From Confusion to Clarity: How God Led Me to His Truth

I grew up surrounded by religion. Raised Catholic, baptized Mormon, taught by Jehovah’s Witnesses, occasionally attending my aunt’s Pentecostal church with my mom, and sitting in a Christian church on Sunday mornings—I always believed in God, the Creator. But believing in God is not the same as knowing Him rightly.

Though I had always believed in God, I had not yet come to know Him rightly. In His sovereign timing, He opened my eyes to the truth, but at first, I found myself in a Pentecostal church. I was even ordained as a minister. But as I sought the Lord in prayer, one request remained on my heart: God, show me Your truth. Give me discernment.

One day, in the most unexpected place—a laundromat—I saw a small business card pinned to a bulletin board: “Evolution vs. God” by Living Waters. I watched the video, and for the first time, I heard a gospel presentation that was clear, biblical, and grounded in Scripture. God was revealing something to me: I needed to be in His Word daily. My time in Scripture was inconsistent, and I had relied too much on experience rather than God’s revealed truth.

As I began reading Scripture more faithfully, I realized that the church I was in was built on a foundation of works. Baptism was required as evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit, and salvation seemed to depend on what I did rather than what Christ had done. But Scripture teaches:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Through my continued study, I came to see how distorted Pentecostalism had become. Reading Strange Fire by John MacArthur helped me understand, through Scripture, the errors within the modern charismatic movement. I also read Charismatic Chaos, which further examined its unbiblical teachings. The more I read, the clearer it became—this was not the true gospel. God, in His mercy, opened my eyes, and He led my family and me out of that church.

This was not my own doing. It was the work of God alone. Jesus said:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever! And no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28)

God knows those who are His. He preserves His elect and calls them out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). I am living proof of His sovereign grace, and for that, I will forever praise Him.

Many people grow up in religious traditions that claim to follow Christ but distort the gospel. Jesus warned about false religion and those who elevate man’s traditions above God’s truth:

• Matthew 15:8-9 – “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commands of men.”
• John 4:24 – “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
• Mark 7:8 – “Leaving the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
• Matthew 7:21-23 – Jesus warned that many who claim to follow Him will be rejected because they never truly knew Him.

If you are in a church where man’s traditions or emotional experiences have replaced the authority of Scripture, I urge you: Seek the truth in God’s Word. Test everything against Scripture (Acts 17:11). The gospel is not about what we do—it is about what Christ has done.

Soli Deo Gloria.