by Alain Dery

A believed, and therefore have I "spoken" 2 Cor. 4:13b

As a matter of introduction, I'm almost 49 years old and have been married to my bride, Debbie, for over 27 years. We are the thankful parents of five beautiful children.

I started attending a denominational church that taught Armenian theology about 13 years ago to be eligible to play softball. After several weeks of feeling condemned, I answered an "after call" to C& come forward and make Jesus the Lord of my life." At the time, I thought I got saved, but I have since learned that the apostle Paul (the apostle to the Gentiles - Rom. 11: 13) taught that "if OUR gospel be HID, it is hid from them that ARE LOST" (2 Cor. 4:3). 1 know now that no one "makes" the Lord anything. He always has been and always will be LORD. I was really sincere about trying to serve the Lord and change my life, but I was never able to live up to the sermons I heard, mostly from the "law" in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Constantly feeling guilty and living under the law of Armenian theology, I never knew if 1 would go to Heaven or not if I died unexpectedly, I had been taught that I could be saved one minute and lost the next. I had no assurance of my salvation. I did not have eternal security. I now believe that Armenian theology is WRONG. Reading Rom. 6:14, "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the low, but under grace" and studying Rom. 8: 1 -1 0, helped me realize this.

I felt that something wasn't right in our doctrine even though it was Biblical. Now I understand that just because our doctrine was scriptural, it was not dispensational or rightly divided. After hearing several objections from my wife and children concerning our family "looking for a new church home,"

I decided we would visit a few other denominational churches. But I still could not find what I was seeking.

One day I heard Pastor David Dowell of "The Magnified Word" radio broadcast preaching a message of PURE GRACE. He read Rom. 16:25 where Paul says, "according to MY gospel .... according the revelation of. the MYSTERY " His sermon was truly good news, and it caused me to "Search the scriptures daily to see whether those things were so " (Acts 17:1 1). After careful investigation of the scriptures, I knew that if I didn't agree with his teaching that I wasn't really arguing against Pastor Dowell but against the Word of God, which If knew to be true as stated in Rom. 3:4, " -let God be true... "

If thank God for not letting me stay comfortable where If was, nor continue being deceived by the "traditions of men " (Col. 2:8). 1 am glad He helped me search for the truth (Acts 17:1 1) and find it. If thank God also for the teachings of "faithful men " (2 Tim. 2:2) like Pastor David, who "rightly divide the word of truth " (2 Tim. 2:15). Now I KNOW what I believe and why I believe it. Now I really appreciate and understand the "gospel of the grace of God " (Acts 20:24). 1 also KNOW that we are living in the "but now " (Eph. 2:8) "dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph. 3:2). 1 know that we are saved by Paul's gospel (I Cor. 15:2), we are established by Paul's gospel (Rom. 16:25), and we will judged by Paul's gospel (Rom. 2:16). Now that I study God's word God's way (2 Tim. 2: 1 5), I can no longer be "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine " (Eph. 4:14). To God be the glory (I Cor. 10:3 1)! Amen!

Mr. Dery lives in Tennessee, with his wife and daughter. He is self-employed in the vinyl siding business.