Carolina Durn’s Testimony

Carolina Durn’s Testimony I Had Never Been Taught That the Death of Jesus WasMeant For Me.

My name is Carolina Durn and this is my story.

I was never really interested in the Catholic religion orpractices, but I went along to church in order to please my Mom. Evenmy Dad had no interest in going. I assumed that I had to associatemyself with some religion in order to have a “faith”. I didnítknow God at all. Grudgingly, I continued to go although no one everanswered my questions about God. I wondered also about heaven, andhell. I wondered about where people go when they died, or did theyjust lay in a grave forever? I never seriously sought theanswers. I guess that I thought that no one really knew theanswers to those questions.

At sixteen, I was invited to some “Christian Rock” concerts bysome kids at school. I never even entertained the thought of going,but I did talk to them for awhile. They would talk a lot aboutJesus, like they really knew Him. They were too strange for me and myfriends. I just backed off.

That same year a good friend of mine moved in with her oldersister, a Christian. As my sister and I visited her, she began totalk about the Bible. We were both very interested. I learned a lotabout Jesus and why He died on the cross, for our sin. She also said”repent” a lot. As a Catholic I had never been taught thatthe death of Jesus on the cross was meant as a personal sacrifice foreach one of us. The more I learned, the more uncomfortable Ifelt about my lifestyle. I didnít want to turn away from mysinful lifestyle. I didnít want to repent. If I did repent ofmy sin, I thought I would never enjoy life. Both my sister and Idecided to back off. After all, my friend had to stay with her sisterbecause she was a pregnant teenager. I figured that was why sheturned to God. We didnít need religion. We both rejectedChrist, God and the teachings of the Bible.

In 1987, I married Roger Durn and moved to Emmaus, Pa. Roger hadtold me that he had been saved, but I didnít give it muchthought. This happened before we got married. Roger began to teach mewhat the Bible said about salvation. I then understood thatif I didnít accept Christ as my personal savior, I would endup in hell when I died. This really got my attention. I wasshown a number of references in the Bible that told me what I had todo to be saved: John 3:15, 16 and 36; Matthew 8:12; and Revelation20: 14-15. Now, God had really sent me a message. I knew that if Idied, I would go to hell. That scared me so much that I began to wantto know more. There was still another problem, I did not want to giveup any of my lifestyle for God, as required in Luke 9:24: “Forwhosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will losehis life for my sake, the same shall save it.”. But, I did not wantto repent.

As a few months passed, I found that marriage was not easy.Everything seemed to put pressure on my marriage, including me. I gotdepressed and felt alone. Roger and I were not getting along wellbecause of my moodiness. I resented myself for quitting college andmoving away. I missed my family in Texas, especially since they weregoing through a crisis as well. But, despite all this pressure, Godkept us together.

One Sunday, my husband persuaded me to sit and listen to a Baptistpreacher on television. I was reluctant because I believed alltelevision preachers just wanted money. I was wrong. As I listened,God opened my heart. The message was about the debt that we all oweGod. The debt of our sin. Sin is not without penalty. Our sin costJesus his life. Jesus freely gave His life as payment for our sin. Sowe would not have to pay the penalty in hell. That is why Jesus wantsto be our Savior. He does not wantany of us to perish in hell.

Now I understand Godís love for us. We do not deserve it,but He is merciful to us. At the end of the sermon I bowed by headand thanked God for sending Jesus, and I personally accepted Jesus asmy Savior. From that time on, I have known that when I die, I nolonger have to pay for my sin in hell. I now know that I will spendeternity in heaven with my Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I really knowGod personally, and I know the peace He has given me.

Anyone can have this salvation and the peace of God that comesalong with it. Tomorrow is not certain, but deathis. Do not put off your salvation until it is too late! Donot trust in your good works, baptism, confirmation, or religion toget you to heaven. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that those thingswill get you to Heaven. But, John 14:6 is very specific about what isrequired: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and thelife: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Find out thetruth. Your soul is on the line.

If you would like to know more about the Savior that changedCarolina’s life, you are welcome to attend the

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