Friday, July 23, 2010

When I Got Saved

The last few days I have met a couple of people who love the Lord and are walking according to His call on their life.  What a joy it is to meet saints who are really on fire for Jesus.  But I've really become sensitive to where the credit is given for their salvation.

One told of how his uncle, a baptist minister, preached a sermon that cut to his heart.  Right then and there he gave his life to Jesus and committed to exit the gang with which he had been a part since he was 7 years old.  Today he is a Baptist minister with daughters who are self describes as being in God's army.  As he finished his testimony he said that he, "Got saved when he heard his uncle's sermon 17 years ago." 

Yesterday I listened to another man who had been living a life of addiction including drugs, alcohol, and the rest that comes with this intoxicating sin.  God got through to him about 6 years ago and now he has established a non-profit entity focused on raising money to fund overseas missionaries.  He has put Jesus at the center of his work life as well as the rest of his life.  As he delivered the quick version of his testimony to me, he said numerous times that he got saved that day as he listened to John MacArthur and was baptized.

In both of these instances these men are definitely on fire for Jesus and a part of His kingdom because their good fruit seems quite evident.  I feel blessed to have heard their testimony and to have met both of them.  Maybe it's just semantics and therefore it should be dismissed, but I'm struck that in both cases it seems to reflect what Paul addressed in I Corinthians 1:10 and continued into chapter 3.  For one to say that someone other than Jesus is responsible to for his salvation is not giving the credit where it is due.  For every person who believes that Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and that He is the Savior of the world they are granted salvation by His death some 2000 years ago.  That is right, we all have the same salvation day.  The day Jesus died the death that we deserve.  Let Him receive the glory for saving us and not any man!