Sign In
Store
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. John 5:24
D.L. MOODY
Salvation is instantaneous. I admit that a man may be converted so that he cannot tell when he crossed the line between death and life, but I also believe a man may be a thief one moment and a saint the next. I believe a man may be as vile as hell itself one moment and be saved the next.
Christian growth is gradual, just as physical growth is; but a man passes from death unto everlasting life quick as an act of the will— “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.”
ERWIN LUTZER
Paul was going along to Damascus when he was struck to the ground by light. Later, he explained how the risen Christ had appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:8). His conversion was sudden and dramatic. At that moment, he passed from death unto life.
We don’t always have such experiences today, but when we were converted we also crossed a line from darkness to light. Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John 3:3). There may be a period of gestation, but then the birth happens in a moment of time—followed by growth.
Perhaps you cannot remember the exact time you were converted, but you can have the assurance that you belong to God forever. I had heard it said that you don’t have to know the exact time the sun arose to know it is shining. There are marks of conversion such as a change in our affections. There is a love for Jesus implanted in our hearts by God (1 Peter 1:8). And we have a new direction in life.
God’s miracles happen quickly, and “all things become new.”
PRAYER
Father, use my testimony—dramatic or quiet—to show others how genuine conversion to Christ can transform a heart from death to life.REFLECTION QUESTIONS
When you examine your life today, can you see a distinct shift in your affections—a love for the things God loves and a hatred for the things He hates?
For those who struggle with the exact date of their conversion, how does focusing on your current 'new direction' provide more biblical assurance than clinging to a past emotional experience?