My Journey of Faith, by Karl W Broberg
This is a first-hand account of my spiritual pilgrimage without glorifying my sins.
I was baptized as an infant in a Lutheran church and the pastor was my sponsor--we corresponded for years. Some of my earliest memories are of listening to my grandmother telling Bible stories. My parents made sure I was confirmed. I can remember as a youth making a scrapbook of Jesus' life and the pastor showing it to the church, teaching vacation Bible school, and inquiring whether I should go into the ministry. I also went to Summer camp and believed I knew the Lord, because I was preoccupied with The book of Revelation and Billy Graham's book World Aflame.
I recall no particular moment of surrender or spiritual awakening, but my faith was very important to me and I loved the Bible--I recall the habit of underlining favorite verses.
I made the leap of faith, realizing my sin and Christ dying for me, and then dedicated my life to Christ during a Billy Graham crusade at age 15 and subsequently got involved in a Seventh-Day Adventist Church Bible study. Being counseled by my pastor, he told me to study Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians. I then wrote a paper debunking the study and defending the faith.
Later, at Augsburg College I was exposed to "liberal theology," and found out I didn't know all the answers! Being disoriented in my faith, I dropped out, did some soul searching, and tried to "find myself" as they said back then.
I enlisted in the Army and heard another Billy Graham crusade. The missing link--I needed to repent (my church never mentioned this!) I was under grave conviction and rededicated my life--it was then that I felt I "found Christ." I called my mom and told her she would like the "new me," but she said she liked the "old me." It seemed like I had done this before, but this time it was for real. I guess I had to get to the end of my rope!
Back at the base, I hooked up with the Navigators and was mentored or "discipled," as they term it. "Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on," and so I got the bug to witness. Gradually I matured doctrinally, and I got interested in eternal security or "Once saved, always saved"--even writing Billy Graham to get his stand.
Upon discharge I became convinced of "believer baptism," and was officially "dunked"--the pastor knew me personally and didn't give me a hard time--it was then that I first took my stand for Jesus in church.
Later I became concerned about my beliefs and "keeping the main thing the main thing." I didn't want to "major on the minors." I had to learn grace toward those I disagreed with without splitting hairs. I've learned when not to be dogmatic--and never to be divisive or quarrelsome--we can disagree without being disagreeable or contentious!
Now I have a rewarding relationship with the Lord that manifests itself in many ways, including: Having inner peace, purpose for living, being on the same page as other believers, understanding the Word, seeing the Light, and assurance of salvation.
In conclusion, I am not what I ought to be, but thank God, I am not what I used to be! I don't believe in perfectionism--God isn't finished with me yet! When I see lost sinner, I say, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."
My assurance is simply this: "God said it in His Word, I believe it in my heart, and that settles it in my mind."
My favorite verse is: "The LORD knows the way that I take, when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold."
[Note that part of my problem was that I was never exposed to sound doctrine in a church that answered all my problems, I knew something was awry, so I heard I should repent, raise my hand, come forward, receive Christ, commit my life to Christ, be baptized, or this or that, ad infinitum. You can be born again without assurance of salvation (it's not an automatic fruit of salvation--no one's faith is perfect, but it must be sincere) or have doubts and insecurities--my journey took me a long way to where I am now understanding the assurance of salvation and the eternal security of the believer in Christ.]
This is a first-hand account of my spiritual pilgrimage without glorifying my sins.
I was baptized as an infant in a Lutheran church and the pastor was my sponsor--we corresponded for years. Some of my earliest memories are of listening to my grandmother telling Bible stories. My parents made sure I was confirmed. I can remember as a youth making a scrapbook of Jesus' life and the pastor showing it to the church, teaching vacation Bible school, and inquiring whether I should go into the ministry. I also went to Summer camp and believed I knew the Lord, because I was preoccupied with The book of Revelation and Billy Graham's book World Aflame.
I recall no particular moment of surrender or spiritual awakening, but my faith was very important to me and I loved the Bible--I recall the habit of underlining favorite verses.
I made the leap of faith, realizing my sin and Christ dying for me, and then dedicated my life to Christ during a Billy Graham crusade at age 15 and subsequently got involved in a Seventh-Day Adventist Church Bible study. Being counseled by my pastor, he told me to study Martin Luther's Commentary on Galatians. I then wrote a paper debunking the study and defending the faith.
Later, at Augsburg College I was exposed to "liberal theology," and found out I didn't know all the answers! Being disoriented in my faith, I dropped out, did some soul searching, and tried to "find myself" as they said back then.
I enlisted in the Army and heard another Billy Graham crusade. The missing link--I needed to repent (my church never mentioned this!) I was under grave conviction and rededicated my life--it was then that I felt I "found Christ." I called my mom and told her she would like the "new me," but she said she liked the "old me." It seemed like I had done this before, but this time it was for real. I guess I had to get to the end of my rope!
Back at the base, I hooked up with the Navigators and was mentored or "discipled," as they term it. "Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on," and so I got the bug to witness. Gradually I matured doctrinally, and I got interested in eternal security or "Once saved, always saved"--even writing Billy Graham to get his stand.
Upon discharge I became convinced of "believer baptism," and was officially "dunked"--the pastor knew me personally and didn't give me a hard time--it was then that I first took my stand for Jesus in church.
Later I became concerned about my beliefs and "keeping the main thing the main thing." I didn't want to "major on the minors." I had to learn grace toward those I disagreed with without splitting hairs. I've learned when not to be dogmatic--and never to be divisive or quarrelsome--we can disagree without being disagreeable or contentious!
Now I have a rewarding relationship with the Lord that manifests itself in many ways, including: Having inner peace, purpose for living, being on the same page as other believers, understanding the Word, seeing the Light, and assurance of salvation.
In conclusion, I am not what I ought to be, but thank God, I am not what I used to be! I don't believe in perfectionism--God isn't finished with me yet! When I see lost sinner, I say, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."
My assurance is simply this: "God said it in His Word, I believe it in my heart, and that settles it in my mind."
My favorite verse is: "The LORD knows the way that I take, when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold."
[Note that part of my problem was that I was never exposed to sound doctrine in a church that answered all my problems, I knew something was awry, so I heard I should repent, raise my hand, come forward, receive Christ, commit my life to Christ, be baptized, or this or that, ad infinitum. You can be born again without assurance of salvation (it's not an automatic fruit of salvation--no one's faith is perfect, but it must be sincere) or have doubts and insecurities--my journey took me a long way to where I am now understanding the assurance of salvation and the eternal security of the believer in Christ.]
when would you say you were born again?
ReplyDeleteLike I said, I had no sudden awakening or conversion experience, but Christ kept on becoming more and more real to me as I grew older and had various experiences; I backslid and came back to Christ and it seemed like I was being saved deja vu. I know what it feels like to have a personal revival of my faith and being renewed in my spirit. What I know for sure, is that I belong to Christ and He is very real to me in my daily walk.
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