On a recent camping trip, we met a very nice couple who were camping next door to us. They were a Christian couple (we are as well). While were were in conversation, the gentleman asked if we knew Jesus Christ as our personal savior and were saved. Of course, we concurred. It was the first time that I had a person ask me this on a camping trip . Sometimes as a Christian, I think everyone I meet must be a Christian, but that is not always the case.
I grew up Presbyterian as a child. and As a baby was christened. When we reached what they called the age of accountability (I think I was 13), we had to learn and memorize the Catechism, Apostle’s Creed, and The Lord’s Prayer. Basically, we were attesting to our believe in God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. If we believed this profession of faith, then we were able to join the church. At that time, I believed that all this head knowledge made me a Christian.
All this was fine and good, or so it seemed. I married and my husband had grown up as a Baptist. We search for a church and settled a a local Southern Baptist Church. Unfortunately, it was rather liberal. When the time came to join the church. The preacher asked me if I had been baptized. It told him that I had been christened as a child. He said that wasn’t the same. Since I thought I was a Christian, I didn’t want to get baptized. He told me to think of it as joining a club and all members had to be baptized. Sounded good to me at the time. But how wrong I was. I was baptized, but I did not change anything in my life.
Years later, we moved to a smaller town. We first joined a small Southern Baptist Church close to our home. I didn’t have to be baptized again, they accepted our membership based on a letter from our previous church. Again, I did not see much change in my life.
A few years later, we joined another Southern Baptist Church in town. Here I learned about the Roman Road, something I had never heard before in any other church. So I would like to share it here.
The Roman Road (the following scripture is all taken from the New Living Translation – NLT)
Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
Romas 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 5:8″But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing wit your mouth that you are saved. (v 13) For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 6:4″For we did and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
I learned that people can have head knowledge and heart knowledge. I had head knowledge about Jesus Christ and salvation, but at that time, really didn’t know if I truly had Jesus Christ in my Heart and that I was truly saved. I decided to compare the Baptist Faith and Message and Charles Spurgeon’s writings with the Presbyterian Catechism. It was all the same, except for one thing. The Charles Spurgeon added another Bible verse that made it clear to me. 2 Corinthians 5:7 ” This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone and a new life has begun!”In that new church, I nailed it down and asked Jesus in to save me and come in to my heart. I was baptized again, but this time I knew that I had salvation, and my life did change. I had turned over a new leaf. Let me emphasize that christening or baptism does not save you. Baptism is an outward profession of faith.
Becoming a Christian is so simple. As we teach in Vacation Bible School, the ABC’s of becoming a Christian. A – Admit that you are a sinner. B- Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again. C- Confess that in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord. And I will add, to ask Jesus to com into your heart and become Lord of your Life.
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