It has been said that “an honest confession is good for the soul,” and I know this is true. Often after being introduced to an audience, the first thing I say is that I am “just a sinner who has been saved by God’s Amazing Grace.”

The Bible says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” This verse is true, like the entire Bible, because this is the nature with which we were all born. I am sure you know the story of Adam and Eve that took place in the Garden of Eden. We are all sinners, and this includes you. We all make choices, do things, and say things that we regret later on.

Now, for my heartfelt confession. There is something in my life that happened more than 40 years ago that has made a tremendous difference in my future. What happened back then has given me a tremendous sense of peace, and I want to share it with you.

Going back to the days when I was in high school, I went to church mainly because this was where the girls were. As I later moved out into the world, the church was still very important to me. At this time, like millions of Americans, I thought I was a Christian, but I really did not know what that meant, other than being faithful to attend and supporting the church financially.

After making countless mistakes, my good fortune came back in 1984 when I was saved during a revival meeting. I came to realize that all those years I had just being playing church and was not a true born-again Christian. This is to say that I asked Jesus to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I can tell you truthfully that since that day, Feb. 26, 1984, my life has never been the same. It was not long after I was saved that I began to think about all those people I had wronged, cheated or hurt in some way. I sought these people out and asked them to forgive me, and I asked God to forgive me.

It was not long after this that I was asked to teach a Sunday school class for young boys. I accepted the invitation. I soon realized that I did not know the Bible. In an attempt to learn the Bible, I made the decision to read it all the way through in a year. Would you believe that I continued this regimen for the next 25 straight years? To the glory of God, needless to say that I now know the Bible pretty well.

Here is the reason I wanted to share these thoughts with you: I did a lot of things and got a lot of rewards but did not really have peace in my heart until I made peace with God. Like all Christians, I still sin but now I have a way to be forgiven.

There is a very special verse in the Bible that I want to share with you because it relates to what I was saying about asking God to forgive me of my sins. This verse is I John 1:9 and it says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As a born-again believer, when we sincerely confess our sins, He says they are cast as far as the east is from the west. As you know, I am not a preacher, but I always want the best for you. Peace my friend.

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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)