Question for the Christians here...

[treesinger]

In what state was your faith when you became Saved. I don't mean the spiritual journey. I mean, what was your state of mind even in the minutes before you accepted Jesus? Were you already believers, just not yet committed? Were you wholly unprepared for it? Did something traumatic happen? Did you suddenly realize it was the right thing to do? Did you kinda "dip your toe in the water" like you wanted to try and see if it fit?

Just curious. I'm wondering if any of your stories can help me recognize where I am. Sometimes the only way to think outside the box is to have someone look from the outside for you.

 

[WDWLVR]

I wish you well on your journey.

I can't help personally because I was born and raised Rorman Catholic. I have believed since I first had my own thoughts. I will say that there have been events that have strengthed my faith and even a few that have shaken my fairth (but not for very long).

 

[southernclass]

Found mine in a little town called Houma, Louisiana. Don't even ask!!

 

[jimmiej]

I was only nine y.o. when I was saved. I became mature enough to finally understand that even though I had been raised & was active in the Baptist church, I was a still a sinner. I came to understand God's grace. I accepted God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. It was not a sudden thing for me, but rather a gradual realization. It was the most important decision I've ever made. I'm comforted by the fact that my future is secure.

 

[treesinger]

Originally posted by jimmiej
I was only nine y.o. when I was saved. I became mature enough to finally understand that even though I had been raised & was active in the Baptist church, I was a still a sinner. I came to understand God's grace. I accepted God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. It was not a sudden thing for me, but rather a gradual realization. It was the most important decision I've ever made. I'm comforted by the fact that my future is secure.

But during this gradual process, did you recognize any "zero hour" between being saved and not?

 

[HollyJoy]

I accepted Christ as my savior and was baptized when I was 11. I can remember being very excited, yet nervous about having to be "dunked" (as I called it then) in the water! For me it was just natural.

 

[Big Dude]

I was brought up Roman Catholic so I had somewhat of an understanding of God and a larger understanding of church doctrine. As I grew up I also grew out of that particular religion for a variety of reasons. I was kind of bobbing up and down on the spirituality raft for a number of years trying to find the right fit for me. I've been to Mormen churches, Lutheran, Episcopelian (sp?) other Catholic, Unity and the list went on and on. I just couldn't seem the church to fit me.

That's when a Christian friend of mine enlightened me that it wasn't the particular church that I was seeking, I was seeking Christ. Lord knows I was a sinner then and I am certainly a sinner now but I like to think that I have been making improvements. He told me about what being saved meant to him and I must say that he had a presance about him that I wanted to have. I asked him more questions and he always had an answer that was backed up by a verse in the Bible. He told me to read 1 John (not to be confused with John, 2 John or 3 John) in my Bible (I have an NIV version). To me, that pretty much lays out the groundwork for being a Christian.

Once I came to that decision time, I prayed and asked the Lord to be my personal savior......earnestly! I can't say this happens to all people but I have heard that it happens to some, a very peaceful feeling came over me after I asked. I felt that all was well with the world and my spirituality. Like I said before, I still sinned but I seemed to be more concious of the sins and was able to work on them. My outlook on life became more clear. Don't get me wrong, before I was saved, life was pretty good too. There was just something missing and I believe that it was the relationship with the Father.

I now read the Bible quite a bit and I have found a church home at a Christian and Missionary Alliance church. I can also feel comfortable at any church that preaches directly from the Bible and not church doctrine. Some churches I have visited are, in my eyes, dead. I am just happy that the church I attend feels so alive.

I wish you well on your journey and hope that the decisions you make will be guided by the Spirit. If you have any other questions to ask of me, just ask away.

Adam aka Big Dude

 

[Evil Princess]

I'm Lutheran, and I've never been "saved"

Never made a big deal out of it in my church.

 

[Lanshark]

Read the Book of John out of the New Testament. It may help you find the answers you're looking for. It's where I began my journey.

 

[treesinger]

Originally posted by Big Dude
I was brought up Roman Catholic so I had somewhat of an understanding of God and a larger understanding of church doctrine. As I grew up I also grew out of that particular religion for a variety of reasons. I was kind of bobbing up and down on the spirituality raft for a number of years trying to find the right fit for me. I've been to Mormen churches, Lutheran, Episcopelian (sp?) other Catholic, Unity and the list went on and on. I just couldn't seem the church to fit me.

That's when a Christian friend of mine enlightened me that it wasn't the particular church that I was seeking, I was seeking Christ. Lord knows I was a sinner then and I am certainly a sinner now but I like to think that I have been making improvements. He told me about what being saved meant to him and I must say that he had a presance about him that I wanted to have. I asked him more questions and he always had an answer that was backed up by a verse in the Bible. He told me to read 1 John (not to be confused with John, 2 John or 3 John) in my Bible (I have an NIV version). To me, that pretty much lays out the groundwork for being a Christian.

