How This Ex-Atheist Came to Christ

Here's my story of How I came to Christ, or more accurately, how Christ came for me!

I was 19 years old and at a very dark time in my life, though at the time I didn't see it. Just a few days prior to all of this I had attended an electronic music festival and had taken ecstasy two days in a row. I was a pot-head, a drug dealer, I loved to party, I took advantage of girls, and I was an atheist. All I wanted to do was party. I had a crazy-big ego and thought very, very highly of myself.

One day I was over a friends house working out and practicing martial arts, which was a hobby of mine. Another friend came over and we decided to grapple down in the basement. It was a pretty intense fight, and at one point this friend picked me up and slammed me on the ground, hard. I got up and was enraged, wanting to keep fighting, but my other friend stopped me. He pointed to my shoulder with a look of panic on his face. I felt my shoulder and my collar bone was poking out of it.

The pain didn't set in right away because of all the adrenaline, but I was warned that it was about to hurt really bad. I went upstairs, sat down, lit a cigarette, and called my mom. As soon as I got off the phone all the pain set in at once, and it was the worst pain i've ever experienced. I was going into shock and I started to lose my consciousness. Everything was going black and I felt as if I was dying. I had lost all sense of power and control over my life and for some reason, under my breath I just cried out, "Jesus help me!". As soon as I called on Jesus my vision began to return to me, my pain subsided a bit, and I remained conscious.

I was driven to the hospital, given some morphine, and then told I would need surgery. I had my arm put in a sling and it was going to be immobile for a while.

I had about a week to wait before my surgery so I was just stuck at home, not able to do much of anything. It was at this time that the experience of calling on Jesus really began to rack my mind. Why had it worked? If Jesus wasn't real, and I never thought he was, why was there power in his name? I just felt as though I had experienced something very real, and I was kind of scared, because I knew that if he was real, I was in trouble.

I began to explore the gospel for the first time in my life with an open mind. As I read the gospel it began to effect me powerfully. It was the greatest story I had ever heard and it touched me in a way I can't describe. Part of me tried to resist it's truth, but I could not deny the power that is in the name of Jesus. The gospel made sense, and I could now see just how sinful I was. I knew that if I was to die during surgery I would go to Hell. But I also knew that, if the gospel was true, this same Jesus I had called on was offering me eternal life in him.

I tried to ignore this as long as I could but one day, while I was driving, this conviction I felt became too much for me to bear. I was trying to hold back tears and it wasn't working. Finally I couldn't take it anymore, I knew I needed to be saved.

At that point I turned around and headed for a local church, the same church I used to ridicule back in the day, the same church who's members had preached the gospel to me in the past. It wasn't even a Sunday, it was Tuesday afternoon. I pulled in, parked, and walked in the door. There was the youth pastor and a couple other people hanging out in the front.

I didn't know what to say, so I just asked if he'd show me around. As he was giving me the tour I just started crying. I told him that I felt that God had led me here, and I asked how I could be saved. He said that he would be happy to pray with me right then. I paused for a moment and then said yes, that's what I needed to do.

I prayed and asked the Lord to forgive me of my sins, I confessed him as Lord and Savior, and I gave him my life. I realized I had been in rebellion against him all my life, and I just surrendered. After this I thanked the pastor, told him I'd be there on Sunday, and left the church.

As I was driving home an inexpressible joy fell over me, and I felt for the first time in my life the love of God. I cried tears of joy knowing I was saved and it was at that moment that I truly fell in love with Jesus Christ.

That Sunday I went to church and the pastor (not the one I talked to) gave a sermon about how God uses tough circumstances to bring people to himself. During the worship I felt the presence of God and was absolutely filled with joy. A man sitting next to me put his arm around my shoulder, asked my name, and prayed for my healing. I had never felt such love from other people. After the service this kid came up to me, introduced himself, took me to a back room, and gave me a free bible. We hung out that day, he introduced me to some friends of his, and I began to delve into the word. This was the beginning of my Christian walk.

I got home afterword and, miraculously, the pain in my shoulder had greatly subsided. I even took off my sling and had greater mobility of my arm! I never wore that sling again.

