Like all Christians, I have a past that I am not very proud of. I have been a prisoner of my lustful desires and pornography for more than two decades. And for more than three decades, what I thought was a true worship of God was actually a life of idolatry. I prayed and knelt before man-made idols that I substituted for the one true God. I even attributed my passing of the bar exams to my favorite idol which I believed was a representation of Jesus Christ. When I became a lawyer, my sins and vices became worse. I became a proud person. My pride has prevented me from recognizing my sins and even led me to reject Christ a number of times when the gospel was shared to me.
In September 2005, I was heartbroken and depressed. But the Lord was really good to me. A relative who persistently invited me to CCF for two years brought me to a weekend encounter retreat. There, I felt comforted by my new friends from my breakout group. On the second night of the retreat, I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ and accepted Him as Savior and Lord. I understood for the first time how His sacrifice on the cross is sufficient payment for my sins.
I was also baptized at that retreat and I felt an inner peace and joy that day that I have never experienced but have searched for all my life. The verse that spoke to me the most then was Galatians 2:20,”I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
I faithfully attended the Dgroup meetings and went to Sunday worship services at CCF after the retreat. I completed my GLC Level 1 classes in my first year as a Christian. I even went through the Biblical Foundation classes five times because I wanted to be more fruitful for the Lord but felt so inadequate in Biblical knowledge. However in spite of my growing knowledge of God, I sadly did not experience much intimacy with Him during my first few years as a Christian. This was because I compromised in my relationship with Him as I still held on to certain religious practices from my former church. My sinful habits came back and I led a defeated Christian life.
It was only when I experienced living in the presence of God moment-by-moment that I finally started growing in my intimacy with Him. I was able to lead a victorious life by the grace of God. My desire to know God more and to be useful for His kingdom led me to enroll in and complete GLC levels 2 to 4. The equipping I got from GLC helped me as I faced daily battles in and out of the courtroom. GLC courses such as CCF DNA taught me core values like truthfulness and integrity so I avoided corrupt practices like bribery during legal settlements. The discipline of praying and Bible study helped me fight the temptation to lust as I claim God’s promises like 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says that God is faithful. He will not let us be tried beyond what we are able to bear but with the trial will also provide a way out so that we may be able to endure it.
My life as a Christian is not exempt from problems and trials. God uses difficulties and problems to lead me to seek his presence more. I experienced one of the worst trials in my life in 2010 when God broke the idol in my heart—a relationship that I prioritized above Jesus Christ. But with the heartbreak came a breakthrough in my commitment to completely surrender every detail of my life to the Lord. After that, God entrusted to me a Dgroup of single men to serve after the 40 Days of Love Campaign in March 2011. I also started serving in CCF ministries such as NextGen, the LAW Ministry and the Apologetics Forum. In April this year, I finished GLC Level 4 and joined the one thousand plus GLC graduates in a commitment to “Lead in His Presence” by God’s grace.
For me, Christianity is always putting Christ at the very throne of our lives. As stated in Colossians 1:18, “that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.” Christ must not only be prominent in our lives. He must always take first place in our hearts and lives. I am Christopher Lycurgus Quimpo Morania, a lawyer for God’s glory and a servant of the Lord Jesus. To Him alone be all honor, praise, thanks and glory!
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