A Testimony of Salvation

I am a Sinner saved by God's grace. There are only two types of people; sinners and sinners saved by grace. Praise God I am saved by his grace. That was not always the case. I was exposed to the Christian faith as a child. My parents attended church, so I also attended, sometimes willingly and sometimes not so willingly. I knew a lot of Sunday School stories from the Bible and although they were important to me, I did not know what it, really took for me to be saved from my sins. I remember, as a teenager being very sincere, on one Sunday, as I went to the altar to receive salvation. Although I had never seen this happen, I thought in my mind, that uncontrollable things would take place with my body, like me running around the church or something that would cause me to leap for joy. I was sincere about getting saved. It played a major role in the life of my parents and therefore it was important to me also. I remember being at the altar for a long time as I waited for the happenings that I had conceived in my mind to take place. They never did. The pastor asked me, “Do you believe that you are saved?”  Not being confidently sure, I replied, yes. He said, “Then that is it. It is by faith”. I left the altar stating that I was saved yet not really feeling confident that I was. My friend, it was years after this childhood experience, that I came to understand, that God's salvation is by faith in the completed work that Jesus did when he died on the cross. He did it for my salvation. Your sins, too, were included on the cross. Jesus did it for your salvation also. I went about my high school years, wondering about my salvation. I was however not ashamed to be different, as I appeared to live a life for Christ, still not knowing Him as my personal savior. I was quite religious. I later attended and finished college. I also went to Seminary and later represented a specific Christian denomination as a military chaplain on active duty. I recall on the day before my first assignment on active duty, sitting down with a small pamphlet about salvation and reading it, praying the prayer that it contained, and then signing it, stating that I had received salvation. The date was January 13, 1979. For the next nine years, I never doubted my salvation. I was an adult, yet I participated in many childish, foolish, sinful, and immature life experiences. I broke several of the Lord's commandments and therefore I was a hypocrite. Later at the point that I confessed my sins I became struck with guilt. The guilt was very heavy. It attacked my mind. The enemy had me gripped in such a way that the attack on my mind was constant and I experienced a nervous breakdown. I was given the opportunity to remain on active duty. I declined it. I came to understand that one cannot knowingly practice sin and be saved. My repentance and desire for forgiveness brought me into a proper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It was and is not about religion. Salvation is about a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son. At present I am 68 and I am seeking God's desire for my life. I am saved and nothing is more important to me than being a follower, a disciple of Christ. God has been gracious to me and I desire to serve him all the days of my life. You really want to do the same, don’t you?

Victor H. - VA

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Psalm 62:1 (NIV)