Saved on Halloween
I was saved on Halloween when I was five years old. Yes, you read that right. Although my family faithfully went to church, it took a salvation tract (a pamphlet, religious in nature, intended to share scripture and salvation with others) in my Halloween loot for me to make the decision to allow God into my heart. It was a cartoon called “The Fool,” about how only a fool won´t prepare for eternity.
The story centered on the relationship between a court jester and a kind and generous king. When the king got deathly ill, the jester told the king that he was more foolish than himself because he hadn’t prepared for life after death. It wasn’t just the drawings that drew me into a lifelong commitment to God; it was a very clear message based on scriptures about salvation.
As Christians, it can be easy to focus on the scriptures that help us feel good; there is nothing wrong with this. The Word of God is powerful and meets us where we are, giving us what we need. For example, my life verse is Hebrews 10:23, which says, “Let us hold unwaveringly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful.” (NIV) This verse always brings me hope, joy, and confidence whenever I read it.
Yet, it is necessary to appreciate and be passionate about all scripture, even passages and verses that may be difficult to comprehend or seem unyielding, unloving, or uncaring. The Bible must be a crucial part of our lives, especially when speaking about God to others. It can be challenging to talk to people about God when there is no shortage of questions about who God is and how He fits into our lives and the world around us.
We may incorrectly think that we can't tell people about Christ since we don’t have all the answers. For example, believers and unbelievers alike struggle with ideas like “If God is good, why do bad things happen?” or “How can God be love and not be lovingly accepting of all people’s actions?” These are profound and emotionally wrought questions, so I have listed a few resources that address these questions at the end of this article.
That tract I received on that Halloween evening didn’t eternally change my heart with answers to deep philosophical questions or socio-political reasoning. Instead, it touched me with the purity of the Gospel, which is good news for all people! The good news is that Jesus Christ died and rose again so that we can all be forgiven of our sins and live in the fullness and freedom of a relationship with God!
As a result of that tract in my Halloween bag, I now have a passion for God and his Word. I also have a desire to be equipped with a Christian worldview, yet no matter what article or book I read or video content I watch, I know that nothing can replace the good news of the Gospel. I know how easy it can be to get so immersed in the world around us and, consequently, overlook salvation's glorious simplicity.
As a 5-year-old child, when I saw the images in that little tract, I knew the truth that I needed God, and through the sacrifice of Christ, I could talk to God by repenting of my sins and accepting Him as my Lord and Savior.
I want to share the Bible verses on the back of the tract that led to my salvation, hoping to remind you of the powerful verses that can guide people to repentance. I encourage you to pray over these verses and ask God to show you people who need the Good News. If you are not already a Christian, read on and know that this could be your moment of salvation.
The first step is to accept that we are sinful, and because of our sinful natures, we can never get to heaven on our own merit. Only God’s grace can give us redemption and freedom.
Romans 3:23-24 says: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by grace through the redemption that came from Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
The second step is to believe that we are sinful and need a Savior, and that Jesus Christ, the son of God, came down to Earth as a man to be our salvation, so we need not fear eternity.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NIV)
Lastly, we need to confess. This is where it all comes together in a beautiful moment where eternity becomes our hope. We admit that we are sinners and believe that Christ alone is our salvation, and then we say it. The beauty of salvation is that it connects our hearts with our mouths. When we say what we believe in our hearts, God saves us and redeems our lives for His glory and our freedom.
Romans 10:9- 10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (NIV)
These verses are the good news, simple and straightforward. They offer hope when things may feel hopeless. They offer freedom when we feel trapped by our sins. There is no fine print or disclaimer. I don’t know who put that tract in my bag, but I am eternally grateful to them. On that Halloween evening, I received something sweeter than any candy in my bag: the delight of salvation. Since then, I have never grown weary of God's comfort, wisdom, joy, peace, and guidance in my life.
Lord God,
You are Lord over all, and I come to you in humility and adoration. Help me accept, believe, and confess that you are the ruler of my life and heart. Heavenly Father, continue to use the words of strength, power, and guidance found in your Holy Word to make me more like you daily. I love you and praise you with all that I am.
-Amen
Resources that help answer who God is in a world that is clouded with pain
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? | Christian Bible Studies (christianitytoday.com)
If God Is in Control, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Us? Billy Graham's Answer
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Although she grew up on the beach in SC and lived in mountains of CO, Andrea loves living in GA more than anywhere else since that is where she lives with her husband, John. She has a passion for reading anything she can get her hands on, especially books about Art History and Christian Apologetics. Andrea herself will tell you how little she knows, and how, as she gets older, she forgets a lot of what she did know. However, she knows that God offers a peace beyond understanding, his timing is perfect, and he works all things for his glory. In this season of life, she is experiencing the blessings of marriage, as well as the newness of God’s healing and restoration. She enjoys sharing her life and the Word of God through writing for Tirzah and hopes that lives and hearts will be touched through her words.