Salvation In Relation To A Feeling...

[No Nicolaitans]

First, if this topic has already been discussed, I apologize.

 

I'm interested to know if you did (or didn't) experience some type of a "feeling" when you were saved...an actual physical feeling.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

I got Holy Ghost goose bumps on my arms as the Spirit of God ran through the avenues of my soul. My feet never touched the ground as I floated down the aisle 3 feet in the air.

 

Okay, I'm being facetious.

 

In all seriousness, the man who dealt with me said "I realize you didn't (maybe I shouldn't have edited it - I originally typed "din't") have fireworks going off in your head and all but God (in His Word )said we can KNOW we have eternal life, look here in my Bible at..." I was thinking, you apparently don't know what just happened because what I felt was real.

 

Now what that "feeling" was, a lifted burden, feeling clean, feeling I really believe the Lord Jesus Christ really did forgive me, feeling "This is real", or some combination of the above or all the above I can't really nail.

 

I'm not talking about some spooky woooooo thing either.

 

Like sinning and KNOWING you've gotten things (all things) right (completely right) with Him feels good (What shall we say then, shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid).

 

I've told people before that living in accordance with the Word of God doesn't insulate you from problems or troubles but it's more exciting than busting a stop at night at 80mph with your lights off.

 

And I'm no more of a Charismatic than a Belted Galloway.

[Salyan]

Nope. Don't even remember praying. How's that for non-experiential?

[No Nicolaitans]

Thanks for the responses...thought there'd be more! 

 

I don't know many people who may have experienced anything like I did, but to keep it short, my reason for asking was...

 

When I was saved 25 years ago, my pastor (at the time) was praying with me when I was saved, and he asked me this question right after..."Did you feel him come in?"

 

This was very confusing to me at the time, I didn't know what I was supposed to feel or if I was supposed to feel something. Should I have literally and physically felt the Holy Spirit take residence in my body? I thought for a moment, and told him no.  He said I needed to pray some more.  This happened three times, and I'm ashamed to say this, but I was getting so concerned that I finally lied and told him that I did feel him come in...just so he would stop asking me.

 

For several years I doubted my salvation because I believed what that man told me.  At one point early on, I thought that I must not be saved because I didn't "feel him come in".  I even heard a guy one time say that it felt like a lightning bolt when down his back when he was saved.  I would beg and plead to be saved...waiting to feel whatever I was supposed to feel, but never feeling whatever I was supposed to feel.  It got to the point that I thought that God must not want to save me.  I was too embarrassed to ask anyone about it...after all, my own pastor said that I should feel him come in; therefore, I was afraid that was how everyone believed.

 

It wasn't until I was grounded in the word of God that I was finally freed from that.  Satan used those doubts against me though for quite a while.

 

I often hear people talk about "feeling" something when they were saved, and it seems that they base their assurance on that feeling rather than the word of God.  I find nothing in God's word that says a person will feel something when they are saved.

 

I just want to encourage others that when we relay our salvation testimony to others, be careful to keep the emphasis on faith, belief, and God's word. Some salvation experiences make great testimonies...they're exciting to hear, and people like to share that with others. However, just be mindful that to over-emphasize an experience can cause doubt and confusion in the mind of someone...I know from experience.  I didn't know God's word when I was saved, but I knew my pastor was supposed to know it...so I thought he knew what he was talking about.  In that one moment, his false teaching (that I should feel him come in) had a tremendous impact on me that lasted too long.

[JerryNumbers]

A good way to confuse a lost person is telling them about your salvation experience, he just might be expecting his to be the same way.

 

Its not about a felling, emotions, it is about trusting, obeying, believing, calling on the name of the Lord.

 

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

 

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

Ro 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Ro 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

Ro 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

 

Mt 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

 

And when a person is truly saved they will want to tell this to someone.

 

I know of one pastor that seems to talk about his salvation experience during most every sermon. I fail to understand why. Makes me wonder if he is trying to convince himself that he is saved.

[No Nicolaitans]

 

I know of one pastor that seems to talk about his salvation experience during most every sermon. I fail to understand why. Makes me wonder if he is trying to convince himself that he is saved.

 

 

[ASongOfDegrees]

First, if this topic has already been discussed, I apologize.

 

I'm interested to know if you did (or didn't) experience some type of a "feeling" when you were saved...an actual physical feeling.

No. Although I did experience a moment of mental clarity, or the old light bulb turned on over the head like you see in cartoons, after reading one particular gospel tract.

