I grew up in a Christian home where the Bible was read and we were prayed for every day. The Bible and God’s assembly were top priority in our home whether us as kids liked it or not. We went to every assembly meeting in the little gospel hall in Springfield West and gospel meetings within ~30 min drive.

I will make a point to mention that all of this ‘church’ going and scriptural activities, as beneficial as it is, did nothing to make us right with God or more fit for Heaven. From a young age I understood clearly that I was a sinner and that I could not go to Heaven in my sins. Around those years the second coming of the Lord Jesus to take the Christians home to heaven, otherwise termed the ‘rapture,’ was preached about frequently.

When I was 7 years old I began to be very concerned about the rapture happening and me being left behind to die in my sins. I knew that my opportunity to be saved would be over once the rapture happened. Many nights I lay awake for hours worrying that the rapture would happen and often I would go upstairs and listen at Mom and Dad’s door to hear their breathing. The devil would then give me a false sense of security so that I could go back to bed and get some rest but little did I realize that the Lord could have come as soon as I got back in bed.

This went on for several months that I recall and occasionally my parents, usually Mom, would sit up with me and read verses to me and share their testimony as well. Different times Mom would share stories to explain the principle of Jesus as my substitute paying for my sins and other aspects of salvation as well. Some nights I would cry myself to sleep for fear of going to Hell.

Sunday, Dec 1, 1996, at the age of 8, we went to meeting as usual and at Sunday school I got the weekly ‘Messages of God’s Love’ children’s paper. I didn’t read it in the afternoon or on the way home like I usually did but instead started to read it while sitting in gospel meeting that evening. Mom and Dad told me to put it away and listen to the preaching but I don’t remember what was preached about.

That night after getting in bed I took it out and began reading it again. It told a story of a boy who’s mother was baking with squares of unsweetened chocolate/cocoa and the boy saw them and wanted so badly to have some. He didn’t know how they would be bitter instead of sweet. When his mother was out of the kitchen for a moment he took a few squares and went to his favourite spot out in the yard and proceeded to eat one. He didn’t get very far into one when he realized it was not sweet and delicious as he had anticipated. He then proceeded to hide the remains so his mother would not find out he had stolen them.

Later on his mother asked him about the missing squares and he lied and said he hadn’t taken them but a little while later she found them. At this point in the paper it started talking about sin and how God knows all our sins and Numbers 32:23 was quoted:

Numbers 32:23 KJV
[23] … be sure your sin will find you out.

Right then and there I realized that God knows all my sins and that because of my sin I would just have to go to Hell, and that that’s all I deserved. God had brought me to a point of despair and I knew that he would be righteous to send me to Hell and that on my own I had no hope.

The MOST WONDERFUL realization came with the next verse that was quoted:

1 John 1:7 KJV
[7] … the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

I simply realized that that’s why Jesus died on Calvary, was to cleanse me from my sins so I would not have go to Hell. I am so thankful for that day I can look back to and for God’s word he has given me to assure me that I am saved, because I know that relying on my own abilities and good deeds I would have failed and lost my salvation, I have failed him many times.

Praise God, His promises are eternal and he says in John 10:27-29:

John 10:27-29 KJV
[27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
[28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
[29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

What peace there is in knowing Christ as my Saviour, Heaven as my home!