John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

It was the mid-60’s and I was an angry teenager. I did not know why I was angry. I was in fear that I was going to be like my oldest brother who had been removed from our home because of his violent temper. I didn’t want to end up like him.

In church that Sunday I made my first earnest prayer. “I don’t want to be like this.” At the alter call my hand went up, shaking, unsteady, unsure. In that moment the peace of God overcame me and my anger escaped me. That was easy. I stood in awesome wonder of how God could do this to me. I did not understand why or how, only that He did.

I was baptized and everyone treated me as one saved. They even pushed to have me elected as president of the county Baptist Youth Fellowship. Then Satan came knocking with temptations that made me question everything that had just happened. I began wondering if this was salvation at all. Had I changed?

Whenever I take on a new disciple I remember my beginnings and the first thing I ask is for their salvation story. No one was there for me in my first days to explain what was happening. I want to know how it felt for this disciple to be changed in an instant. I want to know if anyone was there for them. I want to know if there was any understanding of what it meant to be this new creature in Christ.

I don’t expect every story to be like mine but there are certain elements of every telling that will help me understand where this disciple is in their growth or if like me, back then, they were left alone when Satan attacks.

Do you have a clear understanding of your salvation story? Let’s hear it.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

This is as plain and simple as it gets. This verse appeared as quote of the day yesterday on Biblegateway. Today as we finished up our studies on the writings of Luke, I saw relevance within the scriptures and this verse came to mind.

Acts 28:24-26 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

For some plain and simple isn’t enough. They have to learn the hard way. If they are going to receive eyes to see and ears to hear, they are going to have to be broken first.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

That too is plain and simple and it will need to be a reality in their lives before they receive and believe. None of us want that for unbelievers so we make the gospel plain, simple and easy for those who are ready to believe. The rest will have to hear the warnings and we hope that when their breaking point is reached, they will remember what was spoken to them plain and simple.

Simply put, God loves you and wants a close personal relationship with you. You have to want it too.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

By faith, it is just that simple.