This can be a great question to answer or a scary one, depending on the answer. If a person cannot point to a time and place where he, by the Spirit of God, was brought to repentance and faith in Christ, then he is not a child of God. I know that there would be some who would disagree with this statement. The Bible, however, would verify that this is the truth. Like Colossians 2:6, 'As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord , so walk ye in him.' Or, II Peter 1:9-10: 'But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.' According to these scriptures remembering is a necessary ingredient in the growth of the child of God.

There are some who would have you to believe that it is not necessary to have a time and place of salvation. They say that you only need to be believing now. To allow people to think this way is to handicap them from walking with God. The Holy Spirit is the one who can bring all things into remembrance. And the Holy Spirit would never want God's children not to be able to walk with God. May I suggest that the reason that most cannot remember being saved is simply because they are not saved and the Holy Spirit is not helping them to remember something that would give them false assurance. To believe that people get saved different ways, like one on the ground in a car knowing when he crosses a state line and one in the air in an airplane not knowing when he crosses a state line, goes against the very principles the Bible teaches concerning stirring up the Child of God to remembrance. First, we are not going to heaven in a car or an airplane. We are going standing on our feet. It is a walk with God, not a ride. Secondly, God does not save to just take us to heaven, but He saves to magnify his great saving grace. If a person cannot remember this great miracle of birth how can he magnify it? How can he be a witness of salvation not having seen it.

The Bible clearly states that we need to examine ourselves to see if we be in the faith. This examination is scary for some who do not have the answers to the examination, but it is a joy to all those who do have the answers. Let me make it clear that I am not saying that the mere memory of a time and place automatically makes one saved. First, there must be careful examination as to what happened at that time and place. Secondly, what is the fruit of what happened at that time and place. We do believe that if a person is truly saved that he is a new creature. No experience, no matter how real, can be called salvation without it actually saving the person! All that I am trying to say is that all who are saved know when they got saved, and those who do not know are not saved. Those who say that they have always believed and are counting on this for salvation need to understand that we are born unbelievers. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to reprove the world of unbelief. If you cannot remember this work then you are still in your unbelief.

Let no one deceive you. God would not have you handicapped He would have you walk with him.

-Pastor Terry Owen