I was born and raised in a Christian home and taught the necessity of a Born-Again experience in order to have a home in Heaven.  I was taken to church from the days of my infancy to the years of age where I was made aware of the reality of the Being of almighty God through the preaching of the Gospel and the lessons from the Bible taught to me at home by my parents and grandmother.  The spiritual lessons seemed to center around the Third Chapter of the Gospel of John, not just John 3:16 which was so true, but particularly the word of Jesus in John 3:3 as He spoke to Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. " I became aware of and felt my accountability toward God for my sin(s) one Sunday Morning as I sat listening to a Gospel Sermon with my grandmother.  I was approximately eleven years of age and I remember that the preacher's name was Eld.  Mel Burnette.  It seemed that I could not remember much of his sermon except a portion that the Holy Spirit used to illuminate my heart and soul.  He said that no one was any different in God's sight than any one else and that all had sinned and come short of the glory of God and that what made the difference between a sinner and a saint was that the saint (as the Bible defines saints!) had been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  I bowed and began to weep because I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was lost (separated from God on account of my sins) and on my way to hell.  Later, I went to the altar (some refer to this as a mourner's bench or inquiry bench) and continued to pray. From that day forward, at every church service I would go to the front of the church and pray. Sometimes my parents would bow beside me and ask God to save me.  During those times when they would pray with me, I would get this secure feeling that with my parents and grandmother and all the other Christian people there praying with me, surely God would owe it to me to grant me salvation, after all I was being very willing in my estimation and thinking all of the right thoughts as I was praying!  One aspect of it all that I remember is this, I had heard my mother testify in church of how when the Lord saved she got a glimpse of the hem of Jesus garment and reached out and touched it like the woman in Luke 8:44-48. I remember how that I tried to do the same thing but I never could find the relief and peace with God that True Salvation brings.  I later tried to convince myself that maybe I felt better and as I pondered this I began to convince myself that maybe I had been redeemed.  I made a profession of faith, was baptized and joined a church. But deep down I knew that something was still wrong and from time to time the same condemnation would affect although I would try to deny it.
 
  I continued in that condition of "self-deception "for about 5 years and I would even try to "conjure " a good feeling so that no one would be aware that I was troubled about my soul.  Sometimes I would even try to testify in testimony services at church, but I knew in my heart that I was going to have to give it all up and pray to God for salvation.  Finally in the summer of 1971, when I was the age of 17, I had gone to work at a local supermarket and even had volunteered for Sunday work so that I would not have to go to church because the services and the presence of the Holy Spirit condemned me of my sins and hypocrisy so much. During the later part of that summer, the burden and condemnation that I felt upon my heart became so heavy that I could find no relief. I would try to pray and "be happy " but when it was all said and done, I was so much more miserable each time that I had prayed. One Sunday morning on August 29,1971, I had opened up the side door of the supermarket warehouse to take out and display merchandise on the supermarket sidewalk.  The morning sky was clear and so cloudless that I thought to myself when I saw it, " I wonder if someday it will be that clear and cloudless in my soul." I would go back into that warehouse  and when I was on my lunch hour or on a break, I would go off into a corner and pray.  Each time I felt worse in my heart and soul.  Finally, I didn't care if I prayed in the corner, in the middle of the warehouse or even out front where the store customers were buying groceries, I had to know from God if I was saved or if I was lost.  Again, the burden became heavier only this time God opened my heart and spiritual eyes to the fact that I was lost and had never been saved!  I was desperate as I began to seek God's face and favor, but I thought that it was too late and that I had crossed the line of "no return ". That because of my deception (of myself and others) and my hypocrisy that God would not save me and that I would go to hell!  But Romans 5:20b says (..BUT WHERE SIN ABOUNDED GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND) I had resigned myself that God in sending me to hell would be just in doing so because I deserved and He is Just.  But He is also the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus (Romans 3:26b) I reentered that warehouse after that I had answered a stockman's page at the front of the store and as I came through the doors I felt and sensed the necessity to pray once again.  And as I prayed, not only did I sense and feel the condemnation for sin but also a despising of my condition and a longing to find and know God.  I remember it seemed that such a Grace enveloped me and I turned from myself and sin and turned to embrace by Grace through Faith (and that was not of myself!) One whom I had heard of  but did not know, that is the Christ of Calvary, the Christ who arose from the dead, the Christ who ascended to the Father.. the Christ of Hebrews 9:11-28.  He identified Himself to me as my Mediator my High-Priest and my Intercessor.  HE REDEEMED MY SOUL FROM THE HAND OF THE ENEMY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IMPUTED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST TO MY SOUL.  This, I know beyond doubt, will take me to heaven.  I KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN REDEEMED!

Titus 3:4-5 says, " But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US, BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION AND RENEWING OF THE HOLY GHOST."

Since that day that I was converted, I have known and been assured that I am a child of God and that my citizenship is in heaven. My salvation is not based upon my profession, baptism, or an acceptance of Christ but it is based solidly upon what the Apostle stated in Ephesians 1:5-6 "HAVING PREDESTINATED US UNTO THE ADOPTION OF CHILDREN BY JESUS CHRIST TO HIMSELF ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL, TO THE PRAISE OF THE GLORY OF HIS GRACE, WHEREIN HE HATH MADE US ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED. "
Praise God!  I'm one of his Redeemed, His elect!
Dear reader where do you stand with God?  Do you know (not think or hope or " I accepted... ") I am asking do you know beyond any doubt that you are saved?  Are you willing to stake your eternal destiny upon what you are holding onto?  Are you sure that what you profess is true salvation and that it will get you home to heaven? Again, Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:9 and 1:12
Who (that is God) hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own Purpose and Grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, vs. 1:12.... for I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED AND AM PERSUADED THAT HE (CHRIST) IS ABLE TO KEEP THAT WHICH I HAVE COMMITTED UNTO HIM AGAINST THAT DAY!     If you have not been truly saved and you sense the Lord's leadership and stirring in your heart and soul.... Pray and ask Him to make Himself known to you, to direct you to the position and point where by His Grace you repent, turn from self and turn to Him and Believe in Him with your whole heart!

Yours respectfully in Christ Jesus,

Elder Paul L. Cofer
bondservant and preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