Tom was blessed to be raised in a Christian home with parents who loved the Lord and each other. Tom was saved at an early age, repenting of his sin and trusting in Christ for the forgiveness of his sins as a young child. During his childhood, however, he became a stringent rule-follower, and this caused him to think better of himself than he ought. Nevertheless, God was faithful, and continued to work on his heart. As a young adult, Tom realized that he was still living for himself in many ways, and that he was not as righteous in his behavior as he once thought. This was a massive realization for him which God used to grow his faith exponentially. With new insight into the evil of his own sinfulness—even as a believer—Tom was heartbroken. His awareness of the depths of his own sin served to magnify his understanding of the love of God in that God had sent Jesus to die on a cross to take the punishment his sins deserved. Though Tom is not perfect by any means, he now lives with great hope in the faithfulness of God as he continues to pursue obedience to God in all areas  of his life.