Testimony Tuesday: Rescued by a gracious God

By Rachel Schuck

“Jesus doesn’t just save us from God’s wrath. Praise the Lord! He’s better than that. He saves us from God’s wrath, and he saves us from our sin.”

On Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018, Mason Kimball gave his life to Christ as a freshman in high school. He understood the consequences of his sin, recognized his need for a Savior and fully committed himself to Christ. Days earlier, his life looked completely different.

Kimball, a Master of Divinity student at Cedarville University, grew up in a family that claimed to follow Christ, but did not show it through how they lived. They attended many different churches throughout his childhood, all of which never gave a solid explanation of the gospel.

Kimball’s parents taught him that Christianity was just about being a good person. As a child, he had to memorize and recite a prayer that did not mention Jesus at all; rather, it emphasized how good Christians should be good people.

In the face of this emphasis, Kimball developed a rebellious attitude towards his parents. He even struggled to stay in public school because of his behavioral issues.

“As I got older, there was a lot of stuff that I hid from my parents that was also rebellion,” Kimball said. “So I was almost living a double life.”

During his early teen years, Kimball struggled with the question, “Am I going to go to heaven?” As he dealt with this question, he turned to rules as the answer. Considering himself a bad Christian, he attempted to follow the Old Testament laws, even to the point where he almost stopped eating pork.

When Kimball was thirteen years old, he discovered several short sermon clips on YouTube. These videos explained to him the holiness and wrath of God in ways he never had before.

“I remember sometimes just fearing God’s wrath would consume me,” Kimball said. “And that was a good thing. I needed to fear that, because that was what was coming.” 

As these videos challenged his view of Christianity, Kimball grappled with another question: “What do I do now?” Although he knew he needed Christ to save him, he was unwilling to admit it.

“I think that I came to the place where I realized it was faith alone that saves,” Kimball said. “And I wanted salvation from God’s wrath, but I don’t think I quite wanted salvation from my sin yet.”

On a trip to his grandparents’ house for Easter weekend, Kimball finally met his breaking point. Burdened by his rebellion and fearing God’s wrath, he got down on his hands and knees in his grandparents’ basement, and he cried out to the Lord for mercy.

“Lord, I just cannot do this anymore. I know that if I keep going this way, I will perish eternally,” Kimball prayed. “And so I need you to just deliver me from my sin and from your wrath.”

The morning after this prayer, Kimball went on a walk through the woods, pleading with the Lord for deliverance. He had submitted his life to Christ the night before, but knew he needed the Lord’s help to address his hidden sin.

Within days Kimball changed drastically. He no longer desired his sin, and after a few months, he confessed his rebellious actions to his parents. While he still struggled with several issues after his salvation, Kimball saw how Christ entirely transformed his life. Rather than serving his flesh, he sought to serve Christ alone.

“When you knock, when you ask and when you’re sincere, [Christ] does rescue,” Kimball said. “And as a rescued person, how can you not give everything to him?”

During his freshman year at Cedarville, Kimball began attending Sovereign Grace Church in Dayton, Ohio, and the Lord used the church to teach Kimball about his grace. 

“[Sovereign Grace] has walked alongside me every moment in all of my failures and all of my arrogance,” Kimball said. “The best way to learn to love others is to be loved very well by God and others, and God demonstrated his love for me through that church.”

At Cedarville, Kimball also encountered Christ’s sovereign will and perfect assurance. As Kimball questioned his salvation, one of his Bible professors pointed him toward the hymn “He Will Hold Me Fast.” Pondering on the song, Kimball went to chapel still struggling with his doubts. During worship, the band led the students in a rendition of “He Will Hold Me Fast.” Awestruck, Kimball praised the Lord for his divine timing.

“God is so gracious, and he meets people right where they are,” Kimball said. “He will orchestrate an entire university chapel service for one person. And that is what he did, because he is so good.”

Through Christ’s goodness, Kimball has not only witnessed his own transformed heart, but also the transformed hearts of his parents. His mom and dad both gave their lives to Christ in the last several years.

As Kimball finishes his last semester at Cedarville, Christ continues to convict him of his sin every day. And through Kimball’s sin, Christ also reveals to him his amazing grace. 

“[God] is holy and righteous, and he will not tolerate sin,” Kimball said. “But even in the midst of that, his grace is far greater than we give him credit for, because what he’s taught me about myself is that our sin is far greater than we know.”

Preparing for the future, Kimball recognizes that God is calling him to disciple others. While he knows following Christ comes at a great cost, Kimball also realizes that God will provide for his needs, especially as he ministers in the context of the local church.

Clinging to Hosea 11, Kimball dwells on Christ’s rich love for him, despite his sin. He challenges other Cedarville students to never underestimate God’s love for them.

“[God’s] not going to abandon us when we fall,” Kimball said. “He bends down. He comes and feeds us. He drew us with cords of his love.”

Rachel Schuck is a freshman Professional Writing and Information Design student. She loves to play the piano, get coffee with friends and take walks in the sunshine.