Melissa Newton is married to Scott Newton, and they are missionaries sent out of Vision Baptist Church on deputation to Barcelona, Spain. Read the blogpost Melissa wrote below about what salvation means to her:
So, I have been telling my husband since my last blog post that when I get my own computer, I will write more blog posts. Well guess what, someone gave me my own laptop now, so I have no excuses.
One thing that I have been thinking a lot about lately is the sheer awesomeness of my salvation. For those of you who do not know, I was saved at the young age of 6. I knew that my salvation was by grace through faith and nothing I can do or have done would make a difference. But over the past few years the Lord has really been teaching me much more about my salvation and I would love to share that with you today.
I was taught at a very young age that I was a sinner. But for some reason I knew because I grew up in a Christian home and I didn’t do things that other people did, that I was a 99% good person. I remember looking at people and thinking, “I would never do what they did. I could never be like that!” I lived my life not realizing that I was just as wicked and just as sinful. If I was ever asked to get up and give my salvation testimony I struggled with the thought of, “what can I say? I was saved at the age of 6. I was not saved out of drugs, alcohol, sexual sin, etc… I don’t have an interesting testimony.”
But I was so WRONG!!!!
I was not a 99% good person who got saved. I was not a sweet little innocent 6 year old who deserved salvation. No, I was just as wicked, just a sinful as any person inside of a federal prison. You say, “Do you realize what kind of people are inside of your federal prison?” Yes, and although we classify sin as: not so good, worse, and worst, God sees no difference in the sin that a person in prison commits or the sweet little 6 year old who stole a cookie and lied about it.
Not only does God see all sin the same, He sees all SINNERS the same: it wasn’t stealing the cookie as a 6 year old that made me a sinner; I stole because I WAS a sinner. I was born spiritually dead and totally rejecting God, and nothing was going to fix that outside of a miraculous new birth!
“And you (Melissa) hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye (Melissa) walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children (Melissa again!) of disobedience…” Eph 2:1-2
How God changed me as a 6 year is the exact same way He changes anyone else, and just as incredible. Sometimes people act like it is “easier” for kids because they aren’t so bad, they naturally accept God and His Word, but that’s just not what the Bible says! He has to convict so we can repent, and give faith so we can believe.
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God”
Once I got a hold of that concept then I was able to truly stand in awe of the saving grace of God; to truly be thankful. Then I was able to stand up in church and talk about how great of a testimony the Lord has given me by saving me.
Here are my questions: Are you able to stand in awe of your salvation? Does the love of Christ in your life truly move you when you think about it? Was there ever a time (even as a kid) that God really did that work in you, and your life shows it? Has Christ given you something to talk about?
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