Salvation is of the Lord
A Prayer for Help
As I look back on the times of past experiences, I can remember praying to God when I was 8 years old in Bamberg, Germany. My family was going through a very difficult time. Mom and Dad fought almost every night. Dad was bad to drink and got drunk a lot. One night I was awakened from screams of pain, and I knew they were at it again. I begged God to help my mother for I knew I could not help her. It was then I began to pray (Psalm 121:1). Not the ‘I lay me down to sleep’ prayer I was taught as a child, but a heartfelt need of God’s help from a little boy who did not know where else to turn for help (Psalm 18:6). I cannot remember what happened after that prayer, but what I do remember is, I never had to pray that prayer again (Psalm 3:4). Things got better for my parents soon after and life went on (Psalm 81:7).
DO YOU WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN?
My first experience of going to church was in 1962 in Ft. Worth, Texas. Mom always saw to it that we went to church while Dad stayed home (I Peter 3:2). My first preaching service was my first encounter with accepting Christ as my personal savior. I did not know what it meant then, and really did not understand what was being asked of me when a grown man approached me and asked if I wanted to go to heaven (Matthew 16:6). I was silent, scared, and mad all at once. Guess he took my silence as a yes answer and I was dragged to the front of the church and coached by him to say a prayer and POOF, I was declared “Saved.” I never went back.
Are You a Christian?
My Dad got transferred to Camp Chaffee in Arkansas and Mom took us to the First Baptist Church in Charleston, Arkansas. Here a friend of mine asked me another question: “Are you a Christian?” I did not know how to answer his question and said I did not know. Now if he had asked me if I believed in God, I could answer that, because I did by experience since I was 8 (Luke 17:21). It was explained to me that if I would except Christ into my heart, and ask him to forgive my sins, then I would be born again and become a Christian, then I could join the church by baptism and I would go to heaven when I died. So, I did. Times were good for a while until I found myself sinning and thought I had not been sincere in my desire to be a Christian (Romans 7:24). No matter how hard I tried, everywhere I went, my sin followed me. I could not keep from sinning (Romans 7:15-17). Then one Sunday morning when I was a senior in high school, Mom came into my bedroom and told me to get up and go into the living room. My dad, who had never gone to church with us, sat in his chair with a suit on and a bible in his hands ready to go to church (I Peter 3:1). He never said a word of why he changed nor why he quit drinking, but I knew God was in the matter (Acts 11:18b).
A PRAYER REMEMBERED
I graduated high school in 1967 and went to Fort Worth, Texas to work. I continued going to church. However, the feeling of sinfulness never departed me even though I rededicated my confession to the Lord many times. Surely, I was not saved, and God knows how much of a sinner I am, I knew I could not fool him, so I went to church to be with my friends, but there was no peace (Psalm 127:1-2). I was always looking for something else. I tried many different things to find comfort in this world and there were some pleasures in them, but only for a short period. At 22 years old, I met a girl and we got married. For the first time I thought I had found my niche in this world and God blessed me with three children (Psalm 127:3-5). During this time, I had quit going to church and for 9 years I was a daddy and had a good job and thought life does not get any better than this. Other than me feeling guilty about not going to church any more, life was good. Until my greatest fear came to me, my wife left me and our children (John 16:33). This is hard for me to say but I blamed God for this (Jonah 4:1). I made up my mind that I was going to get through this no matter what. One night after the kids’ homework was done, and supper and dishes finished, baths taken, and kids tucked into bed, I remembered that childhood prayer I made as an 8-year-old boy (Psalm 97:12). My oldest child was 9 then and the youngest was 3 with the middle child being 6. I realized I needed help and I knew from my experience of years ago, God was the only one who could give that help (Psalm 54:4). It was not what I was expecting when it came, but it came in His time, not mine (Psalm 146:5).
Understandeth what thou readest?
I began to pray more (Psalm 30:8) and read my bible (John 5:39), then while attending a single parent group in Fort Smith, Arkansas, sponsored by a local Baptist church, I attended until I was asked not to bring my children to the meeting (Matthew 19:14). It was for adults only and they ask me to leave them with a babysitter. Well, they were at a babysitter while I went to work during the day and if I could not bring my children to a church function then I would not be able to go to that church. It sets a bad precedent and example to my children (Proverbs 22:6). Once again, I had no place to go other than my bible and I read it often even at work during lunch time (II Timothy 3:16-17). A man came up to me one day and asked if I understood what I was reading; another question (Acts 8:30). I was somewhat skeptical but said, “Not really,” and we began to talk (Acts 8:31). He asked me where I went to church, and I told him my story. I was invited to attend the church where he was a member and, being suspicious, I found myself not very interested at first. Joe and I had many bible studies at work and I found that he did not believe scripture as I had believed them. The biggest difference was the way a person was born again (John 3:8). He believed God is sovereign in the new birth (John 5:25). I believed a person had to believe, accept, and confess, and ask Jesus to come into my heart. I believed that eternal salvation was my responsibility, and the gospel was the means to reach out to non-believers. Joe asked me if I knew where that was taught in the scriptures. I could not give him an answer. After searching, I did find what I thought I was looking for:
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:11-12)
I showed Joe this text and was proud of myself and thought I had proven my beliefs. Joe pointed out to me that I did not finish the sentence, I had only read half of it. There is a colon mark at the end of verse 12, the rest of that sentence says,
“Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (v13)
Those who received Jesus were born (past tense) of God. Also, receivership is not the same as accepting, of which I could not find in God’s word. The only accepting that I could find was that we are accepted in the beloved, which is speaking of Christ (Ephesians 1:6). It was God doing the accepting not me.
Salvation is of the Lord
I started to go to church again after this and attended Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church in Mansfield, Arkansas. Elder Ray Pyles was the pastor, and I was late for my first visit. As my children and I sat on the back row, two old people got up and walked back to where we were sitting. The lady picked up my three-year-old son and held him in her lap, the old gentleman got a song book and started to point out the words we were singing to my six-year-old girl (Luke 18:16). This left me and my 9-year-old daughter able to participate in the song service (Ephesians 5:19). I do not remember the songs we sang, they were foreign to me, nor do I remember the sermon preached that day, but what I do remember is the heart felt welcome given us that day (John 13:34). I have never experienced it before and now I hold on to what God showed me of his grace among the Primitive Baptist (Ephesians 4:16). This grace was different. Whereas I once believed it was by my works and my obedience that got me to where I wanted to be, now I know it was the grace of what Christ did for me that got me to where He wanted me to be (Ephesians 2:6). That I could not do for myself (Mark 10:27). Indeed, salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9).
100% by God’s Grace
I posted this a few years ago and I do not post it again to boast (Psalm 34:2, Jeremiah 9:23-24), but to show that eternal Salvation is 100% of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is by the Holy Spirit that God regenerates (gives new birth, quickens, makes born again) his children (sheep, chosen, elect) (Galatians 4:6) from being dead in trespasses and sin to a new creation in Christ (Ephesians 2:1) by the same power and Word that caused the heavens and earth to appear when God said, “Let there be light and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3) This is the same power and Word that gives Spiritual life to his elect in this world (I Peter 1:23). It is also the same grace that opens our eyes and ears to see and hear spiritual truth so that we believe and have faith in our God (Galatians 5:22-23). Amen.
Is not this indeed the good news of the Gospel of Christ? (Titus 3:5)
- Sonny Bonner
I took a moment to annotate brother Bonner’s testimony with scriptures that I believe substantiate his personal experience with the Lord. My hope is that this will provide an occasion for further study on the matter for those interested in following the Lord’s admonition:
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)
- Elder Daniel Samons