Sinner Gets Saved

Oh how I love when a sinner gets saved. What a glorious thing when a person repents and puts their faith in Jesus Christ. It always reminds me of when I got saved in that hotel room on the night of March 4, 2004. Nothing compares to knowing you are forgiven!

A few months ago I received a phone call from one of the people who we fellowship with. His name is Michael. He has been very active in witnessing for Jesus and exposing the evil works of darkness, namely abortion. He grew up in what I would consider to be a very strong christian home. His mother spent a great deal of time with him (and his sister) teaching them the word of God. They were memorizing the book of Psalms at the age of 4 and 5! However, just knowing scripture, just going to church, and just because your parents are christian does not make YOU a christian. Michael would attest to that. Below is Michaels story, as I remember it.

Michael called me a few months ago. Here is how the conversation went (paraphrasing but pretty accurate).

Steve: Hello
Michael: Steve?
Steve: Hey Michael
Michael: Steve, Steve, I'm saved! I'm Saved! Steve I'm Saved! I got Saved today!
Steve: What?
Michael: Steve, I've been living a lie. I finally got on my knees asking God to save me from my sin. I feels great. I KNOW I got saved the other day. I've been living a lie.
Steve: Praise the Lord...that's awesome Michael. Welcome to the family!

Some people may have doubted Michael's conversation. In fact, I know some people who seem to think he was saved before and this was some sort of second revelation. I don't think so. Michael knows himself better than all of us. If he said he just got saved...then I'm confident he just got saved. It doesn't matter what his life was like before. It doesn't matter how many "good" things he did with the suffix "for Jesus". The man got down on his knees and cried out to God for mercy. He KNEW he wasn't saved and he KNEW Jesus was the only way.

Luke 5:31-32
Jesus answered and said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Michael went on to explain to me that he and his sister were doing some chores. His sister decided to put in the Paul Washer sermon, Examine Yourself. Michael said he was listening to the sermon and great conviction started to come over him. He KNEW he wasn't saved. He then talked to his mother and shared his concern of his salvation with her. She didn't assume he was saved but rather she trusted in God's working power to convince Michael he was not saved and needed Jesus. They knelt on the ground (I think in their barn) and Michael cried out to God to save him. When he got up off his knees, Michael said he KNEW he was now saved from the wrath of God. His sins were forgiven at that moment. He was now a child of God, taken out of the dominion of darkness and brought into the glorious light of Jesus Christ. At that moment, Michael told his sister...oh what a marvelous time that must have been.

Since then, I have seen a pretty termendous change in Michael. The very next day, we met with him and his family in front of the abortion clinic. Michael was ON FIRE for Jesus. All he wanted to do was share his testimony and tell people about how Jesus Christ is the only way by which men can be saved. Jesus Christ is the only way to have your sins washed away. It was great to see such a new zeal in Michael. He was and is a new creation - set apart as an ambassador for Jesus Christ! To warn men of the terror that awaits them and how forgiveness of sins can save them from God's wrath.

Michael must have asked a half-dozen or more people that day, people just walking by:
If you died tonight, are you sure you would go to heaven and why?

Praise the Lord for saving Michael.

Let me ask you:
If you died tonight, are you ABSOLUTELY sure you are saved from God's eternal wrath? If so, why?

65-75% of americans believe themselves to be saved. A simply study of the scriptures reveals to us that this is not true. How do you know you are not one of them? Are you deceiving yourself like Michael was?

The most important question I can ask you is this:

Reader....ARE YOU SAVED?

1 John 2:4
He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to Me [Jesus], 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'