A few months later, John asked me again if I was saved. Wanting to be polite for once, I said I wasn’t sure—maybe I was 90% saved. But that got me thinking: When would I ever be 100% saved?
Sunday School teachings emphasized that assurance comes from knowing Christ through His Word and through prayer. I hardly read the Bible, and I only prayed before tests or to get a girl’s attention in the hallway.
Looking for answers, I opened the Bible and landed—eyes closed—on a verse I’d memorized years ago:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
The next night, the same method brought me to another familiar verse:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
These two verses together hit me hard: I am a sinner, and without receiving God’s gift of eternal life, I would be lost forever.