[Miss Daisy]

No, I didn't "feel" anything. But I left with an unexplainable "hope". That's all I wrote in my Bible that day was "Hope for the future".

[swathdiver]

Nothing, the 700 Club said I'd feel something surely I didn't.  Thankfully, I slowly learned to listen to the Holy Spirit and He directed me to a Godly Church and the King James Bible.

[John81]

I don't know that I would call it a "feeling", but as a few others have mentioned, I did "feel" that I was cleansed of my sins, born again, and I "knew" I wasn't the same anymore. Perhaps it was more a "sense" of all this or "realization". I don't really know how to describe it. Just something within (thinking back on it, that would have had to have been the Holy Ghost) let me know, understand, perceive, that I was new creature in Christ, that old things had passed away (not in those biblical words which I didn't know at the time).

 

I was saved while sitting in the pew before the pastor even said anything about praying to receive Christ.

 

What I experienced wasn't a "feeling" of the "wow, I FEEL something" sort, but more rightly the "feeling" was a sense of knowing I was saved and born again.

 

Typically, when sharing my testimony, I don't even mention that aspect unless I feel prompted to do so by the Holy Ghost, and that's only happened a couple of times and it was actually after I had shared my testimony and the Gospel and the person was born again.

[no name joe]

I recall, at age 9, feeling the call of God in my heart.  It wasn't in church.  It wasn't due to a Bible lesson or someone witnessing to me.  It was the clear voice of God calling me to himself.  I talked to my dad about it after wondering what it was for a few days.  As we talked, I realized it was the call of God for me to follow him, so I answered that call.  Dad had my pray a prayer to ask Jesus into my heart as an outward expression of what I wanted to do.  That prayer didn't save me. God called and I answered.  After I answered that call, I had a real sense of peace and joy.  

 

When I stray from God, my sense of joy and peace departs.  Then I will hear the voice of God again calling me to listen to him and follow.  When I do, the sense of peace and joy returns.  

 

Salvation happened to me when I first answered the call of God to follow Christ.  It continues to happen to me each day as God continues to work on my imperfections. 

 

I will say God relates to every person differently, as each person is different.  Some feel very deeply, much more than myself.  Some, who have carried around great guilt their entire lives and have struggled deeply with addictions, etc, may have great feeling when they realize that God has forgiven them through Christ.  Others may be governed much more by logic and thought, and will relate to God more that way.  neither is right or wrong.  They both are.  People experience God very differently.  Some will be much more outward in their expression of emotion.  Others will be inward.

 

I do believe though, that some degree of feeling, even if small, will be involved.  It may be a feeling of God, the great Shepherd, gently using his staff to direct you to follow him.  It may be very slight, but it is there.  It may be God taking his crook and putting it around your neck and pulling you.  It is much more feeling involved.  

[robmac68]

I felt nothing.  I was almost 9 when saved.  I was being reared by a godly mother and a father who was "churchy" so in my youth I was being taught to live according to God's Word.  Getting saved just seemed to me to be a church ritual.  I want to go to heaven, so, yes, I will go forward to make a public confession.  All the questions I was asked about believing, I was able to answer yes.  I did believe.  For along time before I went forward, I believed.  I was sorry for the sins i committed and I knew that Christ was the only way to heaven, so I did call upon Him to save me.  No special feeling. 

 

I do know I have felt jealousy at times because some people tell the most colorful stories about being saved and the clear line of the "new creature" being born.  I didn't feel like I was a new creature because I had to live Biblically before I was saved.   But, praise the Lord, I am saved and I don't need a colorful story to tell me I am!

[HappyChristian]

Peace.

[heartstrings]

Mother's day, May 11th, 1986. The church sang "Love Lifted Me", then Bro. Billy Parsons preached a message entitled "The Lord is My Shepherd" from the 23rd Psalm. with the glow of God on his face and tears in his eyes(full of the Holy Ghost I believe). When the invitation came,  I think the first verse, I made my way to the end of the pew on the left side of the little church and was screaming "JESUS!!!!" before I could even get to the aisle.I had a welling up inside like I could just BUST for weeks after. I had to go to work that Sunday afternoon, and I went straight to my boss and told him what happened to me. That's the way it was. 

[heartstrings]

Oh yes, the "feeling".. I had real peace and overwhelming joy that I never had before. For the first time I had a desire and a love for God and His Word and a love for other people too..  I don't know, a drug or a medicine can give you a "feeling". but Salvation is more like "knowing".It's kind of hard to describe right now.