I Am So Glad to Be a Child of God!
My name is Laura Snow, and this is my story.
I have gone to church all my life. My parents are saved, and we have attended good, Bible-preaching churches all my life. I also went to Christian school and Christian camps. My parents were good testimonies and examples to me, and they have prayed for my salvation ever since I was born. But all these things did not save me. (Note: saved, salvation, and born again are Biblical concepts referring to the forgiveness of sins by God and the rescue of a person from the power and penalty of that sin. This is God’s requirement for everlasting life.)
I heard a lot of talk in church about being saved, so when I was four years old, I told my Mom that I wanted to get saved. She showed me some verses such as Romans 3:23. It reads, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” After she showed me a few verses, I prayed. I refer to this as a false profession because I really did not fully understand what getting saved meant, and I really did not repent of my sins. I went on for several years thinking that everything was OK.
I heard a lot of talk in church about being saved, so when I was four years old, I told my Mom that I wanted to get saved. She showed me some verses such as Romans 3:23. It reads, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” After she showed me a few verses, I prayed. I refer to this as a false profession because I really did not fully understand what getting saved meant, and I really did not repent of my sins. I went on for several years thinking that everything was OK.
Then, on June 10, 2001, when I was 11 years old, I was talking to my Dad. During the conversation, we started talking about salvation. My Dad pointed out some things to me that I had not thought about before. It was this talk that opened my eyes to my true condition and my need of Christ. I realized that when I was 4 years old, I had been too young to truly understand what salvation was and why I needed to be saved, and I had not truly repented of my sins. I wanted to get this salvation issue settled. But my Dad said I should think some more about it and then talk to Kristin Hammett about it the next day.
“I went on for several years thinking that everything was OK.”
The rest of that day and all the next day, I was miserable. I knew I was not saved and needed to be. I knew that I had rejected Christ and that I was a sinner, condemned in God’s eyes. The only thing I looked forward to was getting the salvation issue settled.
The next day, I met with Kristin in the library. She asked me if I wanted to do the four-week Bible study, which explains more about salvation, but I did not want to wait that long to get the issue of my salvation settled. So, she did a shortened Bible study with me. We went over the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus chapter ten in the Bible. The Ten Commandments tell us what God requires for us to be right with Him. I realized that I had broken many of them, more of them that I had thought before.
She also showed me James 2:10 which says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” In God’s eyes, I was guilty of breaking all His law. I stood before Him condemned with no hope of making heaven on my own.
The next day, I met with Kristin in the library. She asked me if I wanted to do the four-week Bible study, which explains more about salvation, but I did not want to wait that long to get the issue of my salvation settled. So, she did a shortened Bible study with me. We went over the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus chapter ten in the Bible. The Ten Commandments tell us what God requires for us to be right with Him. I realized that I had broken many of them, more of them that I had thought before.
She also showed me James 2:10 which says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” In God’s eyes, I was guilty of breaking all His law. I stood before Him condemned with no hope of making heaven on my own.
“I stood before Him condemned with no hope of making heaven on my own.”
We then talked about salvation for a while. She told me that salvation is a free gift from God. It cannot be earned by doing good works. It cannot be bought with money or effort. The only way for a person to obtain salvation is for them to humble themselves before God in true repentance of their sin and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive them and to save them.
She then gave me some passages of Scripture to read and left the room so I would not be pressured to make a decision. I did not feel pressured or forced. I came willingly to salvation. I prayed and asked Christ to save me, and I repented of my sin.
I am so glad to be a child of God!!! The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Since I have been saved, God has been working in my life. I can see the ways I have become new. I now want to follow God’s will for my life and to do what God wants me to do. I now enjoy reading God’s Word, because I can understand it, and God speaks to my heart from His Word. It is truly wonderful to be a Christian!
I am so glad to be a child of God!!! The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Since I have been saved, God has been working in my life. I can see the ways I have become new. I now want to follow God’s will for my life and to do what God wants me to do. I now enjoy reading God’s Word, because I can understand it, and God speaks to my heart from His Word. It is truly wonderful to be a Christian!