MY SALVATION JOURNEY
1987 was the year I went to secondary school (i.e. middle school). It was an exciting time for me, but I happened to be the only pupil from my former school that was in my class of “Form 1 C” (6th or 7th Grade). Everything was new to me and my new desk mate, Robinson Fondong, was the “Assistant Class Prefect.” I, being a “noise maker”, my friendship with him was beneficial to me in the sense that I would not be listed for punishment every time I was noisy in class. So, Robinson would warn me every now and then to stop being noisy.
My new friend was also a good story teller. Though I did not like his stories because they were religious and unexciting to me, he was the only person I had to hang out with. Our break time was spent together during which he will often tell stories about the Bible and the like. He would ask me to pray with him before we ate. He would pray out loud and I will just mumble a few phrases of the Lord’s Prayer under my breath. But my friend would just talk to God directly as if God was right there with us. He would pray and always end his prayer by saying “in Jesus name, Amen.”
One year had gone by and this friendship with Robinson grew stronger. And as a result, I changed my route from school to home. I had to walk home with him after school during which he would tell us some stories he had read. I remember how on one afternoon he told us the story of Kenneth E. Hagin’s near death experience and how he was miraculously healed. This story really touched me. No one had ever described hell to me in such a dramatic way before.
I was convicted of sin and my lost condition without Christ in my life. Many days later Robinson asked me if I wanted Christ in my heart. I said yes. He then prayed with me and I received Jesus as my Savior for the very first time.
I wanted to go to heaven when Jesus returns. That was my need at that time and I was glad to have received His forgiveness and my life was radically transformed. The inexplicable joy and peace of God flooded my soul. I knew that my sins were forgiven and my name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
Salvation for me meant that I will be accepted in heaven when I die or if Jesus returns before death I will be “raptured” with all the saints. That was the popular understanding of salvation at the time and I lived out my faith basically focusing on obeying the Lord, living sacrificially for Him, doing His commandments as a good disciple so that I may have treasures and rewards in heaven. “Well done good and faithful servant”[1] was a very familiar Scripture.
Very little thought was given to life on earth apart from the one ambition to evangelize the whole world and get everybody saved so that we can all be out of here at Jesus’ return. This world to me was very sinful and corrupt and I could not possibly be investing any part of my life in it. But, it was not too long after my initial salvation experience that I found myself in the midst of a fierce struggle within my soul. Click here to continue reading!
[1] Matthew 25:23