Matheus confesses faith in Christ through Baptism

Matheus Borba | Confession of Faith

Good morning, everyone.

I am a PhD student at Virginia Tech in Plant Pathology. The reason I live here in Winchester is because the university’s research station for fruits is located here. I work with fruit trees and study how to manage diseases in apples and peaches. If you have been at the church in the past couple of months, or in past years, you might remember me bringing apples and peaches to share.

I want to confess today that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and my Savior. He has shown me God’s love and changed my life.

For much of my life, I thought about God in a general way, but I didn’t really understand the gospel. I grew up in a Catholic family in Brazil. I was baptized as a baby and later went through First Communion, but at that time I didn’t truly know what I believed. As a teenager, I drifted away from church, and for years I lived without much thought about God.

That changed in 2019, when I was 22, I did an international internship as part of my undergraduate program. That was a very difficult season because I was far from my family and felt completely alone in another country. But during that time the Lord began to open my eyes. I came to see not only that I was lonely, but that I was a sinner separated from God, and that I needed more than a friend, I needed a Savior. I realized that Jesus died on the cross to pay for my sins, and that He rose again to give me new life. When I understood His love, I began to love Him above everything, and that has changed the way I think and live.

Since moving to Winchester, God has continued to teach me the gospel more clearly through this church. I thank the Lord for the faithful preaching of His Word here, for the encouragement of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the way this church has helped me understand the depth of my sin and the greatness of God’s grace in Jesus.

One picture that helps me describe this change is from the plant world (of course I need to talk about plants). The Giant Bamboo, also called Japanese Bamboo. For the first four years it grows only about one inch. Most people would think it has died and stop watering it. But in the fifth year, it suddenly grows around 90 feet. The truth is that during those first four years the bamboo is not dead but is building roots strong enough to sustain the explosive growth. In the same way, I see how God was building roots in my life, even when I thought nothing was happening. His timing is perfect, and He has been strengthening my faith and preparing me not only for my career, but especially for my walk with Christ.

In 2021, after God had already begun changing my life, I met my beautiful wife, who is here today. I know her so well that I can clearly see how her faith in Jesus has changed her life every day. And her example has been a constant encouragement for me to grow in my own faith. She has been the one who most supported me to believe and to take this step of baptism. I truly thank God for putting her in my life after He had already started this transformation in me.

For the past two years I have been attending Winchester Baptist Church and worshiping with you all. During that time, God has continued to grow my faith. I now realize that I waited longer than I should have to be baptized, but I have also learned that it is never too late to obey God.

God’s Word says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” I believe that promise is true for me. I have responded to the gospel by trusting in Jesus alone for my salvation, and I would encourage anyone here who has not yet done so to turn to Him in faith. He is the only Savior.

Before I believed the gospel, I lived mainly for myself. But now I have peace, joy, and purpose in Christ. Today, I am so thankful to be baptized to show everyone that I belong to Jesus, that I am “team Jesus”.

All the glory belongs to God.