Good morning, my name is Shalom, and I'm here to give you my testimony. I was brought up in a Bible Presbyterian home where our lives revolved around prayer, devotion, and the study of God's Word. I was mostly a shy and timid girl throughout my childhood. However, the sinful nature of my flesh revealed young. I'd learn to lie to my parents when they needed to sign my failed Tamil spelling quizzes or when I busted my first mobile phone bill. I thank God for God-fearing parents who spared not the rod to help us know the consequence of sin. Proverbs 13, 24 tells us that he spared his rod, hated his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. I'd also learned quite quickly how Christians were also constantly hated by the world, When a Tamil language teacher back in Singapore would pick on me as a Christian, as an abomination to the culture and language of the Hindus in Singapore, in John 15, 19b it says, I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you. In my formative years, my family and I were part of a Tamil Bible Presbyterian congregation. I recall fond memories being involved in outreach ministries with my family as my dad served as an elder in the church. We were also very open with our homes to host gospel meetings, Bible studies hold Thanksgiving services, or extend our hospitality to visiting preacher families. I remember the first time I felt God's love way down in my heart I'd attended a vacation Bible school camp during the school holidays. There was a point where we had to memorize scripture verses and it was John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. I wanted to memorize and keep this verse in my heart. As we recited it several times, I pictured God's everlasting love for me and my desire to live with him in heaven. I knew that I had to believe in his son, Jesus Christ, so I can escape death and hell, and there was a call to salvation which I readily accepted in simple faith. However, I hadn't fully comprehended the concept of sin and repentance, and I was between the age of six to seven years. The year I turned 13, our Tamil church showed signs of compromise with the world, so we left. We were led to a smaller one, and the pastor was very quick to encourage me to take up my reaffirmation of faith. This is the next step for baptized infants who are now saved and want to commit their lives to Christ according to the Bible Presbyterian ordinances. I started attending catechism classes to begin the process. I prayed about it and eventually accepted it as a direction of God's cooperative will in my life to fulfill his higher purposes in Matthew 6.33. Before, I had learned that we either lived in God's will or out of it. Free will didn't exist after the fall of Adam and Eve. I was beginning to understand the concept of death, sin, and the redemptive power of Jesus Christ through his shed blood. In Ephesians 1.7 it says, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. During this study, I also learned more about progressive sanctification, that we are called to be holy. 1 Peter 1.16 says, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy. At the end of my catechism class, I did the sinner's prayer with the pastor and accepted Jesus into my heart. For some reason, I was expecting something grand to happen, but nothing did. Howbeit, I had the peace of God in my heart and completed my reaffirmation of faith a few months shy of my 14th birthday and began serving in the church as a young believer. I believe at this time I was saved, although I would go on to make sure of it on a couple of other occasions. When I was about 20 years of age, during a family church camp, I was finishing up my diploma and navigating the first year of my career. At this point, I had let the world creep up in my walk with God and allowed the enemy to cast doubts in my mind. During one of the theme messages, I remember the church camp asking that, if we died today, are we truly sure that we will go to heaven? In that moment, Matthew 7, 21 seared sharply in my mind. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. And I felt a deep sense of dread. I questioned if I truly abided by God's will and surrendered my plans to him, or had I been living my life on my own terms before seeking his word after like clockwork. That time I had been serving the Lord, but not submitting to the Holy Spirit at all times and grieving him. And I was carrying the holier-than-thou attitude while occasionally compromising my walk with the Lord to fit in with my colleagues at work. James 4.8 tells us to draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Yes, I followed the Ten Commandments, I served in the local church, I prayed daily, I sought forgiveness for my sins, I shared the Gospel and did my personal devotions. But it was in this moment I knew I had to repent of my sinful ways and live separately from the world. as a chosen generation, a peculiar people, showing forth the praises of him that had caught me out of the darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2.9 Acts 3.19 reads, Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. This humbling moment was a call from the Lord to repent and to not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind, that I may prove what is good, what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12, 2. As I returned to my room, I cried to my mom about my conviction of sins and doubts. She was quick to reassure me from Romans 10, 9 to 10, and prayed for me that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, that thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. While I wasn't sure what the Lord would help me do, I humbly recommitted my life plans into his hands and felt his comforting peace of the Holy Spirit in my heart. A year later, I reached a crossroad. I was blessed with an opportunity to pursue my further studies. However, the Lord presented our family with an opportunity to serve in a new ministry at church. My father asked each of us to pray about it. My heart was unsure why the Lord would interrupt a prior answered prayer. I searched his word and asked him to help me discern his view, as I read Proverbs 69. A man's heart devised his way, but the Lord directed his steps. And Proverbs 19, 21. Many plans are in a man's heart, but the purpose of the Lord will prevail. By faith I surrendered my plans and told my mom and dad of my decision to stay in Singapore and serve God with my family. I experienced God's peace again in my decision and was blessed to serve together with my family in that church for about eight years. Hebrews 11, 6, but without faith it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Over the years, I kept circling back to the same doctrinal questions, baptism by sprinkling God's will versus free will, Calvinism, and infant baptism. I had always looked forward to baptism services as I listened to testimonies of new believers renouncing the world, taking up the cross to follow Christ in repentance, and baptizing in obedience to God's word as reflected in Acts 2.38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be ye baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. In contrast, my reaffirmation of faith had no biblical support, And I wondered, since our greatest example, Jesus Christ, was baptized before he began his ministry, why did I not follow him? Luke 3, 21. Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized. I couldn't reconcile how this privilege was taken away from me as a saved believer when the word of God commands it. At that time, I would never think of visiting another denomination, let alone country, so I could only put in prayer that the Lord will reveal to me in due season. In 2022, I stepped into Adelaide and saw the hand of God as he provided for my needs here as a student. When I first started attending Northside Baptist and joined Christianity Explained and subsequently the A to Z Discipleship course, my questions became answers as the Holy Spirit convicted my understanding of God's word. John 3.16 has now become more personal to me, to know that as a sinner, God loved the whole world, not just the elected, that He has given me free will to choose Him and follow His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 22.17b reads, And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. I was touched by how the Lord provides and cares for me despite living far from the safety net of my home. After a season of prayer, being encouraged by God's word, seeking godly counsel from my pastors and some wise members of this church, that I stand corrected about my views on baptism. I believe this as a command from the Lord for a sinner who has heard the gospel and has believed in obedience to God's word according to the authority of the local church. All glory to God in the highest.