SURE

Michael Wright asked me to share my story this evening at church during small groups. He knew I had a story that went right along with the current Saved, Secure and SURE series he is doing. Here is my story:

When I was about 9 years old, I remember lying in my bed one night crying and praying that I didn’t want to go to Hell. I was scared. I knew Hell was real and I knew I needed to be saved and Jesus had made a way. I could not tell you what I prayed, the day of the week or even the month. I do not remember. No one prayed with me and I was just home in my room by myself.

The next day I was at my grandparents’ house and I immediately went to tell my grandma that I got saved the night before. She was happy for me. I don’t remember exactly the conversation, but it eventually got relayed to people at our church and in a few months I was baptized with several other people in our church that had been saved around that time.

I went on about my childhood life and kept going to church with my grandparents and my parents occasionally. It wasn’t until I was a teenager – probably 13 that I started worrying I was not saved.

I remember several specific situations where I was in tears and very fearful that maybe I wasn’t saved and I needed to get it right. Jr High FCA Lock-Ins – you can bet I was going forward at the invitation to pray with someone because I had doubts. Then I started going to Pigeon Forge to the Student Bible Conference and at those invitations I would go forward in tears again so someone could pray with me because I was scared that I was not saved. This went on for years.

I’d say when I was about 16 my youth leaders knew I was struggling and reached out to me. One afternoon before evening church they offered meet with me to talk. They asked me about my 9 year old experience of being saved and I explained to them that I prayed and believed, but I didn’t remember what I said. I worried that maybe I was just scared of hell and didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know the date and no one was there with me to make sure I did it right.

They took me through scriptures about what it takes to be saved. One scripture I remember that helped me have confidence was Romans 10:9 - If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

We discussed that I had been declaring or “confessing” Jesus and we talked about me believing what Jesus did – I did believe (the best way I knew how at 9years old). So – I was saved. PERIOD …my knowledge may have grown since then and I didn’t know it all maybe when I was 9, but I did believe …that’s what it takes.

On top of my “did I do it right?” worry – I thought maybe I was saved when I was 9 but wondered if I had been good enough to keep my salvation. I was just full of doubts and worries and lacked assurance of salvation.

My youth leaders used scripture again to help me realize that I hadn’t “lost” my salvation.

Romans 10:13 says - for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” or “whosoever/whoever calls on the name of the Lord.” They stressed that I am included in “everyone or whoever.” It’s not just for special or good enough people. Following our discussion - I put that verse on the back of my bedroom door with the word ‘whoever’ highlighted and underlined and it stayed there until I got married and moved out.

Another verse they shared with me has since become my life verse.

Romans 8:38-39 says – “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If I can’t be separated – why or how would I “loose” my salvation?

One more verse they shared with me is Galatians 2:21 – “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

We talked about how rules or good works don’t save us or keep us saved. If that was the case, what’s was the point of Jesus being crucified? He died on the cross once and rose from the grave once. If we are saved multiple times, He would have needed to be crucified multiple times.

I think what made my conversation with my youth leaders stick is that they used scripture to help me. I can now go back to scripture for reassurance. Otherwise I would be basing my salvation on someone just telling me – “yes, you are saved.”

I wanted someone to help me be sure, but I am glad that they showed me what the Bible said because I could forever go on doubting and struggling because they gave me their opinion. The scriptures are solid and unchanging and have stuck with me.

Michael Wright mentioned this evening at church that it’s like a sigh of relief when you can say you know and are SURE. He explained that so many times we base our salvation on what we did (like me worrying I did it right…) but it is so much more about what Jesus did and us simply believing and accepting the gift of salvation.

My prayer is that if you are not sure you are saved and on your way to Heaven, that you reach out. Any of us Teen Leaders would be happy to show you some scriptures and talk with you so you can be SURE.

Kristen

Teen Leader