If you took a survey of your fellow inmates, I suspect almost all of them are like you: They never thought they’d end up the way they have. They thought instead that they could get by with whatever they were doing. The Bible talks about “sin’s deceitfulness”—because sin always deceives us into thinking we can get by with it (Hebrews 3:13).

But we can’t, because God won’t allow us to flaunt His laws and turn our backs on what is right forever. For a time, we may get by with it, but eventually our wrongdoing catches up with us, both in this life and the life to come. In the meantime, we miss out on life’s greatest joy: the joy of knowing God and being in the center of His will.

Did Satan deceive you? Yes, because that is one of his main goals. After Eve realized that the devil (disguised as a serpent) had lied to her about the consequences of disobeying God, she could only say, “The serpent deceived me” (Genesis 3:13). In the last book of the Bible, he is called the one “who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9). Jesus called him “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

But listen: God still loves you, and He wants to forgive you and welcome you into His family! And He will, if you will turn to Christ in repentance and faith and give your life to Him. Don’t be shackled by the past, but accept Christ into your life today.