Ron C
 

Hi my name is Ron,

I grew up in a home with Christian parents.  It was normal for us to attend church.  At age twelve I felt convicted by the Lord and made a decision to follow Him but really never had fully trusted that Christ alone was enough to save me.  Although I had some strong rebellion during teenage years, God eventually gave me a great dissatisfaction with my rebellious actions.  I started disliking the wild side.  This was a clear indication of His grace.  At this point, near the end of my junior high years, I decided God’s way was better.  I started going to church, on my own choosing rather than because parents expected it.  Soon I became very involved in youth group and youth choir.  After graduating from high school and eventually getting married I began to teach in the church.  At first preschool, then children, and eventually youth.  I then felt strongly called into ministry.  However, even with that clear calling I still had doubts that Christ alone could save me.  Mistakenly, I was convinced that I had to earn God’s love by moral behavior.  I went on to a Christian college and pursued a degree in religious studies and while there began pastoring a small country church yet still had those lingering doubts about the security of my salvation. 

One afternoon, I took my sister on a motorcycle ride.  We crashed going 60 miles per hour.  She was knocked unconscious while I was really scarred up with “road rash”.  At first I thought my sister was dead as she lay motionless on the pavement.  Eventually she woke but went back into a semi-comma for a few days but eventually came out of the comma.  During those long drawn-out days waiting in pain in the hospital, I began to think seriously about the mercy of God and that I felt He had given me and my sister a second chance at life.  Interestingly, my thoughts were more about whether I’d have gone to heaven if I had died in the accident and I honestly didn’t feel confident that I would have gone there. 

A few days later, I got before God and said I didn’t want such uncertainty.  I went back to the Bible and God pointed out two verses to me that forever changed my life.  One was John 1:12.  He clearly showed me that one must not only believe but must receive by faith that eternal life comes not through what I do but what He did through Jesus.  The second was Ephesians 2:8-9.  Once again, He showed me in a very personal way that I could only be saved through faith not of my works.  Through the clear working of the Holy Spirit revealing the Word I confessed the sin of my own efforts and placed my trust in Christ alone.  I called my wife into the room as a witness and prayed a prayer of surrender and faith in Jesus Christ.  Then I went before the church I was pastoring and confessed what I’d done and publicly affirmed Him as Jesus my Lord.  I offered to resign but they felt I’d be a much better pastor since I now had things right with God.  I stayed on there until I graduated and went on to seminary. 

From that moment on, I’ve never doubted my salvation.  In fact, looking back, I believe I wouldn’t have been in heaven because I attempted to enter by my good works.  Thank God that He gave me a second chance at physical life so that I could, by faith in Him alone, receive the more important spiritual life in Christ. Needless to say, my experience and testimony give clear indication that good works never get a person into heaven.  It is by grace that we are saved.   

Ron C.

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