Christian Writers Circle

Time of Salvation
by Judy Hitson

John 17: 3 NIV Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Time of salvation was a phrase coming to mind as I considered writing to you. I heard, “For someone to have time with God, they need to know Him! It is like having time with your best friend who you know well.” I receive this word as the Lord’s prompting.

John 17: 3 is a profound revelation about eternal life. I used to think it was a future event after our life on earth. In this verse,  do you see it is the time you come to know God? Do you find this truth as amazing as I do that knowing God is eternal life? The time of salvation is knowing the only true God.

In regards to salvation, the Lord also revealed that the Spirit gives life and the flesh profits nothing, that the letter kills. See John 6: 63 and 2 Corinthians 3: 6 for clarity. Since the Lord gave me understanding on this matter, it continues to affect me with deep conviction that salvation is of the Lord; we cannot save ourselves by good merit. The time of salvation is of the Lord.

Some of us grew up in church and some of us did not. Some of us grew up believing in God and some of us did not. Is salvation a familiar term to you? It was a word I didn’t understand though I went to church and attended a church school through childhood. I learned about God but did not personally know Him until I was 36 years old. Until that time, I practiced a religion without a relationship with God. The time of salvation is a living relationship with God.

Do you have a testimony regarding your time of salvation? In my search for God, He used Contemporary Christian music on radio to draw me to Himself. Testimonies of salvation, healing and deliverance stirred my heart with a desire to know and hear God. Listening to people speak of being born again, of a conversion experience or being saved, I realized these different terms seemed to imply the time of their salvation. After three years, I remember the day I heard a radio announcer say, “That’s all you need to do! Invite Jesus into your heart.” She said this in response to a song that played. I said, “Jesus, I have asked you to come into my heart many times but I don’t know you the way these people are talking about. Some shared on a program yesterday of surrendering, not 10%, 50%, 90% but 100%. Lord, I surrender to You 100%!” Suddenly, I was filled with joy talking with the Lord as I drove my car. The time of salvation is a time of surrender to God.

Following this experience a car accident occurred. I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Months later, while reading Eph. 5: 18 Be not drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit, the words about popped off the page. The Lord revealed that at the time of my salvation I was filled with the Holy Spirit. There was a hunger in my heart to read and understand the Bible, to hear God speak to me and be with others who experienced the salvation of the Lord. My life was changed. The time of salvation is life changing.

When I heard Christians talk about being drunk in the Spirit, it seemed distasteful to me to hear the word drunk used in a spiritual way until I experienced it. You may be wondering about the car accident. Let me mention the Holy Spirit prompted me to go through a church parking lot. I believe that would have spared me of the accident. We hear reports of DUI, driving under the influence. In my case, I had no alcohol in my system but was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit that day, I understand being drunk in the Spirit. An important lesson I learned is to listen and heed the promptings of the Spirit.