I share this story with you all so that you can see how powerful and glorious God is, that he would take a rotten sinner like me and save me. I didn't seek him, I wasn't religious, I was perfectly content in my sins. But he came for me, he grabbed hold of me, and he changed me. Praise be to God! How merciful and great is he! Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ, my precious Lord and Savior!

This is such a great story!

Amen! I am happy you are saved. God really does work in miraculous ways! I truly believes he has a plan for all of our lives.

This weekend I came very close to my death but it wasn't my time to go. I prayed to God and asked him to forgive me, said sorry for straying off the path and he took mercy on me to save me.

God is great!

What a wonderful testimony. Praise be to God! He is our great healer! Nothing is impossible to God just come to Him and He will come near to you.

Glory to Yahvah God and Yahshua the Messiah.

GREAT TESTIMONY!.......had a similar experience when I was 18.........but I made a TRAGIC MISTAKE!........I remained friends with my life long buddies...........It didn't take long to fall away from God and go back to my old sinful ways, like a dog returning to his vomit........after another 20 years of destructive living God reached out to me again........this time I dumped all my old friends like the plague

Its been over 15 yrs of living free from drugs and alcohol........and has given me time to mature in Christ, and grow in strength, to a place were I can minister to my old friends without being tempted and dragged back in. ...................I pray that you make the wise decision of breaking the ties that bound you........God bless you, He obviously has a great plan for your life

I hear you, I did too. The first year after this happened I was vacillating between abiding in Christ and giving into peer pressure. Some days I was growing in holiness, other days I was being dragged back into the same old filth.

But God is great. Every time I got dragged back into sin, God would not let me go all the way back. I've faced a lot of discipline every time I went back into sin. God just would not let me go. And every time I came back to him in repentance, I grew in my faith and devotion.

After a while I learned the key to abiding in Christ; prayer. Every time I'm tempted I go to the Lord in prayer and lay everything before him. He has done so much for me, and I can happily say that I am done with all my former ways. I no longer even have a hint of desire for my old way of life.

God is so good, I"m so happy he disciplined me and drew me back to his word. I have wonderful assurance of my salvation just based on the endurance of my faith and how God has moved in my life. To live is Christ, and nothing else matters!

Matt777!! GLORY!!!! TO GOD!!! There just is no one like him is there!!! We are but ashes until a most loving God comes to make ashes LIVE!! Dead before,made alive unto a new creature!!( 2 Cor 5:17!) Thanks so much for letting all of us see what ashes can become in Jesus! I rejoice with you my brother in Christ! May all he has done for all of us,shine!For indeed my brother you are now the salt of the earth,a light,like a great city upon a hill, the Hill of God!! amen!! ( matt 5:13-16!!!) Thanks again for letting us see Jesus in you!! amen!

Brother God bless you!! God bless greatly. Just like the blind man who had been healed, tell the whole world what He's done for you, our reward is great. We will be with Him forever!!

Jesus, Jesus, Jeeeeeeeeee-sus, there is something about that name.
Master, Saviour, Jeeeeee-sus, like the fragrance after the rain.
Master, Saviour, Jeeeeeeee-sus, let all Heaven and Earth proclaim.
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away but there is something about that name.

=========
Yes, yes, yes! There is all-power in His most precious, holy name.

Beautiful, matt, never doubt the great faith in you that He gave you, and, The,Lord leads, follow Him, but, pray how and let Him use your great testimony to reach so many in this world. They need Him too and your experience will be 'great' for reaching those that may not be reached any other way.

God bless you, Christ bro in your walk, serving Him.

In Him, Ed

Me and you sound a lot a like in testimonies lol, same name, I also do martial arts, and am a big electronic fan... lots of people dying in my city from ecstacy I haven't done it in a long time. Hope everything goes well on your journey, mine's rocky as hell but only because of something that happened in my life... I personally feel relentless until something changes, and I want to do everything for that.

