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| My Salvation Testimony |
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One Sunday when I was a Junior or Senior in high school, I was sitting in a sermon in my Presbyterian Church. I don't remember the sermon, but suddenly this thought popped in my head: "If you were born a Hindu, what would you be today?"
Now at the time, I claimed to be a Christian. It made perfect sense to me. I was an official member of a Presbyterian Church. Presbyterians are Christians. Therefore I am a Christian.
But that thought got me started thinking. If I was born to a Hindu family, taken to a Hindu temple as a child, and taught that Hinduism was true, what would I be? In a flash I realized that, had that been the case, I would be a Hindu.
Then another thought popped in my mind: "Why do you think you are a Christian?" And I realized that my only reason for thinking myself a Christian was because I was born in a "Christian" area of the world and taught that Christianity is true.
Let me ask you a question. Is that a good reason for thinking oneself to be a Christian? If that is the case, had I been born in Saudi Arabia I would be a Muslim, in Japan a Shintoist, in Tibet a Buddhist, or in India a Hindu. Surely the area of my birth and my upbringing doesn't determine the truth or falsehood of a religion. But most people act like it does. The vast majority of people in the world have simply accepted the religion they grew up with -- without thinking about it or personally searching for the truth.
That day I thought about my religion. Did I have any reason to believe the Bible is the Word of God? No, I couldn't think of any reason other than I had been taught it. Did I have any reason to believe Jesus Christ is God in the flesh? None but having been taught about the Christian religion. Did I have any reason to believe in Christianity? I couldn't think of one good reason. Did I have any reason to believe in a God or an intelligent creator of some sort? Without a doubt. It made no sense to me that "nothing plus time equals everything". I can't buy that totally illogical concept, regardless of what religion I was raised with.
So that afternoon I got honest with myself and with that someone or something that created us. I said: "God, I don't know who or what you are, but whoever you are, will you show me the truth? I don't believe in Christianity. I don't believe in the Bible. I don't believe in Jesus. Please show me the truth."
From that day on, I dropped my claim to be a Christian. If someone asked me, I said: "No, I am not a Christian." I kept my membership as a Presbyterian and kept passively attending church, but I was a non-Christian, church-attending Presbyterian.
A couple of years later when I was a freshman in college, I met a group of people who were passionate about their love for Jesus Christ. He is all they wanted to talk about. I told them that I was not a Christian and did my best to stay away from them. But they kept inviting me to a campus meeting that they held.
Finally, after about six months, to get them off my back, I attended their meeting. That night I heard two passionate "testimonies" about how two different guys "met Jesus". I could tell they had something I didn't have and as they spoke something stirred within me.
Later that night, back in my dorm, I picked up a Bible and began to read the New Testament. I had tried to read it before and found it very dull, but this time it was alive. I couldn't put it down. I still didn't believe it, but I liked it. After months of reading, it dawned on me that I really do believe the Bible is the Word of God -- not because I was taught it, or grew up with it, but because what it says works in my life. I gradually realized that I believe in Jesus and that Biblical Christianity is absolutely true. I know now that had I been born a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Shintoist, or atheist, today I would be a follower of Jesus Christ, because Jesus revealed Himself to me! And has continued to do so over many years.
How about you? If you were born a Hindu, what would you be today? |
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| To add a comment to "My Salvation Testimony" |
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| March 07, 2008 |
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Steve,
If I were born into a family of Hindu,I believe that when I heard the truth,I would have,no matter what my family thought,went for the truth at all costs.
I don't say this lightly,I was born into a Orthodox Jewish family,ancestors(grandmother),born in Isreal,my great father a Rabbi,my mother born in cairo,Egypt,came to U.S.A.,and only bt God's grace,was invited to a Christian church,where I met The True Messiah,Jesus Christ!
Even though,I was a small child,I knew,at the age of 8,then at the age of 14,rebelled for over 20 years! I am so grateful to say,He never gave up on me! I've been not only a christian,for 6 years,(this time)but,now I have a relationship with Jesus christ as I study the Bible,and learn to be still,and discern what I learn. It's a process,a life lesson.....I'm SO willingly to keep learning,taking notes*
Great post~
Noelle |
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| March 07, 2008 |
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| Correction:great-grand father a Rabbi |
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| March 07, 2008 |
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I made a commitment to Christ and asked Him to save me around about 1982. Many trials followed. I fell away...He drew me back...I fell away again and did things I swore I would never do. He was allowing me to see how horrid my heart really was and was leading me to a place where I could meet Him...Jesus...The Saviour of my heart and soul. As a child, I was raised in a works based religion...where if we did not constantly do right, well then we would go to hell. With hell hanging over my head constantly as a child, I was so afraid of God that I would actually think I was going to faint when I went to church. I had many dreams about hell as a child. We did not go to church all that much. I had a wandering earthly father who did not want us.
