As we say in the Baptist church where I grew up, I
walked the aisle when I was eleven years old, some
five decades ago. Vacation Bible school was in session. Our
church building was a sanctuary in more ways than one. The
massive brick structure offered not just a place to teach kids
about Jesus; the ground-level classrooms were the coolest
refuge in town. Going forward was not hard. For a preteen,
it felt momentous, something that would change my life
forever. I walked forward at the invitation and confided my
decision to the preacher.
Salvation is a word we may associate with spiritual
revivals. Ephesians addresses God’s saving activity in Christ.
The first three verses state what we’re saved from: death
through sin, following the ways of the world, and being
children of wrath. The writer is not chastising so much as
reminding us of the past so that we can more readily value
our inclusion in God’s life-giving story of salvation in the
present!
At eleven, my life-changing commitment didn’t hinge
on turning from my past “sins,” but in the ensuing years
it raised weighty questions about how to be a Christian.
Many times I wanted to abandon that statement of faith,
but the commitment I made then has ended up making me.
It has never turned me loose, though my understanding of
what it means has changed as I have matured.
I have come to appreciate the richness of God’s mercy and
kindness. I value God’s willingness to take the initiative for
my benefit and salvation. I am “alive together with Christ.”
With that promise, I try to meet each moment with hope.
By  Bill Dockery from The Upper Room: 60 Days of Prayer for General Conference 2016