Today, September 1, is the anniversary of my heavenly birth, when my life changed forever.

I have told my salvation story many times, but this time I want to address transformation—the result of the Holy Spirit living inside us, because we have claimed Jesus as our Savior.

I was 17 years old when I met Jesus, and I felt like the worst sinner in the world. From the outside looking in, I seemed like a pretty good person and like I didn’t “need” divine transformation. I liked obeying the rules, I genuinely cared about others, and I had a strong sense of justice and planned on going to law school. If you had asked my parents and teachers, they likely would have said, “Salomé is such a good girl!”

But outward appearances mean little. I knew I desperately needed help, and only when I realized who Jesus really is did I discover true transformation and how to live free of sin and darkness.

When My Heart Came Alive 

Many people say, “Well, I’m not that much of a sinner, so I don’t really need a Savior.”

I confessed my sins to my school priest several times. He would give me prayers, and I would dutifully repeat those prayers, though I didn’t really understand why sometimes he would give me more prayers or fewer prayers to repeat. Maybe I missed some of what they explained before my first communion, but I don’t remember anyone emphasizing that relationship with Jesus is the most important thing.

There were times when I experienced deep remorse and would give my sins to God, which is good—but without understanding Jesus and what He did for me, I couldn’t be truly cleansed. A veil lay over my mind and heart, and I couldn’t see the complete truth. As a result, there was no transformation, and I needed to be transformed and not just a “good girl.”

But that evening when I was 17, the veil tore, the blindness broke, and my heart came alive.

I began to understand what I had never fully understood before—that I had sinned against God, myself, and others, and because of that sin, I was separated from Him. It didn’t matter that my sins were “small” in the world’s eyes; even the smallest sin was a wall standing between Him and me. Sin was real, the distance from God was real, and I needed a Savior to help me.

Though I had repented in the past, this time I understood what Jesus did for me personally, which changed everything. I was able to hand Him the ugly, death-filled weight of all my sins, and an incredible exchange occurred. As I gave Him my sin, He gave me His life, forgiveness, and pure love.

I experienced a closeness and oneness with God that was new for me. It was like I stood at the foot of the cross with Jesus and could see what He did for me. He showed me the power of His resurrection and how I was resurrected with Him. His presence touched my heart like never before.

I understood so much more who my heavenly Father is and who the Holy Spirit is. The Spirit filled me with such a sense of love, identity, and purpose—an amazing purpose. The only thing I wanted to do was love Jesus back, follow Him, and do anything He asked of me. I felt His light begin to shine in me in a way I had never imagined, and I felt like I genuinely fell in love with Him. 

As the presence of His Spirit took up residency in my heart that evening, I was never the same.

Real Transformation Comes Only Through Jesus

Transformation is the fruit of being born again and devoting yourself to knowing and loving Jesus.  

When we express true love back to God, living in communion and intimacy with Him and other people, we throw open the door to real transformation, both for ourselves as individuals and for others.

More than ever, our society needs to see believers in Jesus who love well and are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Men and women who know Jesus well and are ready to get out of their comfort zones and step into something greater. We are a city on a hill, a light that cannot be hidden.

Let’s help each other and shine together, because the true light lives in us.

The Reality of Jesus

And what is God’s “living message”? It is the revelation of faith for salvation, which is the message that we preach. For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will experience salvation. (Rom. 10:9 TPT)

The more I think about my testimony, the more it seems like a significant part of my story is about understanding how sinful I was even if my sins seemed small.

Jesus brought me back into relationship with God the Father. The veil—the “fog” I lived in—fell apart, and the blindness I didn’t realize I suffered from was suddenly broken. I could see! I could really feel and have relationship with God through the power of Jesus’ resurrection. I knew the Jesus on the cross—but I didn’t know the Jesus who is alive. On September 1 so many years ago, I met my risen Savior, and instead of living in shame and desperation, I can now easily step into this place of amazing grace and love that only Jesus can offer.

Because of Him, my heart is filled with love, delight, and thankfulness. I pray yours will be too.

Interested in reading more about dating, relationships, and your walk with God? Here are a few articles on related topics:

• Help in Overcoming Sexual Patterns

• Are You Anxious About Being Single?

• Help! How Does a Shy Person Get a Date?

For more information on sex, marriage, and finding the person who is right for you, get a copy of Becoming the One by Salomé Roat. Click here to learn more. The book is also available in Spanish.