What does salvation feel like?

Salvation brings us into fellowship with God. There is a happy feeling between God as our Father and us as His children. We can enjoy hearing what He has to say to us by His Spirit through His Word. We feel free to talk with Him about all our troubles, just as a child is free with his earthly father whom he knows loves him. He makes us happy by his smile.

Knowing that Christless souls must enter into the pit of eternal destruction, they could not rest till they fled for refuge to the hope set before them in the gospel, and knew that they were saved. By faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, they experience that they have exchanged a guilty for a purged conscience — have been rescued from an evil world for the presence of the God of grace and peace; they feel themselves new creatures; they know that they have passed from death unto life, and they rejoice in pardoning love. "Pardon from an offended God, Pardon for crimes of deepest dye, Pardon bestowed through Jesu's blood, Pardon that brings the rebel nigh; Who is a pardoning God like Thee? Or where the grace so rich and free?"

"I was standing at the end of my father's house," he said, "and meditating on that precious word that has brought peace to countless ones: 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' I saw that God loved me, for I was one of the world. I saw the proof of His love in the giving of His Son. I saw that 'whosoever' meant anybody and everybody, and, therefore, me, even me. I saw the result of believing, that I would not perish, but have everlasting life. I was enabled to take God at His word. I saw no one but Jesus only — all in all in redemption. My burden fell from my soul, and I was saved. Yes, saved! That hour angels rejoiced over one more sinner brought to the Saviour, and new songs rang through the courts of that city to which I had now got a title, and of which I had now become an heir. Bunyan describes his pilgrim as giving three leaps of joy as his burden rolled into the open sepulchre of Christ. I could not contain myself for joy. I sang the new song, 'Salvation through the blood of the Lamb.' The very heavens appeared as if covered with glory. I felt the calm of a pardoned sinner; yet I had no thought of my safety. I saw only the person of Jesus. I wept for my sins that had nailed Him to the Cross; but now it came freely as the tear that faith wept. I had passed from death to life; old things had passed away, and all things had become new.

I confess Him as Lord. I am glad to confess Him. It is not a creed or a doctrine with me, but a living Person who has broken the power of death on my behalf, and who is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by Him. When I hear this report my heart is affected by the good news. It is just what I need. I want it to be so. I would not have it otherwise. I believe it with my heart. I believe God has put forth His mighty power on behalf of his poor weak creature. I believe the grave of Christ is empty. I believe He is on the throne in the heavens. A sense of relief, of rest and of unspeakable tranquillity enters my heart. I confess Him Lord. My whole moral and spiritual being, prostrate in the dust at His feet, cries out, "My Lord and my God," and I come into salvation.

I went home that night to my lodgings as happy as a man could be. I was forgiven, saved, emancipated, taken out of darkness into light, brought from distance into nearness. I knew it, and enjoyed it. My soul began to cry out under the sense of the favour of the Lord, and of the love of the Lord; for I had the consciousness that my Saviour had made atonement for my sins, and had washed them all away in His blood.

From that moment she knew she was saved. The troubled look departed from her face, and instead thereof it was lit up with the joy of God's salvation.

These wonderful words arrested his attention. He read them again, and gradually the light pierced through the g1oom, his misery gave place to relief and joy, and before even that service began he was able to turn to his wife at his side and say, "I'm a saved man." And so he was, thank God! Since that day he has witnessed for the One whose voice he had heard, and for the God who sent His beloved Son into this world to save sinners.

The working of the Spirit of God is very real. He carries on His own work in the soul, if only we will open our hearts, and let Him speak to us through the Scriptures. About that time a few Christians, who knew about my exercises, met to pray for me in the house of a missionary. I joined them, and felt the Spirit of God urging me to take the step of decision at once, come what may, joy or sorrow, friends or no friends, father or no father. That was a wonderful moment in my history. While I was praying there came a vision of Christ. I felt He was everything to me. There was great rejoicing as I prayed, "O Lord, accept me. I am under the dominion of sin, deliver me from its power." In the twinkling of an eye the answer came into my heart. There came a great change. I could not explain the change. It was truly beyond description. I had "passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

Now this book speaks to the individual as the apostle Peter spoke to Cornelius. The word was for him, and, when received by him, the clouds dispersed, the doubts disappeared, and the man, gladdened by the sunshine of God's word, was a saved man in the full sense of the Scriptural term. To be saved, beloved friends, is not only to have the benefits procured by our Lord Jesus Christ, but to know that we have passed from death into life, and that whatever may come upon us, whatever may betide us in the future, all is well.

Now this book speaks to the individual as the apostle Peter spoke to Cornelius. The word was for him, and, when received by him, the clouds dispersed, the doubts disappeared, and the man, gladdened by the sunshine of God's word, was a saved man in the full sense of the Scriptural term. To be saved, beloved friends, is not only to have the benefits procured by our Lord Jesus Christ, but to know that we have passed from death into life, and that whatever may come upon us, whatever may betide us in the future, all is well.