Matt, that's an awesome testimony, it brought tears to my eyes! Thank you so much for posting it

This is a great story to share with us. ^.^ Thank you. I think you should all read the testimony of Lecrae Moore somewhere. It is incredible as well.

what a good story, brought tears to my eyes:'(

I began to explore the gospel for the first time in my life with an open mind. As I read the gospel it began to effect me powerfully. It was the greatest story I had ever heard and it touched me in a way I can't describe. Part of me tried to resist it's truth, but I could not deny the power that is in the name of Jesus. The gospel made sense, and I could now see just how sinful I was. I knew that if I was to die during surgery I would go to Hell. But I also knew that, if the gospel was true, this same Jesus I had called on was offering me eternal life in him.

I tried to ignore this as long as I could but one day, while I was driving, this conviction I felt became too much for me to bear. I was trying to hold back tears and it wasn't working. Finally I couldn't take it anymore, I knew I needed to be saved.

At that point I turned around and headed for a local church, the same church I used to ridicule back in the day, the same church who's members had preached the gospel to me in the past. It wasn't even a Sunday, it was Tuesday afternoon. I pulled in, parked, and walked in the door. There was the youth pastor and a couple other people hanging out in the front.

I didn't know what to say, so I just asked if he'd show me around. As he was giving me the tour I just started crying. I told him that I felt that God had led me here, and I asked how I could be saved. He said that he would be happy to pray with me right then. I paused for a moment and then said yes, that's what I needed to do.

I prayed and asked the Lord to forgive me of my sins, I confessed him as Lord and Savior, and I gave him my life. I realized I had been in rebellion against him all my life, and I just surrendered. After this I thanked the pastor, told him I'd be there on Sunday, and left the church.

As I was driving home an inexpressible joy fell over me, and I felt for the first time in my life the love of God. I cried tears of joy knowing I was saved and it was at that moment that I truly fell in love with Jesus Christ.

That Sunday I went to church and the pastor (not the one I talked to) gave a sermon about how God uses tough circumstances to bring people to himself. During the worship I felt the presence of God and was absolutely filled with joy. A man sitting next to me put his arm around my shoulder, asked my name, and prayed for my healing. I had never felt such love from other people. After the service this kid came up to me, introduced himself, took me to a back room, and gave me a free bible. We hung out that day, he introduced me to some friends of his, and I began to delve into the word. This was the beginning of my Christian walk.

I got home afterword and, miraculously, the pain in my shoulder had greatly subsided. I even took off my sling and had greater mobility of my arm! I never wore that sling again.

I share this story with you all so that you can see how powerful and glorious God is, that he would take a rotten sinner like me and save me. I didn't seek him, I wasn't religious, I was perfectly content in my sins. But he came for me, he grabbed hold of me, and he changed me. Praise be to God! How merciful and great is he! Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ, my precious Lord and Savior![/quote]

Apart from real repentance and faith, and crucifying your flesh with Christ, then many in the church today arenot saved, saying a simple prayer, confessing you were born a sinner, and accepting Christ to cover you in your sins instead of ransoming you from this is a false gospel.
Jesus isnt calling sinners to confess and trust, but to repent and follow!
Which gospel are you following????




Gal 1:6 I marvel that you so soon are being moved away from Him who called you into the grace of Christ, to another gospel,
Gal 1:7 which is not another, but some are troubling you, and desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from Heaven preach a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we said before, and now I say again, If anyone preaches a gospel to you beside what you have received, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:10 For now do I persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Today we are seeing basically two different gospels being preached from the pulpits! One is of truth, and the other is of the lie! Most who are being deceived cannot see this and cannot discern truth from error.
To contrast the differences, we just compare the early church to the modern church today.
One preached repentance and faith proven by deeds:

2Co 7:10 For the grief according to God works repentance to salvation, not to be regretted, but the grief of the world works out death.
2Co 7:11 For behold this same thing (you being grieved according to God); how much it worked out earnestness in you; but also defense; but also indignation; but also fear; but also desire; but also zeal; but also vengeance! In everything you approved yourselves to be clear(pure)in the matter.
Act 20:21 testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

The other preaches confession, or admitting you are a sinner bound in flesh that cannot be put to death, because sin is inbred into you, but the word says otherwise:

Eze 18:20 The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

One gospel preaches the narrow road, the straight gate, and the crucified life, the other is all about fun, games, music, skits, focus and accountability groups, picnics, socials, dinners, parties, and a host of other worldly attractions and distractions, that do one thing, and that is cloud the hearts and minds of the lost, to remain in bondage to the world and sin.

