<> Ask the Pastor The Rev. Walter Snyder Q: Some people have told me they know the day and hour they were saved.... I don't know the day and hour I was saved.... I know I am saved. Is it important to know when? What do I say to people who tell me this and inadvertently look at me like they might question if I am saved or not? A: Salvation is God's gracious action benefitting sinful humanity. We deal not only with the questions of others, but with those questions we ask ourselves or which Satan asks of us in moments of weakness and doubt. A short answer to questions and doubts: "I know because Scripture says so." You do not remember a time when you were outside the Church and separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus. I and many others are in the same position. Baptized as an infant, I heard the Word regularly before I could even understand the words. My parents gave me memory work from Scripture almost as soon as I could talk. They told me time after time that I was a redeemed child of God and precious in his sight. Some do not have this understanding of Scripture, Christianity, and Baptism. For one reason or another, many people believe (and many church bodies teach) that one does not truly join the Church or become a believer until a personal, rational decision is made. They will point to the choice they made, such as deciding to be baptized, deciding to believe, deciding to follow Jesus. Thus, many people look with suspicion on those who say, "I didn't really decide for Jesus, Jesus decided for me." Part of the difference is that some define faith as rational consent to a proposition, while others view it as a trusting and confident relationship. Some say, "See what I do now that I'm saved." But if you look too hard for fruits of the Spirit as signs of a living and active faith, you risk taking your eyes away from Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of your faith. Yes, I can show you my works (as James writes), but first let me show you my Jesus. When it does come time to ask how our faith has shown itself, we can often go back into childhood. I sang "Jesus Loves Me" as a lad because I knew that Jesus really did love me. I invited young friends to church, Sunday school, and vacation Bible school because I wanted them to know my Savior the way I did. I willingly put money in the offering because I believed that the Lord wanted to use it to help spread his Word of love. I recognized that through the allowance my parents gave, God was blessing me. "When was I saved?" Let's turn to the Bible for the best answer, so you can say, "Scripture says so." We were saved from all eternity: "Before He made the world, His love led Him to choose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in His sight. In the kindness of His will He appointed [predestined] us long ago to be made His sons through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:4-5)" God knew you and me before we were born, conceived, thought of. He knew us even before Creation began. We were saved two thousand years ago: "God has done it all. He reconciled us to Himself, through Christ.... (2 Corinthians 5:18)" Colossians 1:19-20, 22 says of Jesus: "God decided ... by Him to reconcile to Himself everything on earth and in heaven in a peace made by the blood of His cross.... He has reconciled you by dying in His human body in order to have you stand before Him without sin or fault or blame...." We were saved when God worked faith in us: "Baptism now saves us ... by guaranteeing us a good conscience before God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21)" As Titus 3:5 states, "He saved us, not because of any righteous works which we have done, but because of His mercy ... by the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us a new birth and a new life." Some are brought to faith as adults, when the Word overcomes their unbelief: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your family will be saved. (Acts 16:31)" Whenever faith comes, it comes as a gift of God, not as something we choose to take upon ourselves. Salvation is certain not because of what we think or do but because of Him in whom we believe - Jesus our Lord and Savior. We know we are saved because the Word says so - as long as, "of course, you continue in your faith to stand firm on the foundation and are not moved from the hope of the Gospel which you heard. (Colossians 1:23)" The good we do is a sign of this faith and a loving response to God's grace. Until next week, when we enjoy more of your questions, remember to "Ask the Pastor" at P.O. Box 1080, Jasper, Texas, 75951; E-mail xrysostom@aol.com; or catch me around town. Pastor Snyder serves St. Paul and Faith Lutheran Churches, Jasper and Woodville, Texas and is coauthor of the book "What Do Lutherans Believe? A Study Guide in Christian Teachings for Adults." Copyright (c) 1996 by Walter P. Snyder Permission is granted by author to reproduce or retransmit this by any means, provided that its content is not altered, that this notice of copyright and permission is included, and that no financial gain is realized.