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Write Your Salvation Testimony--But There's a Catch

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Tom Butler, Dec 28, 2009.

  1. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    In another thread, my brother Winman gave this brief salvation testimony.
    I imagine that all of us who claim the name of Christ have given similar testimonies, and have pointed people to the Lord Jesus using similar principles.

    Now, I propose a challenge. Write your testimony without once using the world "I." Okay, I'll cut some slack. No more than once or twice.

    I want to assure Winman that I am not making light of his testimony. This is just an exercise.

    Any takers?
     
  2. stilllearning

    stilllearning Active Member

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    My salvation came about while listening to the radio. A preacher was preaching the gospel, and upon hearing the truth about my own sinfulness, and my need for Christ, the only logical thing to do, was to trust Christ as my savior.
     
  3. ReformedBaptist

    ReformedBaptist Well-Known Member

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    Some 16 years ago I was living in sin and unbelief. I did not believe the Gospel, Jesus, the Bible, et. I was using a lot of drugs, and enjoying them, and using them to discover hidden truth. I also practiced mild forms of the occult and satanism.

    One day I read a book written by a Christian that showed what sin was (according the Bible) and that Jesus was the Way, Truth, and Life.

    Now the "I's" stop.

    While reading that book the Lord convicted me of my sin. He showed me that I was a sinner. This conviction led me to repentance and a desire for Christ. Yet I could not believe at this point.

    One morning, to make a long story short, I was suddenly and very surprisingly born again. Without praying a prayer, asking Jesus into my heart, et. I was suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit from above. The sensation of it was of total love, joy, and peace. Immediately my soul recognized that this was the Almight God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, touching...but I realized I did not know Him.

    So I asked..."Who are you?"

    And He answered by revelation to my heart, "I am Jesus."

    From that moment till now, my life has never been the same. Immediately I was freed from drugs. All my desires were changed. I used to desire sin, and suddenly I now desired righteousness and Jesus.

    I used to cuss, and suddenly I gave thanks and praise to God in Christ Jesus.

    When I prayed to Jesus what to do, He told me in my heart to read the Bible and fellowship with other Christians. Once I had my Bible, this is where I now hear Jesus. He speaks to me now mainly through His Word.

    Some may be put off by how I was saved, and saying I knew Him by revelation. I am only telling you what happened. By this experience with Christ I knew by revelation three things:

    1. Jesus is God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth.
    2. The Bible is His Word.
    3. Love and fellowship with other Christians.

    Someone soon after I was born again asked if they thought if I could lose my salvation. My answer would be the same today as it was then: "I didn't do anything to get into Jesus, what makes you think I can do anything to get out!" hahaha!
     
  4. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

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    RB, you fail. You used waaaayyyy too many "I"'s in that testimony. :laugh:


    Seriously, great testimony. I hope you take my joke in the spirit intended. :love2:
     
  5. ReformedBaptist

    ReformedBaptist Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, I fail. Unless God was saving someone else, not sure I could not use I. lol
     
  6. David Michael Harris

    David Michael Harris Active Member

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    Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
    That saved a wretch like me.
    David once was lost but now is found,
    Was blind, but now he sees.

    T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
    And Grace, my fears relieved.
    How precious did that Grace appear
    The hour David first believed.
     
  7. pinoybaptist

    pinoybaptist Active Member
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    My eternal salvation was sealed when Christ died on the cross 2000 years ago, when Christ completed the redemption of His people at the cross thru the shedding of His blood.
    My gospel salvation was in 1973, October, in a small Baptist church about 300 nautical miles from my birth city where the gospel was preached in a way this poor sinner never heard it and Jesus Christ presented in a way He was never presented to me.
    No clanging cymbals, no cloud nine, just revelation after revelation from a small New Testament handed out by the church.
    My gospel walk has not been perfect, and many a time this worm was unfaithful, but the God of eternity remained faithful.
     
  8. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    It's not easy, is it, because salvation is very personal.

    Here's mine.

    All glory to the Lord God, whose beloved Son died on the cross to save sinners just like me. Even today, the memory is strong of a young nine-year-old boy, sitting in a pew with other kids, really not paying attention to the sermon. This boy had heard many sermons on sin and salvation, sat through many invitations, none of which meant much to me.

    Suddenly, without warning, the Holy Spirit began his work. First, he illuminated my mind and showed me my sin. Then he began to convict me of the seriousness of my sin and the consequences. Those sermons on Hell began to flood into my mind, and it scared the daylights out of me. What had little impact on me before now made sense. The Spirit began to draw me to repentance and faith.

    Then the Spirit moved me out of my pew and down the aisle to the pastor.
    Gently, the pastor, Ralph Kerley, asked, "do you understand that you are a sinner."

    Through tears, the answer: "Yesssss."

    "Do you understand the consequences of sin?"

    "Yessss."

    "Do you repent of your sins and trust Christ alone for your salvation?"

    "Yessss."

    That was it. The Lord Jesus had saved me.