But Jesus said:

Luk 13:23 And one said to Him, Lord, are the ones being saved few? And He said to them,
Luk 13:24 Strive to enter in at the narrow gate. For I say to you, many will seek to enter in and shall not be able.

Mat 7:13 Go in through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there are who go in through it.
Mat 7:14 Because narrow is the gate and constricted is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

The true gospel wasn't written by the blood of many fearless men and women of God, to be made into a circus side act! It wasn't written to entertain, but to prepare the hearts and souls of the few who would obey it, and walk a life worthy of their creator.

But today the gospel of entertainment has gone to new lows! Where you can go and enjoy the world and all its glitter, and still be saved, where you come for your fast food salvation, say a few words, apologize to God for being a poor helpless sinner, then go about enjoying all the vain attractions and fun!

But is this what Jesus meant by the narrow way! Is this why He paid a high price for, by shedding His precious blood at Calvary? So His creation could bask in the glory of knowing they are saved IN their sins, that all’s His blood could do for them is cover them as they have their cake and eat is too?

2Co 11:3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, so your thoughts should be corrupted from the simplicity due to Christ.
2Co 11:4 For if, indeed, the one coming proclaims another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed, or if you receive another spirit, which you did not receive, or another gospel, which you never accepted, you might well endure these .

Many will say you don't save your self, we are born poor helpless sinners, repentance isn't mandatory for true forgiveness, or the biggest lie used today is that Jesus took my place on the cross, took my punishment and wrath, and when God sees me, He sees Jesus and not my wicked old heart!

If this is the gospel you sit under each week, and you have not crucified your flesh with Christ, through repentance first as scripture commands, then you have not been truly converted, you cannot receive the things of God, and His truth will be obscure to you to say the least!

Don't kid yourself; I did for 15 years, buried under many layers of lies that kept me in great bondage to sin and the ways of the world!

The only way for me to come out of this mess was to flee the system, and actually crucify my flesh with Christ once and for all in repentance, the spirit was upon me convicting me of sin, righteousness and judgment, and it was heavy as I departed from the false church and all its vain glitter and glitz. I had to learn the gospel all over again, and lay aside all wickedness and evil, to receive the implanted word of God for real!

Jas 1:21 Therefore putting aside all filthiness and overflowing of evil, receive in meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Jesus said to be sober, diligent, steadfast, worthy, an over comer, pure, undefiled, holy, He told us to count the cost, abstain from all appearances of evil, depart from iniquity, love not the world and its vain attractions, stand fast, abide in Him, produce good fruit, to love Him is to obey Him, seek first His kingdom, flee all sexual immorality, be a doer of His word, count the cost, don't look back, and most of all He called for all His creation to repent or perish, go and sin no more, and to crucify your flesh with Him in repentance! Plus many more commands, that He has called us TO DO, He didn't or will not do them for us, BUT will give us all we need IN Him to obey Him, and serve Him with all our heart and soul!

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf.

Gal 5:24 But those belonging to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

So which gospel do you love and obey? The one that says you can sin and will surely not die, where fun and games in the main attraction along with a lot of good works and compromised preaching? Or the one that is calling all sinners everywhere to repent or perish, to come out from among the world and its ways, to actually crucify your flesh with Christ, and walk in His great mercy and strength. Loving His truth above all else, and being a diligent follower, walking in purity, sincerity and love!

Now some final warning s coming from Jesus to His lost church:

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Luk 11:23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Joh 8:11 And she said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I give judgment. Go, and sin no more.

Luk 13:3 I tell you, No. But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; therefore be zealous and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me.
Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with My Father in His throne.

Jesus is knocking; will you repent and invite Him in?