I will shorten this by saying that Jesus met me in 1995 in a hospital room and forgave me and lifted my burden. I have had struggles, but the whole direction of my life changed in 1995. I asked Him how He could take me back and just how many times He could put up with a sinner like me. He showed me in a miraculous way. I opened up The Word to read a Psalm and the page fell on Job chapter 33. It answered every question that I had at the time. It resonated in my heart...so now when doubts and trials come...I remember that time in my life.
I loved your testimony. Thank you!! |
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| March 07, 2008 |
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| Wow! Thank you all for sharing some of your testimonies! What a blessing to read your comments. My wife and I have been asked to start a new Salvation Army church. It is going to be testimony based rather than sermon based. Each week a different person will share his or her salvation experience. I kicked it off by sharing my the first Sunday. |
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| March 07, 2008 |
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Hi Steve, I had thought about the same what you had thought about it too. I believe God created humanbeings ( Man and not Christians alone) in his own image. I believe that all the babies born in the world are God's creation too. All the babies are innocent and pure (Until they start thinking and talking). When they are all God's children, why should he not care that they all become His? Why is that He allows babies to be 'tutored' by different religeons and then allows them to know about Jesus? This is indeed the mystery of Salvation. Until I read an article about Vedas, I had thought that Jesus is mentioned only in the Bible and Quran. After reading the write up I came to understand that Hindu Scripture also talks about Jesus Christ and atonement for sins ( I have published the write up as a blog). My great grandfather was a Hindu. My grandfather became a Christian. My father became a pastor (because my illiterate grandmother made a vow to dedicate him for God's work), and I have the fruit of being born in a Christian family. In my understanding for me to have this privelege, it has taken a time of 100years. I am thankful to God for giving me this privilege so I can boldly talk about his ways and teach others too. The love of Christ for all human beings thatHe Himself was the only sacrifice for all, is one of the many summits of His life. His teaching to love our enemies is another. He not only gave sermons and discourses but he lived as a true example of what he preached. We as true disciples we are called to live His life in the true sense so that we impact the entire human race. Are we truly interested in living His life, as the path He has shown us is a 'narrow' one and not a 'broad' one. |
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| March 07, 2008 |
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| What a great testimony, Ragland. Praise the Lord for what He has done in your life and in your family! |
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| March 08, 2008 |
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Steve,
This will preach brother. Thanks for the revelation. I too have had these thoughts about what if my upbringing was different. But today I just have this fire deep in me that knows Jesus is alive and real and no one can ever change that. |
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| March 08, 2008 |
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| Thanks, Jerry. It is the fire, the inward witness of the Spirit, that introduces us to the living Jesus Christ. |
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| March 08, 2008 |
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| I went many years thinking I was a Christian, but after a rough patch in my life, I realized I wasn't even close. I have learned that the relationship I have with Him now is real...not what I had before. Unfortunately I think there are a lot of people out there who think they are Christians, and don't have a clue what they are really missing. |
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| March 08, 2008 |
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| Great message, Steve. We are not saved by our upbringing, our culture, or our church. We are saved by a very personal and individual commitment to Jesus. |
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| March 08, 2008 |
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Deb: I agree. It is easy to assume we are a Christian because we are associated with a Christian denomination.
Kathy: Well put. It is our personal and individaul commitment to Jesus which comes through His grace that really matters. |
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| March 08, 2008 |
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Steve,
I fully understand. I went through the same thing as a teenager and wrote about it in one part of my testimony blog series. It is not only natural to question your faith. It is healthy. If we take what we are told without question, then we can be easily lead astray. By re-examining your faith it is no doubt much stronger and more meaningful than it woudl have been had you simply just grown old sitting in the pews.
Thanks for sharing. |
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| March 08, 2008 |
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| Thanks, Gene. I think we all need to examine our beliefs and see if they are really ours personally, or just something we inherited. |
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