Was I Saved?

[dana]

I went forward in my hometown church when I was about 8 years old. The pastor took me through 3-4 classes before he would baptize me. He wanted to be sure I knew what I was doing. I was excited about being saved and continued to be active in church until around 13. Then I started to get involved with the lusts of this world. I became a very depressed person, turning to alcohol, drugs and pornography for relief. In my mid 20's I got back into church for a season, started pastoral classes, and destroyed all the signs of sin in my home. I got off of alcohol and drug abuse, struggled with pornography, but felt very convicted time I fell, and started a prayer life. This lasted for about 2-3 years. Then I went back to the old lifestyle for another 2-3 years. I went to church one Friday night to save my marriage (long story) and ended up on the floor un-aware of what was going on around me. When I got upI did not feel any different, just a little embarassed because I must have been laying there for a while. I started to attend church and reading a Bible for the reason of proving the pastor a hypocrite so I had an excuse to get out. After about a year, I cried out to God at a service, opened my eyes and seen the brightest, whitest light I have ever seen. The Lord said this is how I see you. Since then, 12+ years, I have not swayed.
What happened when I was 8?
If I died living in my drunken, God blasheming, aluterous state, would I have gone to heaven?
Can I choose not to serve God today?

[streetfishing]

First of all welcome to the board ! You have ask some really tough questions, and the answer to them will depend on who you ask. I don't have time right now to answer them but I will when I get home tonite....

ps If either Ron or myself can help you in anyway we would be glad to....
Jim

[Hard Preacher]

Dana, you have asked some very hard questions.
First of all I do not want to take away from your experience at 8 years old. I believe you thought you knew what you where doing. I do not know the full extent of what you were taught in those classes though.
#1 Were you taught you had to give your life up for Christ? If we are to be crucified with Him and not live, but have Christ live through us, then our lives are not our own.
#2 Did you come to Jesus to escape hell or did you come to Jesus because you where a sinner deserving of hell and needed a Savior? There is a big difference. The first reason is to have a better end, which is humanism. The second is coming to Jesus because He is worthy and deserves all you have.
#3 Were you taught to count the costs before making a decision for Christ? A man does not go to war without first counting the cost of lives that will be lost. Neither does a man build a house without counting the cost of what it will cost.

The Bible speaks of the Word of God being received in the weedy ground the weeds are the ways of the world and choke out the seed if one does not become deeply rooted. What this means is if there is no true discipleship to allow one to grow spiritually and learn the ways of Christ, there is no truth to keep the weeds of depression and temptation from cosuming you. You have to know there is no temptation that has taken a man but that which is common and with the temptation God has given you a way of escape. You got it Jesus Christ is you escape.

What may have happened to you later on in life is either:
#1 This was your true "born again" experience, which I would doubt because you claim you knew what you were doing at 8.
#2 You got to the end of yourself and finally gave up your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is what we call a backslidden state.


The last question is also a tough one. God does not make robots that are required to serve Him. He makes free willed moral agents that havet to choose to serve Him. As many as received Him gave He the power to become the sons and daughters of God to all who believe upon His name.
My suggestion to you is you not look at what may seperate you form Christ, but at those things that will bring you into deeper relationship with Him. This will keep your focus on im and not on sin. If you do this you will be in a much better position ot to do the things He has planned for you.

Hope this helps

[Praise Him]

What I think happened when you where 8 is the seeds of the Word were thrown out. The seed grew, but he ground you where in was thorny. As you grew you allowed the lusts of the world to choke you out. Look at Demas. He followed Paul and it was said he left to follow the world. You could not hang out with Paul and not understand the Gospel. The temptations in this world drug you in and you did not take the way of escape "No temptation has taken a man, but that which is common to man and with that temptation He has given you a way of escape." That way of escape is Jesus the Christ.

No you would not have gone to heaven if you died in your sinful state. You consciously said "No" to God and He loves you enough to allow you to choose life or death. The Bible is very clear about those that practice sin not having their place in the kingdom of God and having their place in the lake of fire (Galatian 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:5).

The problem did not exist with what you thought in your heart at the time to do. It came from not getting deeply rooted in the Word. Evangelism has come to getting someone to say a prayer, because of what Jesus has done. Human emotions will drive us to decisions we are not really wanting to make. High pressure sales is a good example of this. Unfortunately this is what evangelism has become.

What you experienced the second time you went foward was a "Born Again" experience. You said you started to read your Bible, listen to the sermons. Learn what it meant to be a Christian. Then when you made the decision to acccept the Lord you knew what it meant to do so. One must consider the cost before becoming a Christian (Luke 14:26-35).

To answer your last question, I want to ask you a question. Why would you? If you are looking at sinning, not serving and falling away you are looking at the wrong thing. Instead look at living your new life with Chist.

Don't look back at what may have happened. Keep looking forward to your new walk with HIm.

Praise Him always