Church bulletin:
Many Christians are unable to pinpoint exactly when they were converted. It may be a cause for concern, even anxiety over the genuineness of their salvation. There can be numerous reasons for this uncertainty.
> They were brought up in a Christian home and believed the teaching of the Bible from a young age, looking back, they cannot remember life without faith.
> For some Christians, salvation appeared to be a process over time. There was a growing belief and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, rather than a definitive moment. Justification is instantaneous but not always experienced as such.
> Others prayed the “sinner’s prayer” during a church service, still anxious over their spiritual state they later sought the Lord privately (not just repeating someone else’s prayer). Consequently, they cannot be sure exactly when conversion occurred.
> There are Christians who struggle with assurance and cry out to God many times for salvation. This makes the occasion of conversion murky. In similar fashion, there are Christians who profess faith yet at a later date come to a much clearer understanding of the gospel which casts a shadow over their earlier profession.
From an experiential perspective, salvation is intertwined with feelings, emotions, understanding, assurance, doubt etc. it is not always possible to draw a line in the sand – unconverted on one side, converted on the other, the line in-between representing the day, the hour, the moment of faith. All of us would like that scenario but for many the demarcation between one side and the other is blurry. And that is okay. To have a general picture is important, to have precision is not.
It is helpful to think of salvation in three tenses. Christians are saved (saved from the penalty of sin – justification, past tense, completed), Eph 2:5, “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” Christians are being saved (saved from the power of sin – sanctification, present tense, on-going) 1 Cor 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Christians will be saved (saved from the presence of sin – glorification, future tense, to be completed), Rom 5:10, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
More important than when we believe, is what we presently believe. In other words, the moment of conversion (salvation past tense) lies in the shadow of where we now stand (salvation present tense). Unless we are in communion with God today, of what value is a date from the distant past.
If you are not certain of exactly when you were saved, it matters little. What matters is that your salvation is being outworked as you trust in Christ, as you live repentantly, as you grow in Christlikeness, as you serve, obey, worship, and love the Lord. This affirms the reality of justification even without a date. It is good to reflect on the circumstances of when you came to Christ, but unnecessary to get hung up over a line-in-the-sand event.
Thank God for salvation whenever it might have occurred. Walk with the Lord day by day confirming your election. Press on toward the goal, the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.