The Story

   My Salvation Story

  Having grown up in church, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know the gospel, or a time when I wasn’t familiar with the name of God, but my faith wasn’t my own.   My parents wanted me to know the truth, and so I was taught the truths of the bible from a very young age.  Important truths of the bible are the realities of death, Hell, and Satan.   These were never used to scare me into the sinner’s prayer, but they petrified me none the less.  I prayed the sinner’s prayer for the first time when I was six, but I prayed the sinner’s prayer numerous times from the time I was six, to the time I was about 10.  I would work myself into a state of fear, and then I would pray the sinner’s prayer and feel so relieved and so safe, until the next day.  I know now, that your salvation isn’t about how you feel, it’s about what you know. 

    As I got older my fears grew.  In addition to the devil, death and Hell, I was afraid of  Islamic Extremists and nuclear warfare.  I went through a time of severe fears.  I was so anxious and so terrified, but through that hard time my faith became my own.  When I realized that the only security, the only answer, the only hope I had was Jesus, my faith became my own.  I don’t have a date, place or time I was saved, but I know this, that God brought me to Himself through that time of fear.  I finally understood, that because, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whomsoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) I did not have to fear death, because if I were to die, I would be  immediately in the presence of the King.   I did not have fear Islamic terrorists because Jesus has called me His.  I had the security of believing that Christ had truly save me.

    I still struggle with fear, but now, I have victory over fear.  I was going through a particularly dark time of fear in the summer of 2015 when God gave me a verse which is a true weapon against my fears.  Jesus is speaking to his disciples who are with Him as He stills the sea.  They were afraid of drowning and Jesus said, “Why are you afraid?  Do you still have no faith? (Mark 4:40)    Because Jesus Christ laid Himself down for me, I can truly say, “What reason have I to doubt?  Why would I dwell in fear? You [that is God] are my confidence, my future in Christ is clear."(The Old is gone, the new has come)