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Topic: Confused (08/16/07)
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TITLE: Once Saved Always Saved | Previous Challenge Entry
By Brenda Parker
08/22/07 -
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I had a very emotional experience. I do remember talking to the preacher but I do not remember one word he said. I do remember crying and being scared.
As a young person I was scared of anyone with authority. It didn't matter who it might be, whether it be a teacher, policeman, preacher, my dad, almost anyone. The only person I was not scared of was my mother.
After my experience, our church moved, and I only attended church a few times at other churches until I got married.
As I got older, I did things that a Christian would not do. I began to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, I smoked pot for a while, I thank God that I did not like it, therefore I only smoked it for about a year. I also cursed worse than anyone I knew and took the Lord's name in vain.
At age 15, I met my husband. I got pregnant before we were married. I had my first child a week before my eighteenth birthday. All of my dreams were shattered. My dreams were to graduate from high school with my class, have a big wedding and then have children.
My husband and I began to have problems after 12 years of marriage. We were to the point of just living under the same roof. By this time we had 3 beautiful girls. I began then to seek God more and more. I asked Jesus into my heart and cried almost every night for what seemed like a year. At this point and time I knew what I was doing, but
I became confused because I have always heard "once saved always saved," and I knew that I had an experience as a young child, but I was also learning more in the church I was now attending and understanding what salvation was all about, as I also read God's word on my own.
I looked back on my life and there was no evidence that I had been saved as a child.
As I sat in this church, God began to convict me to be baptized again. I felt very strongly about it and then I talked to others about it in the church also. As my pastor was going to have baptism one Sunday night, I asked him if I could get baptized that night and of course he said yes. He knew I was saved.
That night as I walked through the water of this baptism, it was different, I felt different. I came out thanking God for saving me. I knew then that I was saved, and I have not doubted my salvation since.
Before this, when people would ask me if I was saved I would always say yes, because of my experience as a young child, but I didn't really believe in my heart that I was saved. I finally realized that I walked up on my friends call to get saved and not God's call to me. I was not being called that day, but I did not know the difference as a young child.
Since my salvation, at age 29, I know that I am now saved. There has been a change in my life.
I want others to know Jesus, and I also want others to know that it is true, "once saved always saved," but be sure that you were called by God when you walked up and you understood what you did. There should have been a change in your life for the good to the glory of God.
God will change your hearts' desires to be the desires of His heart.
I can truly say that I am not confused anymore about my salvation. I understand that I am not perfect and at the same time I know that my salvation is not a ticket to go out and sin.
Now when anyone asks me if I am saved, I assure you, I say yes, with confidence in knowing Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
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