I came to receive Jesus Christ through faith several years ago on a late Saturday night. About a month prior to that, my mother in law had passed away and I was heart broken and thinking very seriously about the afterlife. Soon after she had passed away, I remember asking Jesus Christ that whatever it takes to get me to heaven, just put the answer right in front of my face so that I will know with absolute assurance here is the answer and now it's up to me to accept the truth.
I had no assurance of salvation prior to my conversion because I was trusting in works for salvation and not in Christ alone. Also, just prior to my conversion, I had read through a gospel tract that really caught my attention which led me to thoroughly search through the Scriptures. I knew the Lord was drawing me (John 6:44).
Finally, after reading through the book of Romans and eventually the book of Ephesians, I came to Ephesians 2:8,9 and that's when the light came on! I had then placed my faith (belief, trust, reliance) in
Christ alone for salvation and knew without a doubt that I had become born again!
Praise the Lord!
I remember over the years how several people had tried to explain the gospel to me, but at that time the truth just went right over my head (just as I watch it go right over the head of unbelievers that I explain it to now) but right after my conversion, I could look back and say, "that's what he meant, that's what she meant, that's what they meant!" Now I get it!
On Sunday morning, I was water baptized at a Baptist church where some friends of ours attended and I gave about a 5-10 minute testimony just before I was baptized on how I had finally come to receive Christ through faith, but in the past had been trusting in works for salvation and had previously attended churches that falsely taught salvation by works.
*1 John 5:11 - And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and
this life is in His Son. 12 He who
has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who
believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.