I think its awfully arrogant and unwise to question my salvation just because my experience doesn't perfectly accord with what YOU think is a perfect repentance experience. Yes, I said a prayer. But I repented from the heart, I turned from my sinful life and surrendered to Christ as Lord. If that is not repentance, then I don't know what is.

Moreover, I quite frankly don't care what you say. The spirit testifies with my spirit that I am a child of God. I am a new creation, with new desires, a new and heightened sensitivity to sin, and a genuine love for Christ. I've read 1st John, and every time I do I am assured of my being born again.

You can doubt it all you want, I don't care. But its really too bad you won't accept me as a brother just because my experience doesn't perfectly accord with your idea of what it should be.

I apologize, I think I misunderstood your post.

You make some very good points brother. I agree with you that the "gospel" preached in many churches today is apostate. I agree that faith without works is dead and is no faith at all. I agree that repentance involves surrendering your life to Christ, embracing him as the sovereign lord that he is. I agree that salvation is NOT a license to continue in sin, but that a repentant heart turns away from sin.

Not that we are without sin, for 1 John claims that if we say we are without sin we lie. But yes, sin as a style of life is over if we are born again. I can testify, and I believe those who know me can testify, that subsequent to my conversion my life has changed, and sin no longer defines me. I do still sin from time to time, I still fall short in many ways, and I hate this reality. But I know that Christ has changed my heart and my life by this fact, that I continue to repent, I continue to believe, and I continue to grow in hatred of sin.

Ultimately only God knows the heart, only God knows who are his. However I know that the bible says that those who come to Christ sincerely in repentance and brokenness will be saved. I also know that prior to my conversion I was a hard-hearted atheist that wanted nothing whatsoever to do with God. I truly believe that apart from a sovereign act of God in regeneration, I could have never come to Christ, or had any interest in doing so. Never the less, I will continue to examine myself in light of scripture, in light of the life I live, that I may maintain and grow in the assurance of my salvation.

Again I apologize for taking your post emotionally as a personal attack when it was not. I'd like to thank you for challenging me and not just taking a testimony at face value. May we all grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings brother

I agree with Matt77
Tommy4Christ kinda went overboard.
the post was too long and has too much 'enters', why man:/

i think Tomm4Christ you kinda misjudge his so called 'gospel'. I know you are trying to warn him of bad gospels who preach wrong things, but come on man.
Through the gospel church he went to is what lead him to Christ. The same church he has been abusing over the years that Jesus lead him back. The fact is that Jesus was the one who leadth him there.

Jesus isnt calling sinners to confess and trust, but to repent and follow!
Which gospel are you following????
which bible are you reading? when you pray to Jesus, you have to confess the sins you've done to show that we are all sinners.
How can you pray, give thanks and ask, without confessing your sins?
when you repent through prayer you have to confess your sin and accept that Jesus did die for us.

when I pray, I will always give thanks to Jesus/God, then confess the sins I've done today and later ask.
The reason why you must confess is to show "the sins" you've committed in the day.
What's the point in following Jesus and not acknowledging the sins you've done?

this is exactly MANY Christians do, they go to church ever sunday and come out with no changes. Even though they feel joy, it only last so short and continue their usual sinning.

If you can live a rightoues life and follow Jesus, you WILL try to perceive the kind of sins you are doing.
anything someone do for a day can be a sin!
*judging
*thinking of hate/malice/bad thoughts in your mind
*swearing or bad stuff coming from your mouth
*all the stuff you watch about the worlds, tainting your soul

no one is perfect that is why we need to constantly ask Jesus for forgiveness because "we don't know what we are doing".

I don't mean to be rude to you or question your knowledge on the scriptures you've gather which i'm impressed and give you a kudos. But i do think you kinda went overboard with someone's testimony.

And not to attack you Tomm4Christ. The guy was giving his 'testimony' of how he received Christ and you question his answers, way and guidance to how he found Christ.


but let's forget this and be happy that Matt77 is now part of the light

Great testimony, Matt. Thanks so much for sharing .

Absolutely Awesome testimony Matt