Phillipians 1:20-21
Who am I?
Before God the record shows I am a:
Before God the record shows I am a:
- Liar…although I preach a lifestyle of love and truth, I continually judge and condemn the people I love the most by the laws of God as the ultimate hypocrite
- Prostitute…daily I reject the grace and freedom of the Gospel, selling my time, effort, thoughts, money, and dreams like a whore to pursue a life dictated by the stereotypes of modern culture
- Scum…continually I reject the statutes of the LORD written upon my heart, preferring a lifestyle wrought with sensual lusts, general lethargy, and personal ease
- Miser…although outwardly I appear unconditionally generous, I take advantage of those friends and family I love most dearly, remaining stingy with my resources and my love unless I anticipate recognition
- Prodigal…each day I trample afoot the heavenly blessings of God and his daily provisions, seeking rather the temporal satisfactions offered here on earth.
This is the record I have before God. I stand guilty and condemned, a wretched sinner and an enemy of God with a rebellious heart, utterly deserving of his righteous wrath. But that's not the end of the story. I am a sinner, saved by grace. See God- in his forbearance before time began and in his unshakeable love- God saved me. Although each day I fail to pick up the cross Jesus already carried, there is still hope. Wholly unworthy, today, I stand radically forgiven and free in the sight of God, as he declares me a holy, righteous son and heir of the Most High King
I can find no better description of my testimony than one written generations ago by Paul:
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that is now at wok in the sons of disobedience- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and mind, and by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved."
Ephesians 2:1-5
If you are looking for a more personal story of my faith and background, listed below is a brief sketch of God's grace in my life over the years. The intended audience was the elder board at my home church, Bay Area Community Church, as part of the process of the membership process at the church.
BACC Partnership Orientation
Daniel J. Angle
September 28,1989
I was blessed to be raised in a strong Christian home with parents who wanted to raise me with a Biblical foundation. Between a firmly rooted Christian elementary school and a vibrant, truth laden church (McLean Bible Church under Pastor Lon Solomon), I learned about Jesus Christ at a very early age, and embraced the principles of the Christian life. On September 15, 1993 just before the age of four, I remember rustling late one night in bed. Eventually I headed downstairs and told my parents I wanted to be like them and have Jesus with me all the time, and my mom lead me back upstairs to a wicker chair where I asked Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Did I completely understand the magnitude of what I had done? Not at all. But from that point forward, I have continued to grow and been nurtured in my faith, often embracing how my parents raised me because I trusted them wholeheartedly. The wisdom of my father’s words- that no other life would be as fulfilling as one surrendered completely to Christ- are now a reality I proudly profess.
John Piper speaks about a child’s faith as “alien vestiges of a father’s pride and joy”. Years ago this line resonated with me, because I deeply believe despite the best efforts of parents, at some point one’s faith has to become their own. For me, I do not know a precise time when I became convinced that the faith my parent embraced was truly my own decision without their influence, but I both tremble and rejoice that God has saved me not of my own merit. Throughout elementary school I participated heavily in Church and school activities and definitely had a big impact on a lot of students at a young age, mostly in the form of leadership. When I left my private school in 7th grade for a public middle school, I was no longer in a comfortable environment for my faith, and I definitely saw school as an opportunity to be a source of light and hope in my new school community. In addition, from 4th to 8th grade I worked each day with a college baseball team, and was exposed for the first time to the reality of the brokenness of the world and a worldview drastically different from my familial upbringing. I know the Lord definitely challenged and refined my faith when I attended a Catholic high school, and from freshman year onward carefully challenged my classmates and teachers with truth, defended my faith in religion class, led Bible studies, started an Fellowship of Christian Athletes movement, led some campus ministry outreach and service projects, and ultimately grew tremendously in my personal faith. The biggest catalyst throughout high school was learning to rely and be firmly rooted in Scripture so that I would be better equipped to be in ministry each day at school.
I attended the Naval Academy with the intent to lead, serve, and play baseball for the Academy. Throughout freshman year, the Lord led me to surrender my love of baseball and focus solely upon my identity in Christ. Through the influence of several seniors during my plebe year and the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, the last four years at the Academy have been the most influential in my walk with Christ. Although throughout high school I had a desire to use baseball, medicine, and the gospel to advance the kingdom sometime later in my life, following a month in Haiti and several awesome ministry experiences in college, the Lord has given a greater vision and clarity to His calling on my life. I know for now the Lord has sent me to the military, with an opportunity to go to the nations and rub shoulders with amazing individuals desperately in need of the hope of the gospel. Yet I also long for the opportunity to enter full-time vocational ministry as soon as possible, to be just a small part of the seeing the gospel advanced to every nation through partnerships with indigenous missions, church planting, and pastoral training. My love and appreciation not only for the local church, but also directly for the heart and defining mission of Bay Area Community Church is the main reason I hope to partner with this church not just in this small season of my life, but throughout my lifetime.
Several years ago my Dad communicated his hope and prayer for each of us children has always been that someday I would begin to know “his” Jesus, and be fully, passionately committed to pursuing Christ wherever he calls the rest of my life. Since freshman year, I have really begun to understand the weight of that prayer, and the magnitude, depth, and intimacy of the relationship that Christ calls and desires for each of His children. Each day I search Scripture, Christ’s mercy upon a messed up, broken guy like me becomes just a little more mysterious yet all the more real. I am grateful the Lord continues to call me and bring to completion the perfect work he began in me.
