A Devotion May Be Someone's Only Bible

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Be Sure of Your Salvation

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  Romans 10:3 NIV

Photo courtesy of pixabay.The young woman wept at the altar as I made my way to the front of the church.

She wanted to be “sure of her salvation,” she said. Raised in a Christian home, she didn’t want to take being saved for granted. We prayed together, embraced, and she thanked me. This girl was now a child of God ... without a doubt.

Later, I was questioned by a church leader because this girl was the daughter of a long-time, respected deacon, and everyone assumed she was born again. No one knew she had never accepted the Lord. Fortunately, I didn’t know her or who she was related to. But even had I known, we would have prayed regardless.

Fast forward twenty years to another church service. Again, I was praying at the altar when laughter erupted behind me. My husband was talking with one of our dearest friends—someone who had been a deacon, taught Sunday school, and had been involved in church for over twenty-five years. His wife assumed he was a Christian, as did his children and all who knew him.

He confessed that he had been pretending for all those years. He was simply going through the motions, doing what was expected of a Christian. But he was tired of the charade. That day, he made a commitment and asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior. From that day forward ... there was no doubt.

Romans tells us that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The key word is calls. We’re not saved because we go to church or because we’ve been raised in a Christian home. Salvation is a personal, intimate experience. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9 NIV).

My daughter once said she could no longer believe what I believed—just because. She wanted to learn about God and His Word for herself. Instead of fretting, I was ecstatic. She was finally seeking God on her own and not “riding on her parents’ coattails,” as she put it.

Be confident in what you believe. And then, never take it for granted that everyone you know has a relationship with the Lord. When He prompts you to talk to or pray with someone, don’t hesitate. Their eternity might rest in your hands.

If you can’t remember a specific time when you invited Jesus into your heart, do it again. Then you’ll know … without a doubt.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)


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Andrea Merrell

Andrea Merrell is an award-winning author and professional freelance editor. She is an associate editor with Christian Devotions Ministries and was a finalist for the 2016 Editor of the Year Award at BRMCWC and the 2018 Excellence in Editing award by the Christian Editors Network. Andrea is a graduate of Christian Communicators and was a finalist in the 2015 USA Best Book Awards and the 2018 Selah Awards, as well as a semi-finalist in the 2018 ACFW Genesis contest. She has been published in numerous anthologies and online venues, teaches workshops on writing and editing, and is the co-founder and regular contributor to www.TheWriteEditing.com, a blog designed specifically for writers. Andrea is the author of Murder of a Manuscript, Praying for the Prodigal, and Marriage: Make It or Break It. Contact her at www.AndreaMerrell.com.