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My Personal Testimony: “Saved By Grace Through Faith Without Work or Merit”

May 9th, 2008 by Rob Ayers
Posted in Baptism, Baptist Life, Bible, Book Review, Church, Church Life, Church Membership, Discipleship, Evangelism, Rob Ayers, Testimonies |

I have started a devotional/discipleship blog by re-creating my old blog name, ‘The Fearful Teacher’ - and if somebody could tell me how to get my widgets back up to the top of the sidebar, I might send them a gift card or something! My first purpose of starting my blog of two years ago was to begin a discussion with my folks in my church talking about discipleship and other daily issues affecting our walk together with Christ. As time went on, however, the blog just became (like many SBC bloggers) my personal venting place for the all the ills and wrongs in Southern Baptist life. I closed down that old blog because, frankly, I just did not have the time or the inclination to worry about the sins of others when I should have been worried about my own sins and issues, including my first priority as a husband and father, as well as a Minister of the Gospel in my local church and community.

No more political discussions. My new blog is mainly for my church (and any other lurkers who are interested) to come and have a discussion with me about our need to follow Him in a daily walk. My Pastor’s class on Sunday morning and Sunday night is going through the book by Curtis C. Thomas, Life in the Body of Christ: Privileges and Responsibilities in the Local Church (Cape Coral, Florida: Founders Press, 2006). My posts currently are my personal reflection of the biblical material, as well as the questions that are contained in each chapter contained in our secondary text book.

The first exercise of the work is of course purely fundamental. One cannot talk about the responsibilities of being in the Body of Christ without being in the Body of Christ. Our testimony is not determined by what we have done to merit God’s favor - a contraire - we do not by any means merit the grace and mercy of God. We manage to receive God’s love because of His grace and mercy through the deliverance of our very lives by the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

I have found in my walk that there are many (*gasp*) Baptists who believe they merit their salvation based upon walking an aisle and getting Baptized. I did that once too. But merely performing Baptist sacrament(s) does not make one a believer - as we all should know.

The following is my personal testimony, my “Burning Bush” and my “Damascus Road” experience. It is not intended to show any weakness of approach or methodology. It is just my journey. I have it on my blog, word for word, at First Responsibility: My Salvation:

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:21-23

I was raised in church. I often say that I “grew up” in a congregation of a Southern Baptist church from the time I was 6 lbs and 21 inches long. My parents being faithful Christians and supporters and advocates of Christian fellowship took me and my siblings to church most every time the door was opened. Our home schedule revolved around the church meeting times of Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening. My first friends, early socialization, and my first solo sang to the congregation (at age 4!) were found or conducted inside of that church building among God’s faithful followers.

In those early years our congregation had many revival meetings, often lasting two weeks or longer. As a youngster, I noted that many walked down that long aisle to the front, prayed with the Pastor, and then shared their experience with the congregation. As a small child, I wanted to be part of that action. I was really intrigued about what really they were doing down there at the front. My mother held me back from going, realizing I really did not have a clue about what was going on down there. Then one night, my mother went to the nursery. leaving me as a five year old alone in the pew (something probably that many today, parents and observers alike, would cringe at!). When the invitation was held that night I walked down that aisle and shook the hand of the preacher. In his defense, many pastors (including me!) are a bit intimidated when dealing with a young child. We do not want to be accused of denying the possibility of God’s leading (”Suffer not the children to come unto me…”) while at the same time understanding that the affirmation of faith requires understanding the concepts of sin, repentance, and grace in a rudimentary sense. After listening to the Pastor speak to me, what I got out of that moment more than anything else was, “I don’t want to sin anymore.”

As a result of that act I was baptized. It was nothing but getting wet for all the good it did me. In those intervening years I experienced what many many people have dealt with and have shared with me - I believed all was good and taken care of. I had fulfilled the Baptist sacrament(s) of walking up in front of the church and getting wet in the Baptistery. My “get out of hell free” card being then neatly secured by an act of my will, I could now live my life accordingly to my own dictates - keeping in mind of course those lists of “good” stuff and “bad” stuff that would please God or that was not so pleasing to Him. If I could keep my nose clean, with the good outweighing the bad, I was home free and heaven bound.

