The 60th Birthday of My 2nd Birth!
One day several years ago, I was wracking my brain to remember the date of some event that had occurred during my childhood, so as usual, I referred to Momma's old datebooks. As I did, I found a note from Sunday, January 5, stating the fact of my baptism. I'm glad she wrote that down, or I would not know the date. As I recall it, I had "gone forward" the previous Sunday to profess my trust in Jesus to make me "right with God." I don't believe the Bible teaches that baptism is what saves a person; so to be technically accurate, my "2nd Birth" actually occurred seven days prior to January 5, when I went forward and prayed that sinner's prayer of repentance and faith that probably sounded something like this: "Dear Jesus, I sin against God, and the wages of sin is death. Thank You for dying in my place to take my punishment and make me right with God. I receive you now as My Savior. Thank you, Amen."
There was much about God (whether Father, Son, OR Holy Spirit) that I did not yet understand. There was much about salvation that I had yet to learn. There was even much about myself that I didn't get--- but I did know that I had been and could be a very bad girl, especially when it came to telling the truth and getting what I wanted; and I knew these things didn't honor God, Who made me. I knew I didn't want to remain that way and that I needed Him-- not just to take my punishment, but also to change me so that I could know Him and honor Him. That was about the extent of it. I also knew these things were possible because I had a mother and father who modeled the kind of people I wanted to be, and I KNEW that they had put their faith in Christ when they were little, like I was.
I had two brothers and a sister, each of whom had already come to this point; and even though they weren't the perfect models, it showed that they had a heart for Jesus and were encouraging me to put my faith in Christ.
Sixty years ago sure is a long, long time.
"Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul.
Thank You, Lord, for making me whole.
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation, so rich, and so free!"