My name is Ken Keane. I was born in New York City, the eighth child of ten.
Growing up in a religious family, I tried to live a life of good works to earn my place in heaven. But no matter how hard I tried, I failed to meet even my own standards of righteous living, let alone God’s. My father died when I was 12; he was only 53. I was angry and rebellious, becoming a liar and a deceiver. After I turned 18, alcohol became a regular companion. I drank to intoxication often, not able to recall the events of the night before. Thankfully drugs were not an attraction to me, though easily available at the time.
Generally I did whatever I could get away with. I gave my mother many sleepless nights, no doubt. Yet all this time I was active in the church in which I had been raised. I went on religious retreats but lived in guilt. I had a desire to please God, but my own sin and selfishness kept me from doing so.
A renewed desire to “live right” came as I sought for a wife. I didn’t want one that I met in a bar but one that went to church. So I began attending a midweek church meeting for young adults but continued my carousing. All during this time, I spoke openly to my friends about my religion.
But the morning in January 1975, after a night of drinking, one of my drinking partners pointed out to me of my hypocrisy. It stung me, but I knew it was true. God used this unbelieving friend to speak to me. I couldn’t kid myself any longer. I was in no way obeying God; I was a slave to sin. Later I would learn the words of Romans 6:16 nkjv, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” They fit me to a T. I concluded that had to get away from the influence of those that I drank with. I wasn’t ready to yield myself to God, though. I was still trying to do things in my own strength. I hadn’t yet learned the truth, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Two years after taking a job with Southwestern Bell in Emporia, Kansas, I had moved into a house with three men in the late spring of 1975. One of them was a Christian. In June, Ron asked me if I knew if I was going to heaven. “No one can know that for sure.” I told him.
He opened a Bible, the Word of God, and showed me these verses: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10). He said that “saved” meant to be freed from the penalty of sin, and that was through faith in Christ. Then he read to me Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I knew enough “religion” to know the facts about the death of Christ. I had never really read the Bible but had been taught these facts, yet they had never sunk from my head to my heart. That day I understood for the first time that I could do nothing to save myself. I believed in my heart that the Lord died in my place for my sins. I now knew I was going to heaven because of His saving work on the cross of Calvary. I came to experience the truth of Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
The Lord immediately took away my desire to drink alcohol. I learned that I had many areas in my life that the Holy Spirit was needing to change. Today I read my Bible daily to learn more about the Lord Jesus Christ and how I can live my life to His glory. I am not without sin, of course, but I desire not to. If I do sadly fail in some way, I know my sins are forgiven. The Bible says to those who have received the Lord, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
How about you? Do you know if your sins are forgiven? He is able to save anyone. Contact me if you have any questions.
Ken Keane
178 E 1900 Rd, Baldwin City, KS 66006
[email protected]