Once I came to that decision time, I prayed and asked the Lord to be my personal savior......earnestly! I can't say this happens to all people but I have heard that it happens to some, a very peaceful feeling came over me after I asked. I felt that all was well with the world and my spirituality. Like I said before, I still sinned but I seemed to be more concious of the sins and was able to work on them. My outlook on life became more clear. Don't get me wrong, before I was saved, life was pretty good too. There was just something missing and I believe that it was the relationship with the Father.

I now read the Bible quite a bit and I have found a church home at a Christian and Missionary Alliance church. I can also feel comfortable at any church that preaches directly from the Bible and not church doctrine. Some churches I have visited are, in my eyes, dead. I am just happy that the church I attend feels so alive.

I wish you well on your journey and hope that the decisions you make will be guided by the Spirit. If you have any other questions to ask of me, just ask away.

Adam aka Big Dude

THAT'S what I'm talking about! If I may ask, what made you ask Jesus to be your personal savior?

 

[treesinger]

Another thing...you said that you were missing a personal relationship with the Father. Can you describe that? I think I might be along those same lines...

 

[treesinger]

Originally posted by Lanshark
Read the Book of John out of the New Testament. It may help you find the answers you're looking for. It's where I began my journey.

Thanks Marcie, I'll put that on the "to do list". I get a lot of reading time at work when I'm not posting on the DIS!

(Hardly sounds like work at all, eh?)

 

[manchurianbrownbear]

Thanks for asking!

I was "saved", or accepted Christ as Savior as a six-year-old on Easter Sunday in 1971. That Sunday it hit me that Jesus is more than a person in the stories I heard at church, He died for me. I guess it was kind of "light bulb over the head" kind of thing!

I really appreciate Big Dudes story. It is probably much easier for you to relate to his story than to that of someone who "converted" as a child!

If I had to explain to someone how to get saved, I might say, acknowledge your need (Romans 3:23), don't try to do it on your own (Ephesians 2:8&9) and ask God to save you, giving your life to Him.

 

[Bwalker]

HI, Treesinger, I've got another story about getting "saved".

I wasn't a religous person, but in order to get my firstborn baptized in the church (to make both sets of grandparents happy), we had to start attending ourselves. So we did.

I ended up getting to know some people and one wonderful woman invited me to go to Bible Study Fellowship where they were studing the gospel of John.

I found the history absolutely fascinating - they were at the part about the trials. I learned why these trials were really out of the ordinary and were done in secret without the majority of the Jews (who just loved Jesus to bits) knowing what was going on.

At any rate, I still wasn't sold on the fact that Jesus could be the son of God. I'm a scientist by profession and was well aware how my daughter came into this world. I thought Jesus was probably just a good man and a good teacher.

After studying and probing into the gospel more and more (I was mesmorized by this stuff), I realized that Jesus claimed to be God. What I am about to say is not original but it sums up how I feel:

Jesus was either a Liar, a Lunatic or Lord.

He claimed to be God, so therefore that blew my theory of him being a good teacher. Good teachers don't lie. Plus the fact that people will not die or go through the horrible torture he went through for a lie. So he must have believed it.

Ok - so what if he really believed he was God but he wasn"t? That would make him raving mad - a complete lunatic! Again, good teachers with sound teaching are not lunatics. And if he was a lunatic, he would have ranted and raved to prove himself innocent while being persecuted.

Well, that left Lord. I really had to do some thinking. I didn't want to believe Jesus was God because I thought it went against everything I believed for 32 years. Plus I had this crazy notion that if I became one of those Christians, I would never have any more fun in my life.

So I studied Josephus, the Jewish historian at that time. He was the State appointed historian - and he wrote about the Resurrection, so it gave it credibility.

Then I studied the Resurrection. A Roman Guard guarded the tomb. I found out that a Roman Guard consisted of 16 guards. It wasn't just one guy with a sword. These were big men who would've gotten in big big trouble if they had let anyone near that tomb! They would've been put to death themselves!

I came to the very calculated and scientific decision that this man they called Jesus was God.

After realizing that, I read what Jesus said. Basically, through him is eternal life - a good life after death - infact, your eternal life - your good life - actualy starts the moment you get "saved". No hell, no fire, no whatever hell is but it ain't pleasant.

I wasn't tempting Jesus in any way, but I wanted proof - sincere proof. I prayed in my kitchen that if indeed he was God and if indeed I needed to accept him as my Lord in order to be saved, I would do it - ON CONDITION that he showed me he was God.

