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

Comon Bob, those who were cut to the heart after hearing Peter preaching the true Gospel full of the Power from God said, what shall we do? And thousands were added there after. It cannot get any clearer.

Believe.

 

If the Gospel means nothing, why preach it?

 

A few "I's" but I cant help it...

I wasnt seeking God, but He started seeking me.

He started to cause christians to cross my path. At work. In the supermarket, a neighbor of mine, etc etc etc. It seemed like they were everywhere. I couldnt get away from them.

God caused me to became very aware that they had something I didnt have. They seemed happier than me, but they werent doing all the things that I thought brought happiness. Reefer, drugs, booze, etc.

In due time I just couldnt stand it any longer. I started listening to christian radio and TV.

It didnt take long before I broke. I became very aware that I was a sinner and was seperated from God and had no eternal life. And I became very aware that God was dealing with me. Drawing me. Wooing me.

At a point in time I came to the end of myself and called on Christ. Placed my faith in His ability to save me, and asked Him to live in me the way He seemed to be living in all those other christians.

PRAISE GOD He did just that!

I've never been the same same since that day and my life has changed so wonderfully.

Praise God for His wonderful provision!

 

No I don't think it was something I did, if so I would be lost in my sins. Instead I was very convicted. I had been in churches as a young person and most likely heard salvation sermons but never did feel any conviction to respond. Now when I was in my early twenties I was presented the gospel and I turned from it. I wanted to live my life and not for God. I knew at that time is was rejecting God's salvation for me. I can only explain my conviction that night as being regenerated and having a new heart that abhorred sin and loved God and I had to turn to Him in repentance and trust. I couldn't have explained that at the moment, but after studying scripture and proper doctrines of grace, I can now understand how God moved in my life. :thumbs:

 

David,

I feel the only reason some of them even said " what shall we do" is because they were regenerated. Remember what Jesus said to His disciples after he preached to them in Matthew, when they responded with, "who can be saved", "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Matt 19:26.

 

Thirteen years ago today, a man sat in a laundry mat drunk as a skunk and high on meth. He was waiting to sober up a little bit from the new years partying before heading back to the commercial fishing boat he worked on. As the meth began to wear of and he was only "wired", but no longer really high certain realities began to sink in. I guess you could say he had a moment of clarity. For maybe the first time in a long time, he saw his life for what it really was...an ongoing train wreck. His career foundering because of his lifestyle and his marriage was soon to end if things did not change. A day or two latter while offshore on the fishing boat he found that one of the other fishermen was a recovering alcoholic and had some A A literature on the boat. In this literature he found a copy of a prayer that the author had prayed years ago. This is a paraphrase of that prayer: "Lord, my life is a wreck. I'm hopelessly entrenched in sin. I've tried repeatedly to change and have come to the realization that I can't do it on my own. I turn my will and my life over to you Lord". The young man was over come by emotion reading this prayer and new that with in it lay the answers he was seeking. The next week he met with the pastor of the church his wife attended and began regular bible studies and church attendance which led to his salvation a few months later.

I was that man.

How's that? Only one I in the whole story.

 

By the rules - almost impossible

God loved
God provided
God prodded
God convicted
God forgave
God redeemed
I received

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

My Testimony (against the rules)

Episode 1 – Sunday school upbringing
Learned the stories
*Believed in a God
*I didn’t know that I needed to be made right with God

Episode 2 – Confirmation experience
Sent for classes – learned the Ten Commandments
Feared the public declaration of commitment that was expected
*Believed in a God
*Knew I was a sinner
*Knew I didn’t trust in Christ – I didn’t know why he was important to me
Moved away to Chicago (~13 y.o.)

Episode 3 – Turned away from God joined a rough group – I was looking for meaning, for life
“though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened.” Romans 1:21,
I got in some trouble and attempted to placate my parents – attended a church game night
Met a young man who drove me home
He asked me, “How long have you been a Christian?”
Invited me to “Young Life”
For the very first time I “heard” the gospel!
I believed that Jesus died for me; he took my sin upon himself; he offered me real life.
Faith is more than just an intellectual knowledge, it is an inward belief, it’s a trust in someone far greater than myself.

Episode 4 – Beside a quiet stream, I trusted in my Savior while walking to school one morning.

