As a child, I never considered myself as a church girl. I didn't grow up in the church. I mean I went to different churches from time to time but it wasn't an every Sunday thing. My family was military so we moved around a lot. It wasn't until July 2004 that we decided to join a church and I received salvation at the age of 17. My family was stationed in Atlanta during the summer of 2002. It seemed like Georgia would be our permanent residence and it has. We have been living here for 12 years, the longest that I've ever lived anywhere.
During high school, I linked up with a friend and she invited us to attend her church one Sunday. I passed the message along to my parents and we were headed to church that following Sunday. That Sunday sparked us to attending more often until we decided to join the church in July of 2004. During the joining, me and my brother also decided to receive salvation. After we went to the altar, 2 of the associate ministers sat us down and talked to us about what is salvation and how to obtain it. The key point question was "Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and rose in 3 days?" Of course I did! I may not have been raised in the church but I did know that much.
People, if you believe that, you are saved! You don't have to jump through any hoops. You don't have to recite anything, then spin around 3 times, then hop on one foot. The bible says in Romans 10:9 (KJV) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
It's that easy? Yes it's that easy.
So, I'm a new creature in Christ but I didn't feel like it. I knew some type of change had come over me and my family as well. I knew I had everlasting life and I wasn't going to hell when I died. We starting going to church regularly as well as Sunday school and bible study. I joined the choir and started going to choir practice. Child, I was in church practically every day seems like it. Even though I had this new change over my life, I still found myself doing the same things I was doing before. Things got a little worse once I started attending college.
My college years made it really hard for me to feel saved. I was doing everything thing that typical college students were doing. I was going to the club, drinking, dressing promiscuous when I went out, cussing, hanging out with the wrong people, not honoring God in my relationships, etc. I hardly went to church. I mean I really did not feel saved. It was easy for me to feel saved when I went back home because I didn't do that type of stuff when I was there and I attended church as well. But in college, it was different. I felt like God was disappointed in me and didn't really like me very much. So that made me really not like myself very much either.
One thing I didn't do was doubt if I was saved or not. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was saved. But many people, who may not feel like they are saved, will start to doubt their salvation and then it becomes a ball of confusion. They may go back into the world, decide to quit church and start living any kind of way and have to face the consequences. Did you know you can have everlasting life but still have to face the consequences (some permanent) for your sins?
SALVATION IS NOT BASED ON HOW YOU FEEL. IT IS BASED ON YOUR FAITH.
Ephesians 2:8 (KJV) says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves; it is the gift of God."
So we can't base our salvation on how we feel. Our salvation is based on our faith. It is based on what we believe. This is why it is so hard for people to come to Christ in the first place because they "feel" like they have to be perfect when they come to Christ. Christ wants you as you are. It doesn't matter who you are or what you have done...JESUS WANTS TO SAVE YOU AND GIVE YOU EVERLASTING LIFE.
God loves people so much that He sent His ONLY, BEGOTTEN son to die on the cross for OUR SINS (OUR PAST SINS. OUR FUTURE SINS. OUR PRESENT SINS) so that we could have everlasting life. (John 3:16) Sin was conquered through what Jesus did on the cross. See, we were all destined to go to hell but now we have a chance to gain everlasting life by accepting Jesus into our lives and making Him our personal savior.
During a church service while I was in college, I decided to rededicate my life to Christ and get back on the right road. I graduated in the fall of 2010 and moved back home. Once back home, I attended church regularly and became very active. Did I say I was perfect? No? Ok, just making sure because I wasn't. As of this year, I have been saved for 10 years. Looking back from 2004 until now, it has been a roller coaster ride! Ups, downs, life flipped completely upside down but turned back around. If you only knew my story. Through what I've been through, I decide to start the Princess Tea Purity Ring Ceremony at my church. Never did I imagine that God wanted to use someone like me. I'm like "God, me? After all that I've done. You still want to use me?" It doesn't matter what your past looks like. When God has appointed you to a job, He chose the right person. He isn't looking for you to be equipped. He's looking for you to be obedient.
We have to stop getting in our feelings when it comes to salvation because our feelings will sway us in different directions just like the wind. Our foundation is God and the truth. Get into His word. Meditate on scriptures about salvation and forgiveness. Ephesians 4:30 says you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Once you have accepted Jesus Christ, you are covered by His blood and your name is written in the lamb's book of life whether you feel it or not. Don't let anyone tell you different. Once saved. Always saved.
Acknowledge. Fix. Keep It Moving...
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