The most
important day of our lives as Christians is the day we realized we could trust
Jesus for forgiveness from our sins and put our lives into his hands. For those
who became Christians as a child, their stories will probably also describe a
series of events that culminates in their assurance as an adult that yes, they
truly want to follow Jesus. We can best relate those events by including
physical, spiritual and emotional details:
Physical:
Where was I? When did this happen? What age was I? What was happening at the
time? What people or problems influenced my decision? Who shared God’s plan of
salvation with me?
Spiritual:
Why did I make the decision to trust Christ? What thought process did I go
through to reach that decision? How was I convicted of my sin? How was I
convinced that Jesus died on the cross for me? How did I come to realize God’s
love and grace? How did God begin to work to draw me to Him? Were there any
verses from my childhood that stuck in my mind?
Emotional:
Many people’s actions spring out of their emotional dissatisfactions—lack of
peace, fear of death or hell, no meaning to life, loneliness, lack of security,
a void in their lives, lack of purpose, longing to be loved and unconditionally
accepted, alcohol or chemical dependencies, guilt, hopelessness, boredom with
religion, need of healing, a hunger to know God better.
What
motivated me? How was I impacted? What did I feel? What did I commit to? What
was my conversation with God?
In this
portion, we also want include the basics of God's plan of salvation as they applied to
us: 1) What circumstances brought me to admit that I sinned? 2) When and
how did I realize that the punishment for my sin is eternal separation from
God? 3) What led to my belief that God loved me so much that Jesus took the
punishment for my sin by dying on the cross? 4) Who did I tell about my
salvation experience?
By applying these
Biblical concepts to ourselves rather than using them to point a finger at
others, our hearers will be more inclined to keep an open mind. After all, our
testimony may be the first opportunity for someone to learn how to become a
Christian. I would love to hear all about your encounter with Jesus! :)
Blessings!
Pam
©2015 Pamela D. Williams
