"Welcome to my blog space. I believe that God has carefully placed gems in our paths to fill our days with joy. The challenge for us is to take the time to notice them. My desire is to share the gems in my life so that, hopefully, you will see the ones He's placed in yours. I hope what you read here will be worth your time and you'll want to return often." - Cathy

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Am I Really Saved?


Last year I had the privilege of being in the Delivery Room when a young woman was born into the Kingdom of God. She recently approached me saying she wasn’t sure she was saved that day because she doesn’t feel any different.
            I asked her if she meant the words she said when she prayed the sinner’s prayer. She responded with, “Yes, I did.”  I told her we could pray the prayer again if it would make her feel better but I felt like, if she was serious the first time she gave herself over to Christ, then she was indeed saved. We talked for a while so I could assess what was happening. She was deeply bothered and needed assurance. I told her I would pray about it overnight and we would talk again the next day.
            My heart ached for this precious girl and the answers she needed from me, an older woman she has trusted for right answers many times. I prayed most of the night, sleeping fitfully at best. Here is what I feel God wants her, and us, to know:
Fireworks
            Not all salvation experiences are alike. Some people, especially those who have lived a rough life, can have a more dramatic conversion. When they turn from their old ways and start living a new life in Christ, the changes are evident to all who know them. Those who have lived a good life, obeying the laws of the land and being kind to the people in their lives, can have a more gentle change as they slip into their new life.
            Create an Ebenezer Stone. I encourage new Christians to write the date they were saved in the front of their Bible. Then when satan is whispering lies about their salvation, they can open the Bible and say, “You see here satan? This is the date that Jesus saved me from the likes of you. Go away and take your lies with you! I am a child of the King”
In the Bible, the Israelites built an altar at the places where God made Himself real to them. Later, when they doubted God, they traveled back to the last stone altar they had built and got a booster shot. They said, “We know God was real here. He hasn’t changed, so He is real where we live now.”
Start doing the things that Christians do. Rather than sitting around waiting for a “feeling” to overtake you, get busy being a Christian. Read your Bible every day, join a Bible study at church or in the community, learn to pray by practicing, look beyond yourself to the people around you. Bake cookies for the shut-in down the street or call someone with an encouraging word. It doesn’t have to be difficult. God has gifted you to make your ministry easy.
The fact that she wants to be different, shows she is different. My Sunday School teacher says that when we are saved, our “want to’s” change. We’re not the same because now we want what God wants. Our wants start falling into line with what He wants for us. We gain the mind of Christ and our thinking changes to be more like His.
What about you, Dear Readers? Has satan whispered lies to you? How did you handle it? What advice would you give to this young woman?
Have a joyfully blessed day-
Cathy

10 comments:

  1. Cathy, this is excellent. I think many people question their salvation for the reasons you listed. I had to pray several times myself, I was 40 when I first became a Christ follower, and I didn't have a wise woman like you that was leading me. This post is so important!

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    1. Thanks, Debbie! Your words encourage me to keep followiong God's lead on the posts I write. You bless me!

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  2. I was 4 years old when I asked Jesus into my heart, and I had a child's faith that I was saved. I can still remember that night now at the age of 50, so that is my assurance that God accepted me into His kingdom. Now and then I wish I could have experienced a radical conversion, the kind with fireworks and seeing everything through new eyes, but who knows? I may not have felt the need as a grown up that I felt as a child to become a Christian.

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  3. Thanks for your testimony, Brenda! That's the way I feel aobut the day I was saved too. I remember it and how I felt that day everytime I think about it. Be blessed, as you live out your faith.

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  4. I would tell her to read and study her Bible. To find a prayer partner/accountability partner, someone to talk to about the questions that will come up about her salvation, her faith and her Christian beliefs.

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  5. I didn't think about an accountability partner. That's a great suggestion. I'll pass it on to her. Blessings on you. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

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  6. Thanks for the encouraging words, Cheryle! I'm glad you stopped by and enjoyed the blog.

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  7. When I was in the seventh grade I went through a doubting time. Not only did I wonder if I had been saved in the fourth grade, I also wondered if I had the one and only God. I questioned if other faiths had the "right" god and what if I had the wrong one? I remember being greatly troubled and didn't want anyone to know. I felt very distant from God but did the only thing I knew to do...pray. Even though I didn't "feel" anything, I prayed and told God everything on my heart. I prayed for weeks and I went back to reading my Bible regularly. Finally, I found peace and assurance that my faith and my God was real. Thankfully, I've never felt that far from God again. When troubles arise, what helps me the most is prayer and staying in His Word.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your story. It's quite apparent that the devil uses this ploy of making people question their salvation to throw Christians off balance. I think most people, like the two of you who commented, find their way back to solid ground. I'm afraid there are some few who don't. Sad, very sad.

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