When were you saved?

Before Jesus was crucified, Peter walked, ate, lived, and conversed with Him for at least three years. But when it came down to it, Peter thrice vigorously denied his Lord. He and other disciples fled the night Jesus was arrested and they left him to be crucified. Three days later, the risen Christ appeared to those very disciples who had denied him and run away. A few days later he met Peter and the other disciples while they were casting their nets from their fishing boat and invited them to breakfast on the shore.

Despite the fickleness of Peter and the disciples, Jesus never stopped being faithful to them. If we had to pinpoint the exact time Peter was converted, how would we answer that question? Was he saved when Jesus first chose him as a disciple? Was it when Jesus said, "On this rock will I build my church?" Or when Peter said to Jesus: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God? Was he saved the moment he believed in Jesus' resurrection? Was it when Jesus appeared to the disciples on the shore and then asked Peter do you love me? Or was it at Pentecost when the assembled group was filled with the Holy Spirit? Or was it none of that?

One thing we do know, the Peter we see in Acts is definitely a courageous and uncompromising believer. But when exactly the conversion took place is not easy to determine. We cannot say that it happened at baptism. We are baptized because we believe, not before we believe. We can't even say that it happens at the beginning of faith, because it's not our faith that saves us, it's Jesus that saves us.

Paul puts it this way in the letter to the Ephesians: “But God, who is rich in mercy, in his great love with which he loved us, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in sins – by grace you saved, and he raised us up with us and installed us in heaven in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace through his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2,4-9).

The truth is that our salvation was secured by Jesus 2000 years ago. However, from the foundation of the world, long before we could even make a decision, God offered us His grace in His work to accept Jesus in His faith (John 6,29). Because our faith doesn't save us or cause God to change his mind about us. God has always loved us and will never stop loving us. We are saved by His grace for one reason only, because He loves us. The point is that when we believe in Jesus, we see for the first time how things really are and what we need. Jesus, our personal Savior and Redeemer. We learn the truth that God loves us, wants us in his family and wants us to be united in Jesus Christ. We are finally walking in the light, following the originator and perfecter of our faith, the originator of eternal salvation. This is indeed good news! When were you saved?

by Joseph Tkach