There are moments in our lives that we can never forget. They may be good or bad - a first kiss, our wedding day, birth of a child, death of a close friend or family member, a terminal diagnosis, graduations, or tragedies like 9/11. Some of these moments are just etched in our brains never to be forgotten. And there are other seemingly small moments that that didn't seem significant at the time but after years of reflection we realize the impact that a kind word or even a negative comment made on us. It's easy for us to tell the stories of our proudest and most memorable accomplishments. But what if one of the most important things we ever did is hard to remember?
I heard a sermon a few weeks ago about knowing your moment of salvation, remembering the exact moment that your whole entire world changed and Jesus came into your heart. Some people shared detailed stories of the place, the day, the time, even the weather. The preacher talked about the impact of knowing the dates and times almost like a birth certificate.
I must be honest here, I vaguely remember the day I chose to ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart. I do know that it was summer because I was at Vacation Bible School at Tabernacle Baptist Church with my grandma. I believe it was the summer I turned 8 years old because I remember those dates in a bible that I had as a child. But I do not remember being baptized. I know I was, and I know that it was at Putman where my family was members. There may or may not be pictures since camera phones (or even cell phones in general) weren't prevalent at the time. I remember a trip with our youth group at TBC to M-Fuge where many of us rededicated our lives to Christ after returning home. These were all momentous and important occasions in my life, but not the most memorable.
The most memorable was the one I didn't want pictures of. It was a Sunday morning in my early 20's when I sat in the balcony at church unable to stand literally crying my eyes out the entire sermon. I don't remember the message but I do remember knowing that something wasn't right in my life. I don't remember walking down front but I remember being there. I remember then going into the library, or study, or some other room in the church and just continuing to cry knowing that I had to make changes in my life. Was I saved before this moment? Yes, I believe so. But was I convicted of the sin in my life in this moment? Absolutely. Have I made mistakes and sinned since this time? Certainly. But that's the beauty of God's forgiving grace, He sent His Son to pay the sin debt no action of mine could ever cover.
Your salvation experience may or may not seem exciting or motion picture worthy. It may be like mine where you were attending a church service. Or it could be as dramatic as the encounter Saul (to become known as Paul) had on the road to Damascus. Regardless of when it happens, where it happens, or how it happens, the vital part is that when you hear and accept the message of Christ, your life is radically changed. If you're not sure it has happened, pray that prayer to Christ now.
I am far from perfect and still fall short of God's standard, but I am much closer to the man He wants to me to be now than I was 10-15 years ago, and that's all His doing. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
I heard a sermon a few weeks ago about knowing your moment of salvation, remembering the exact moment that your whole entire world changed and Jesus came into your heart. Some people shared detailed stories of the place, the day, the time, even the weather. The preacher talked about the impact of knowing the dates and times almost like a birth certificate.
I must be honest here, I vaguely remember the day I chose to ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart. I do know that it was summer because I was at Vacation Bible School at Tabernacle Baptist Church with my grandma. I believe it was the summer I turned 8 years old because I remember those dates in a bible that I had as a child. But I do not remember being baptized. I know I was, and I know that it was at Putman where my family was members. There may or may not be pictures since camera phones (or even cell phones in general) weren't prevalent at the time. I remember a trip with our youth group at TBC to M-Fuge where many of us rededicated our lives to Christ after returning home. These were all momentous and important occasions in my life, but not the most memorable.
The most memorable was the one I didn't want pictures of. It was a Sunday morning in my early 20's when I sat in the balcony at church unable to stand literally crying my eyes out the entire sermon. I don't remember the message but I do remember knowing that something wasn't right in my life. I don't remember walking down front but I remember being there. I remember then going into the library, or study, or some other room in the church and just continuing to cry knowing that I had to make changes in my life. Was I saved before this moment? Yes, I believe so. But was I convicted of the sin in my life in this moment? Absolutely. Have I made mistakes and sinned since this time? Certainly. But that's the beauty of God's forgiving grace, He sent His Son to pay the sin debt no action of mine could ever cover.
Your salvation experience may or may not seem exciting or motion picture worthy. It may be like mine where you were attending a church service. Or it could be as dramatic as the encounter Saul (to become known as Paul) had on the road to Damascus. Regardless of when it happens, where it happens, or how it happens, the vital part is that when you hear and accept the message of Christ, your life is radically changed. If you're not sure it has happened, pray that prayer to Christ now.
I am far from perfect and still fall short of God's standard, but I am much closer to the man He wants to me to be now than I was 10-15 years ago, and that's all His doing. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Comments
Post a Comment