These questions seem to be quite common. And whenever I'm asked them, I don't know how to answer. I have seen many others' answers. To steal a fictional story a friend of mine emailed me earlier...
"I became a Christian--I'll never forget it--in the fall of 2002 when my Dad was dying and I cried out to God and He gave me a remarkable peace and fire to follow Him. I have to thank John, the chaplain at the hospital, because he sat with me and helped me see how God's presence can and will and does change my life. He prayed with me the prayer that got me saved."
These are the kind of stories I see from others when they're asked about finding Jesus. And, I don't have this kind of story. Some say this is wrong of me. If I don't know when I became a Christian, than obviously I am not one.
For me -
God saved me when Jesus died on the cross. God took me into His family when I was a newborn. God saved me and took me in His arms as one of his beloved children the day I was baptized. I reaffirmed this faith, and declared my personal acceptance of Jesus during my confirmation when I was 14 or 15.
So, a simple answer, and the best I have for "When did you become Christian?" I have always been Christian. "When were you saved?" - God saved me when He sent His Son to live and die for each of us.
That said, I do have to admit that there have been defining moments in my Christian life where I experienced growth. There were moments of clarity and refinement in my understanding of God and Christianity. There were moments where my relationship with Christ changed. These are special moments which should not be ignored and are important... but they are not the moment in which I became Christian.
Perhaps I'll tell a few stories of those defining moments in an upcoming post.
For the purposes of this post, however, let me say - you don't have to have that one specific moment when you became a Christian. Some of us... many of us... have always been Christian. I'd even bet many of those who say there was a particular moment - these people as well have probably always been Christian. And, God has already saved each of us.
Brandi, I have to say that there are less than 5 blogs that I read daily (or whenever there is new material posted). You write with such clarity. Your down-to-earth way of speaking to real life issues is what is needed in the Body of Christ in my opinion. Anyone can write in a way that makes them sound super intelligent. It takes a talented person to convey thoughts and ideas in such a way that the average person can understand them. Thanks for your plain and simple messages that address issues that the average Christian can understand and relate to.
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