In late 1975 our church rented and showed the film “A Thief in the Night.” The film itself tells the story of a young man who marries a girl who latter believes in Jesus Christ. To please her, he goes to church as well even though he is not a believer. A few sermons are preached about the coming of Christ and the Rapture of His saints. Immediately after this an event of testing called the “Great Tribulation” would come that would ruin the earth, followed by the return of Jesus. This young man scoffed at such nonsense. One morning he wakes up to the radio blaring about how millions of people have disappeared. He calls for his wife, yet she has also disappeared. Indeed the Lord had come for His bride the Church, and this young man had been left behind.

I watched that film. At first I dismissed the premise, believing my experience at five was more than enough to get me by. But what had I done at five really? I had performed some sort of ritual act without meaning anything. I trusted in the fact I had done something, yet had not experienced any type of saving faith. Jesus to me was an abstract person - a person we prayed to a lot, but for me did not have much meaning. Who was He that I should pray to? What did He really do to deserve my attention?

It was then I realized my problem. I had trusted upon my own merit, my own act of walking an aisle, getting wet, doing good, hoping that all of these things would be good enough. I trusted in my own merit to get by. God had already condemned my merit, proclaiming it was not good enough: “for all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” That included me. If push came to shove, I too would be left behind because I did not know the risen Lord the way He desired me to - I wanted to know Him the way I wanted to. Those sins of mine condemned me because I deserved not God’s love but His condemnation. This was pretty heady for a 14 year old boy to contemplate.

Because of these thoughts, I feared that the Lord could come at any moment and take my family and friends and leave me behind. Many a time I would step into my home believing I had been left behind. The conviction of being separated from God was getting a bit overwhelming. The pride of “I walked an aisle and was baptized” was what was keeping me from seeking God’s help, and finding God’s peace.

Like all good things God can do, all of this came to a head one night. On June 6th, 1976 our church had “Youth Emphasis” night on a Sunday Evening. We had a large youth choir, and a young person who had given his life to the ministry would be speaking. I do not remember much of the evening. I do not remember the songs that were sang in worship. I do not remember the scriptures that the speaker used, or even his sermon theme that night. All I remember about that night was my overwhelming need to find Peace with God - to embrace Jesus Christ as the redeemer and forgiver of my sins and Savior of my soul - who promised upon my confession that He would come in and live within me, and prepare me from that moment on in life to meet Him one day. I walked down that aisle for the second time - my Sunday School teacher came and prayed with me as I asked Jesus to forgive me and be my Savior. I was not counting on what I did - I was counting on what He did and would do for me.

The peace that came from that moment on was stupefying. God did not and has not kept me from being a sinner anymore - in fact I still do sin, sadly more often than I would like to confess. What I knew that night, and have known every night since is this: “I am forgiven.” Praise the Lord! He has forgiven me, cleansed me, and Has set me on the path of life. I am no longer alone, for I realize I cannot make it alone without Him!

My life today is one of amazement. He has bought me, and called me to be in His service as His minister of the Gospel of grace and mercy. He has given me a family, a wife and children who are truly great and wonderful in their own right. I truly do not deserve any of it, but God has graciously provided me His marvelous gifts.

What about you? Are you really a “child of God”? Have your sins be forgiven through the blood of Jesus? Is He your Savior? Or are you trying to save yourself on your own merit, by your own work, by church membership, baptism, sincerity, and “responsible” lifestyle?

I tried out the same thing - but I was spiritually lost and was accountable to God for my sin - as you also will be if you have followed this same road. Our first priority then is not to the church, the walking down an aisle, Baptism, or the “good” life, but to our own destiny. The Scriptures tell us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, to call upon Him to save us, and to trust His work on the cross of Calvary on our behalf and believe in His resurrection from the dead (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10). John 6:37-40 makes it clear that whoever comes to Jesus will never be driven away. Everyone who looks to the Son and believes Him shall have eternal life, and will be raised up at the coming of the Lord.

Again, what about you? Do you have a testimony you can share? If not, consider mine, and consider the Lord’s invitation: “Come unto me you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”