actually witnesses the true gospel together and teaches the Bible correctly. Since I’ve been attending the service and Bible study, I have learned the Bible much more than before. Now I have a grateful heart. Thank You Lord.