Please, as I say, I was too naive to know I was tempting God - or giving him an ultimatum. I sincerely was seeking Him. I wanted to know Him if indeed he was who he said he was in the Bible. He seemed too good to be true - a really neat person, and yet God.

God knows your heart. He knows if you're sincere. He knows if you really want Him in your life. I did.

BOOM! I remember an amazing feeling! I remember crying by myself for no reason (I don't cry easily - infact, I'm embarrassed to admit how little I cry) with this most wonderful feeling. It was euphoric.

At that moment, I was saved.

I experienced what I call the Saul/Paul conversion BUT I don't know too many others who have experienced this!!!!

Only one person and that person got saved in my office

My husband never had any strange goings on in his life but he had a gradual coming to the Lord experience - he can't really pin point it although we know the year.

At any rate, I came to know Christ in 1983, my DH in 1988.

I just love Jesus. The more I know Him, the more I love him

And I'm really grateful that He loves me - LOL!

Sorry this is long, treesinger, but I hope it helps you in your journey. Feel free to call me - my journey took 3 years of studying and debating and learning - my decision - a heartbeat

Aloha,
Bwalker

 

[alabamaalan]

Originally posted by treesinger
I get a lot of reading time at work when I'm not posting on the DIS!

It's been a long time, but let me suggest reading "The Case for Christianity" by C S Lewis.

It was a series of radio talks that he gave during WWII but, if I recall correctly, he addressed the "God shaped void" that is in each of us until we connect to that relationship.

Most people come to the saving grace of Christ after hearing the gospel (Good News) presented and follow the logical steps of conviction, repentance, and acceptance.

Then the journey begins!

Good luck in your journey and feel free to PM me anytime.

 

[N.Bailey]

For me, I felt that there was just something missing. I knew what salvation was for quite awhile. I think sometimes, looking back, that I was afraid to accept the Lord for many years. I felt if I did, I'd have a bigger commitment than I felt like dealing with. I even wanted to sin at that time and I didn't want the guilt that I felt would come with salvation. As I matured though, it all seemed so much clearer to me. It didn't hurt that my now MIL taught Sunday school at her church and my husband's whole family was a source of great inspiration for me. No matter what my question, they always had an answer for me. My mother in law is quite frankly, an amazing lady. She has a way (sort of like you do) of being able to really express herself and really make you understand what it is that she's trying to say. I know that if anyone on this board or anywhere else would ask me a question about the Bible, I know I could call her and she would have an answer. Funny thing though, even she says there is a lot more to know in that book!

I can tell you this about salvation, God will take you as you are right this minute. There is nothing you need to do other than to accept Christ as your savior. Acknowledge that he died on that cross, so YOUR sins could be forgiven. Know that his blood did not cover your sin, but rather that it washed all your sin away. Before Christ, that's what the animal sacrifices were, they were to cover man's sin and needed to be done quite regularly to keep the sin covered. Christ's blood however did NOT cover the sin, it washed it away. You need to believe that. It can't be head knowledge. It MUST come from the heart.

If you do that, I can guarantee you, the Lord will then be in you and he'll teach you what you need to know and he'll slowly change you into the person he wants you to be. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen. I think it's still happening with all of us that have been saved. It's probably a lifetime of learning and changing.

Just curious, did you happen to see The Passion of the Christ?

 

[Bwalker]

Dear Treesaver,

I'm so excited reading the different posts here. It sounds like there are a lot of us who are only too willing to email you or pm you or whatever.

And that's becasue we would like everyone (and that includes YOU) to have what we have! It's a free gift from God and He really fills that God shaped void.

I didn't even know I had one until it was filled. But now I can look back on my pre-Christian life and see where I really did try to fill it with "stuff" that didn't work.

God works

Aloha,
Bwalker

 

[KristaTX]

Wow, Bwalker and Big Dude. I genuinely appreciate what you have said here. I can't clearly explain why I believe what I believe. I guess that is the one big disadvantage of hearing the story of Jesus and believing it from a very early age. I sincerely know in my spirit that I wasn't just brainwashed into believing it, but sometimes my mind wonders if perhaps I was. I thank God for Christians who have stories of coming to belief during adulthood. Hearing them makes my faith stronger.

 

[jenfur]

I haven't read all the other post so I hope I am not repeating. For me, I believed a lot longer than I had any real faith. I was part of a church that taught you were saved but always in danger of "losing" it. I did not really feel/know I was saved until I had faith and realized that was absolutely untrue. It was not one moment, but a series of moments and observations. I think it is different for everybody.

 

[Celluloidgal]

I've really enjoyed reading the others responses. The only think I can think of adding (since I was an adult when I was "saved")...is (for me) it wasn't a A-Ha moment. More of a gradual lifting of fog from my eyes. Everyone has there own experience with Christ that is very individual & unique. Thanks for sharing where you are on this journey