    "Sit down over there."

    The pastor explained to the church, then presented me for baptism and membership.

    That's my testimony. A couple of weeks ago, while visiting my home town, I dropped by that church. At my request, the church secretary found the ledger recording my baptism. April 10, 1947 Tommy Butler. Memories came flooding back as I rejoiced at seeing my name written there.

    But what beings even greater joy is the confidence that the Lamb has written my name in His book.
     
    #8 Tom Butler, Dec 28, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 28, 2009
  9. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    As a youngster, I didn't understand everything that was gong on the day the Lord saved me.

    Only in retrospect do I now understand the work of the Holy Spirit in illuminating, convicting and drawing and regenerating. I knew nothing of these things. Only in retrospect do I understand what the Holy Spirit did to me and for me on that day.

    All I knew then was that I was lost and then I wasn't.
     
  10. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    Keep 'em coming, folks. I'm getting blessed over and over again by reading your testimonies. I saw a revival start in my church during a testimony time.

    It is a marvelous thing to hear people tell God the truth about Himself.
     
  11. David Michael Harris

    David Michael Harris Active Member

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    I like it when I see people saved like me. It's pure grace and the mechanics are hard to fathom, but we all saved by grace by this wonderful divine being.

    Ancient of Days.
    Prince of Peace
    Wonderful councilor
    Almighty God
    El Shaddai
    King of Kings
    LORD OF LORDS

    The list goes on, please add. :)
     
  12. SolaSaint

    SolaSaint Well-Known Member

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    Heard the gospel presented to me at church service in a small Baptist in Feb. 1986 and the Pastor and a Deacon visited me the next day. After hearing the good news again I couldn't sleep that night, until surrendering to the Lord.
     
  13. Winman

    Winman Active Member

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    These testimonies are great, but a little silly. What's the difference between saying,

    "I heard the gospel"

    "The gospel was preached to me"

    If you are going to exclude the word "I" to show a person was not involved in their salvation, you also need to exclude words like "me" and "my".

    Now, try excluding all references to self and give your testimony.
     
  14. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    I appreciate the challenge, it is always good to take away an aspect that can be a crutch.

    One catch that we have used with our people (we've been using Just Walk Across the Room in our small groups) is to remove all the "Christianese" from your testimony. No cliches, colloqualisms, or special language. Try to communicate on the language level of an unchurched person. That gets challenging. :)
     
  15. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    As I said in the OP, this is just an exercise. In essence, it makes the Godhead the actors and us the recipients of the action. It does not neglect the individual responses of repentance and faith on our part.

    It recognizes what we all affirm--that God initiated the entire process, and describes the role of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit in that process.

    Feel free to couch your testimony in whatever terms you like, as long as the language reflects a biblical understanding of how your salvation was accomplished.
     
  16. Servent

    Servent Member

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    :godisgood::thumbsup:
     
  17. David Michael Harris

    David Michael Harris Active Member

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    Was it something you did then? Did you open that very special door?
     
  18. kyredneck

    kyredneck Well-Known Member
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    “ I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well....” Henry David Thoreau

    This boy honestly cannot pinpoint the time in his life that he was born from above. Jesus Christ has literally been his hero for as long as he can remember. He was raised going to church and heard the preaching of the Gospel 2-3 times a week and as soon as he was able to start reading around eight years of age has always had a deep infatuation with the Bible. Now, by no means is this boy implying that he has been a goody two shoes; it's quite the opposite, he was the black sheep of his family and has paid dearly in this time realm for his past rebellions. He relates with the experience given by Winman. He's been there done that on MANY occasions.
     
  19. zrs6v4

    zrs6v4 Member

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    nevermind Ill post tomorrow
     
    #19 zrs6v4, Dec 30, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2009
  20. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    Before the foundation of the world God selected to show His far-reaching grace by saving some sinners from perdition.

    Christ not just willingly but joyfully came to earth, enduring scorn and self-imposed limitations and purchased redemption, actually atoning for those specially-loved sinners.

    The Father was then able to justify taking those sinners to heaven! Wow!

    The holy Spirit worked both to convict and convince, regenerating and then indwelling those belove-and-died-for sinners, changing their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.

    That is what salvation is; salvation is of the Lord 100%.

    Now what did "I" do?

    Nothing.

    But my testimony is not over. AFTER God regenerated me, giving me a new heart, faith to believe and repent, and a desire to seek Him, THEN I did just that in response. Sought God, repented of my sin (kneeling by my bedside March 17, 1957) and cried out in faith, calling on the name of the Lord to save me.

    It is like two sides of a coin. I did not KNOW what God had done inwardly but I know how I was changed and what I did. It is ALL "salvation" but one is the action (God's side) and one is the response after He regenerated me (Bob's side).

    And talk about showing the glory of His grace? Yeah. Saving me was just that - a wretched hell-deserving youth, "religious" beyond words but totally lost, and He saved me!

    Boy howdy. :cowboy:
     
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