What Is Your Salvation Story?

April 6, 2026

Do you have a salvation story? My salvation story began when I was six years old. My dad was searching for a new direction in his life, and he recommitted himself to Jesus Christ. That decision changed everything for our family. We started going to church regularly. When I was twelve, I went through a year-long confirmation class. I loved the church and the people there. On the night I was scheduled to meet with the session and answer the questions for membership, my parents made it a special occasion. They took me to a nice restaurant without my brother and sisters and gave me a cool ring covered with peace symbols. Then we went to the church service.

The first question the elders asked me was, “Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior?” I answered “Yes,” and I meant it with all my heart. That was the beginning of my walk with Christ. I didn’t understand much of what it was to call Jesus my Lord and Savior, and over the decades my faith has deepened greatly.

What is your salvation story? Paul uses the words “salvation” or “saved” four times in Romans 10, including verses 1, 9, 10, and 13. The entire chapter revolves around how a person can be made right with God. Paul is still hammering home the same message he has preached throughout the letter, “The only way to be right with God is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not by our own good works.” You may wonder why Paul keeps repeating this truth. The answer is simple. We are all so prone to try to earn our salvation by our own efforts. We need this message driven deep into our works-oriented minds.

Someone may say, “I believe in a loving God who would never judge any good, sincere person.” How would you respond? Before we look at the text, let me emphasize the practical importance of these verses. Right now, at this very moment, you are either saved or you are lost. There is no middle ground. If you are saved and you died today, you would spend eternity with Jesus in heaven. If you are lost and you died today, you would spend eternity separated from God in hell. Those are the only two options.

The word “saved” is a radical word. If life seems to be going smoothly, you may not feel any need to be saved. If you think you are a basically good person and that your goodness will get you into heaven, then you will not sense any urgency. If you think Jesus came mainly to give us tips for a happier life, then you have not yet understood your true condition before God. You need to be saved because you are perishing.

The angel told Joseph, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus Himself said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10). He also said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). We all need Jesus to save us from judgment because we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

My Granny was a bitter and angry woman for much of her life. She was not right with God. She was extremely prejudiced. The n-word rolled easily off her tongue. She was terrified of death and demanded that my dad never to put her in a nursing home. However, she was almost impossible to please, and all the caregivers quit.

Finally, the agency told my dad they had only one person left—a large Black woman. Dad had no choice. When they arrived at Granny’s house, the first words out of her mouth were, “No ‘n-word’ is going to take care of me.” The woman smiled a big, warm smile and said, “Oh, you don’t mean that,” and then she hugged my Granny. That began an amazing friendship. That kind woman stayed with Granny until the day she died. She read Scripture to her every chance she got. She loved my grandmother into heaven as she gave her life to Jesus before she died.

What is your own salvation story, and when was the last time you told it to someone? In what ways have you been trying to earn God’s favor instead of trusting in Christ alone? Who in your life still needs to hear the good news of salvation? We have just celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ, an event so history transforming, that billions of people have been saved, just as God planned. May God be glorified as we make our lives available to share the Good News of the Gospel with others. (To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional. Check out my podcast on YouTube, called “My Faith Journey”).