I have always been a christian
How important is it that one remembers a specific date/time of conversion? Is it possible to be born in a christian family, be in church from day one and slowly come to an understanding and never reject Christ?
posted by Todd Paris @ 8:10 AM
3 Comments:
The examples in Scriptures seem to be punctiliar, that is at a certain place, time, situation etc. It seems to take place as the result of the engaging of someone's will. ie a decision point. However the getting to that point does indeed seem to be a process a series of events that lead up to this decision point.
I do not know the exact day of my salvation, but I do know that I made a decision and prayed, asking God to give me that perfect gift. It was the summer of 1974 -- age 5.
If you don't make a decision to follow Christ whole-heartedly, aren't you really making a decision against Christ?
I'd say that it becomes much harder to encounter that "moment" when you have been raised in a Christian environment. I can events but not dates or times in my spiritual journey.
I decided that I wanted to accept God's free gift (after all, it was free...) of salvation during special week long services (I forget what they called those kinds of things there) at WEBC. I was probably 7-9 years old.
I remember deciding that I should be baptized shortly thereafter because it was "the next step".
(1992-ish) I remember choosing to reject/ ignore all of the teachings that I had been taught during my upbringing and choosing to put me in the middle of my life.
I remember attending a Brian Free & Assurance concert (southern gospel, of all things...) shortly after starting to attend the Owego First Church of the Nazarene on a semi-regular basis. That evening I decided that me had to get yanked from the driver's seat and God had to take the wheel.
Since then, I have continued down the spiritual road towards a place called Holiness....making a few wrong turns along the way...
So, which one of these decisions was "the one"?
Thanks Thad.
Great comment. I belive this is what the emergents would call "journey". The life is, as you say, a series of decision points/events. I love the expression "toward a place called Holiness". But Holiness is so much more than a destination. It is in fact a way of life. We are on our way towards a place called heaven where ultimate holiness is possible, where EXTREME HOLINESS dwells in person! We can only imagine what that will be like. Eye has not seen, ear has not heard the half of the wonder and glory of heaven. Even John in his revelation glimpse is left at a loss for words. Keep journeyng man!
BTW -- Was this week-long series of special meetings with an evangelist named John Cannine? Did we call them crusades? or evangelistic meetings?
Mike
Post a Comment
<< Home