Episode 5 – Growing faith
Confronted with opposition early – responded by learning about my faith

Rob

 

it is not that the gospel means nothing, David.
It is that the gospel has become subject to the corruption of fallen man among the redeemed.
They have ascribed to it power that is not there, and that is, the power to save souls from the wrath of God, which Jesus Christ alone did (notice, past tense).
In presenting the gospel, it is as if the "saving from the wrath" is an ongoing event instead of a finished event, and the Savior is presented a possible Savior, not a definite Savior.
We find a parallel of not crediting anything on an object (the gospel) in the command God gave the Israelites (think His redeemed in the New Covenant) to destroy the wooden cross and the brass serpent. Man has a tendency to idolatry.
The gospel MUST be preached, but it must be preached to those to whom it was intended, and Romans 15:4 shows this to be God's people, and they only, for to them alone is the gospel a wonderful story and the power of God unto salvation (gospelly) while to those who are perishing it is foolishness.
The gospel must be preached as well in the correct setting.
Not a street corner but a church, evangelizing, edifying, instructing, those to whom the word is as precious gold and not dung.
I answered your post only out of respect to you, but if you want a further discussion of this, start a thread, out of respect by both of us, to the OP.

 

They were not saved.

Through the previous work of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the Way by Peter, they entered in to Salvation. Believed and were baptized.

I bet even some in that crowd shouted 'crucify Him'.

 

David,

We are arguing over the same argument that has been around for a very long time. I feel God caused them to believe and you feel that belief caused their salvation. Which either way it is they were saved as we are too. We can drink a cool glass of heavenly water together in eternity and laugh at how silly we were to do such things. God bless you.

 

Almost sounds like the story of Saul/Paul.

 

I notice people are using "I" and "my" and "me." It's impossible to give a testimony without doing this more than once unless one writes one's testimony in the 3rd person, and what is the point of that? It's just another way of saying "I" but using "he" or "she" instead.

 

The Church of England was my home church. It was there the scriptures were taught throughout youth. A knowledge of Jesus was inevitable. However, it was during my confirmation classes that it was evident one should be personally introduced to the Saviour, and Jesus reached out and saved me.

How is that, mate?

Cheers,

Jim

 

I started writing out my testimony but then came to the realization (again) that though, as a 10 year old girl, I took the opportunity to choose to follow Christ. Immediately, I didn't want to fight anymore (at school, I quit wanting to get into fights with the hard people...I felt more of a compassion for them, honestly.)

This was the beginning of a lifelong walk and commitment to following Him. No, it hasn't been easy. Yes, I was a sinner. I still am. But with God's forgiveness and movement in my life, the knowledge that God is God and is who He says He is, that He is sovereign, that He loves us and gives us all surpassing joy in the midst of turmoil--it is certainly worth the swap out.

Though I received joy in accepting Jesus initially as the leader in my life, that moment was only a beginning. There has been so much more to talk about than just that initial change.

 

After a lifetime of being raised in church and doing everything possible to somehow gain the approval of God strictly through action, the Holy Spirit provided regeneration at an Easter musical of "My Utmost for His Highest." The song's lyrics resounded, "Still the call goes out, still the challenge sounds, come follow Me," and something amazing happened. Everything became clear; repentance, surrender, renewal was needed - not just going through the motions as previously done. The change was unmistakable and life will never be the same again.

(How's that? I didn't even use "me" except in the context of the song! Ha.)

 

I will fail the "I" test, but here's my testimony:

In 1969, when I was seventeen years old, me and a friend of mine were walking to my house to spend the night. As we passed a church I suddenly, out of the blue, told him I was going there for the morning service. He was surprised and said he didn't want to go. I told him that if he stayed at my house that night he was going to go. He asked why. I responded that I didn't know, but that I wanted to go. Besides, I said, this would make my mother happy which might be to my benefit in the future.

The next morning we walked the few blocks to the Grace Memorial Baptist Church located on Telephone Road in Houston, Texas and attended the morning service. I don't remember what Pastor Dowdy preached, but when I filled out the visitor cards, for some reason I checked the box indicating that I would like a visit. That next Thursday night the pastor and a couple of other men knocked on my door. Surprisingly, I was home, which was rare. I remember that he explained the plan of salvation to me and told me that God loved me and that Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross. As he left he said that he knew if he asked me to come to church more often it would be of no use. I agreed. He then told me that if I would come one more time, the following Sunday, he would never ask me to come again. I told him I would be there.

That Sunday I attended alone and listened to his sermon. I could not tell you one word he spoke, but during the invitation I remember being under severe conviction and gripping the pew in front of me. I was almost trembling as I considered whether or not to respond. I knew that God was calling me and I wanted to respond to Him, but my self-will was in the way. Finally, I surrendered to Him and almost ran to the front of the church and begged God to save me. Thank God He does what he promises.

 

I guess Paul fails the "I" test:

Acts 22
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

Paul indeed was chosen but that didn't stop him from using the first person singular.

HankD​