I’m applying for membership at my church here in Columbus, and one of the questions on the application is “Please write out the circumstances of your conversion to faith in Jesus Christ. State Scriptural support for your experience.”
As a grown and raised “church kid”, I always feel like I’m making up a testimony every time I tell my testimony of conversion.
Somehow, “I asked Jesus into my heart in my preschool Sunday School room with Miss Pam leading a prayer” doesn’t really cut it.
Yet that was the first time I trusted in Christ–and I’ve been learning more about how to trust Him (and what that means) ever since.
Anyhow, this is my first (er…second by the time I’m done typing it all up) draft of my application testimony:
I trusted in Christ for salvation as a child, but the rest of my life so far has been an adventure of learning exactly what that means.
Probably the most pivotal time in my spiritual walk was during a summer training program with the Navigators.
Prior to that summer, I had known about the doctrine of justification, but had always thought of justification as a legal change only. I knew that I was legally right before God on the basis of the cross, but I had the idea that God was disgusted by me until He had “pulled my file” and realized I was covered by grace.
As a result, I had been working hard to make myself right so that God would be pleased with me at first glance.
Yet, through the course of the summer, God made clear to me that I was right in God’s eyes (from first glance), not because of what I had done or not done (Titus 3:5, Galatians 2:16), but because of what Jesus had done (Romans 5:18-19).
Freed from the pursuit of righteousness by my works (Hebrews 6:1), I discovered the blessedness (Romans 4:5-8) of delighting in Christ who is, for me, righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30).
The Scriptures:
I am right in God’s eyes not because of what I had done or not done
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
~Titus 3:5
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. ”
~Galatians 2:16
but because of what Jesus had done
“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. ”
~Romans 5:18-19
Freed from the pursuit of righteousness by my works
“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,”
~Hebrews 6:1
I discovered the blessedness
“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.'”
~Romans 4:5-8
of delighting in Christ who is, for me, righteousness
“But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—”
~I Corinthians 1:30
So what do you think? Does that answer the question?
I believe that I was truly converted prior to that summer–so it isn’t quite a testimony of conversion, per se. Yet it is my true testimony of how God “converted” my eyes that I could see the salvation He had already wrought for me in Christ–not just righteousness on paper or in heaven someday, but in reality right now.
Would you let me into your church if you saw a testimony like that?
