Many of us can remember where we were and/or what we were doing during special moments in history. This, of course, will vary depending on a person's age. Myself, I remember playing outside in the summer of '69 when we first landed on the moon. I remember listening to the live broadcast of the Challenger disaster as I was driving across Michigan. And I remember just arriving home from my overnight shift at the county jail and watching 9/11 unfold. But, ironically to some, I can't remember the exact moment of my conversion/salvation/justification, whichever descriptive you want to use. And, as my wife and I were discussing, to some in Christian circles this appears to be the unforgivable sin. I surely don't know why some seem to feel that if you can't pinpoint that moment in time, maybe it never happened.
There is certainly nothing in scripture that supports that view. The important thing is to believe on the Lord Jesus and repent and you will be made a new creature. Nothing is said about recording the time and place in your diary. For some people, you may as well ask them at what point did they stop being a child and become a man or a woman (as for me and my readers, we know what a woman and a man are). It just isn't that cut and dried. I feel that much of the confusion results from assuming we become saved the moment we declare our belief in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when in fact, perhaps that is only part of the process of coming to saving faith. In a sense, we may be talking the talk, but not walking the walk (yet). At least, I think this was my experience. Lest anyone think I'm straying from Grace alone, through Faith alone, due to Christ alone; in the words of Luther Heggs as portrayed by the great Don Knotts, "...let me elaborate."
As represented by John MacArthur and others, justification is instantaneous and sanctification is a process. Those actually reading this post (let alone paying attention), might feel that I just contradicted what I said in the previous paragraph when I used the words process and salvation in the same sentence. Ah, but contraire, listen closely and you will hear. What I actually was doing was drawing a contrast between when we ask to be saved and when Jesus accomplishes that. The process I alluded to is the drawing of the Holy Spirit. For me (and others) asking Jesus to forgive a lowly sinner and make us into new creations is clear evidence that we are responding to the drawing of the Holy Spirit (we are seeking after Him). And I can tell you exactly when and where I made that request, but I don't equate that with my moment of salvation...here's why.
The amount of time between my essentially saying the "sinner's prayer" and actually understanding and living a Jesus honoring life was about 15 years. Clearly, I was not a new creation in Christ initially. Apparently, the Holy Spirit had some more "drawing" to do. I believe that when I "accepted" Christ it was just another building block towards my moment of salvation (which I cannot pinpoint, heck, it might have happened while I slept). We can't say salvation is all of God and not also give Him the sovereignty to pick the time and place, and even our awareness (or lack of) the moment it occurred. This may sound somewhat contradictory at first blush, but I think not. I believe God saved me (as He can others) when He knew I was ready. Following Jesus became the most important thing in my life and was manifested in my thoughts and actions. This happened and was a reality going forward even though I didn't "hear the starter's gun". An analogy from a male's standpoint would be the moment he started "liking" girls. Some young boys find girls disgusting, or at least annoying, certainly not necessary (sounds like how many people initially feel toward Jesus). Most guys come around to appreciating the fairer sex and can even tell you the moment it happened (maybe a grade school dance where you were forced to dance with one of them!). But I don't remember exactly when, even though my beautiful wife is proof that it happened!
This whole concept runs parallel to assurance in my opinion. Just as it is clear that many people who think or assume they are saved are actually not, many authentic Christians feel lost due to a lack of assurance. But, of course our salvation or lack thereof is not dependent on our feelings or emotions. With these realities in mind, I think it's a lot less of a leap to understanding that God can be working in our lives without our full realization. Not against our will, as we have been actively seeking Him. It doesn't matter on this side of Glory when we gave our life to the Lord, or that we remember when; just that it is a reality.
Clearly, some people do remember the actual moment. I don't dispute that, but I also don't think it indicates a "stronger" or more "authentic" conversion, any more than "dramatic" conversions are more real than "mundane" conversions (as I write this I am realizing that mundane conversion is an oxymoron. What is mundane about the best thing that can happen to anyone?). The Bible indicates that God doesn't concern Himself about such things; why should we? Today is the day of Salvation, yes! Calling on the Lord can be the Alpha or the Omega of your seeking after Him, either way, don't let it slip away.
