Everyone going to Heaven has a story to tell about when they became a Christian – when they were saved – when they were born again. (Those are Bible terms used to describe the same event.) No one has always been a Christian. There has to be a conscious starting point for their new life in Christ when, by faith, a sinner looks to Jesus Christ for salvation.
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Below you will read short stories of people who embraced Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Their stories hi-lite a Bible verse that spoke to their heart at the time of their conversion. Individual stories are featured below the relevant Bible verse displayed.
Not everyone has a salvation verse as a part of their story. Some trusted Christ singing a hymn. Others just appreciated truth from the Bible and repented of their sins, and accepted Christ.
If you are a Christian and your salvation story involves a pivotal Bible verse – we invite you to share a 250-word version of your testimony by emailing it to us. We will do our best to add submitted stories to the list below. If your ‘special salvation verse’ is not listed below, we can easily add it.
If you are not a Christian, we hope you enjoy these testimonies. You, too, can find peace and purpose in Christ. You can enjoy a personal relationship with Him now and forever. Your sins can be forgiven. You can be right with God. You can be a possessor of eternal life and be 100% sure of Heaven. This is not about church or religion – this is about a person – the Lord Jesus Christ. A new life in Christ!
David McKillen – Northern Ireland, UK
My respective grandmothers on both sides of my family were brought up with no knowledge of the Gospel or their need for salvation through faith in the death of Jesus.
Respectable and good living ladies, but each of them seeking peace in their hearts with God. One of my grannies put her faith in Jesus Christ for salvation on her bicycle, riding home from a tent mission, back in 1933 at the age of 27. My father and mother both trusted in Jesus as teenagers before they met, so I grew up (as the oldest grandchild) in a home where all the older family members told me the story of Jesus and His death, even as a child.
I remember my first day at school, I remember my first day at ‘Sunday school,’ but I don’t remember when I first learned that I was a sinner and needed salvation. I knew that I needed to be ‘born again,’ I knew how to be saved, but I didn’t really feel any urgency to HAVE salvation, peace with God in my heart. Not until I was eight, and I began to think about being lost in my sins and going to Hell because I wasn’t saved, and being separated from my family and God forever did it become an urgent matter.
I was in a gospel service in a little mission hall on March 22, 1967. Not even listening to the preacher (like many) but thinking about my sin. Into my mind came a verse I had learned in Sunday school; Jesus said,
Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
As simply as I can tell, just as simply as a child, I believed the invitation of Jesus. He said, “Come,” so by faith, I did come, and I got rest from my ‘burden’ and peace within. A salvation that cannot be taken away (John 6:37)! Safe from God’s judgment, and saved forever. As real today as it was then. Praise His name!
Edith Stewart – Nova Scotia, Canada
When I was young, I thought I was okay as far as getting to Heaven. I was not into the sins of the world and thought I was going to Heaven. When I was 20 years old, I found out I needed to be born again. A close friend gave me “God’s Way of Salvation.” As I read it, I knew I needed a Saviour. I read the verse above and realized the Lord Jesus Christ had died for me and taken away all my sins. He had died on the Cross and shed his blood for me. I have been so happy ever since, and He has never left me nor forsaken me. Read Edith Stewart’s full story on this site.
Benjamin Stevens – Pennsylvania, USA
From a young age, I remember being aware that I was a sinner and needed to be forgiven of all my sins, or else I would never be in Heaven. I also remember my mother teaching me this Bible verse:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
However, she didn’t want me just to memorize the words. She wanted me to understand that the verse applied directly to me and had to be received by me personally, so I learned it this way:
“For God so loved Ben that He gave His only begotten Son, that if Ben believes in Him, Ben should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Even being able to say this verse by heart, I still didn’t understand what it really meant for me until the night I got saved. To me, salvation sounded too simple: All I had to do was trust in Jesus, and I would be forgiven of all my sins and have eternal life. But the night I was saved, the understanding hit me: It WAS that simple! That’s why Jesus died on the Cross. He died for me! It’s true He died for everyone, but understanding that He died for everyone didn’t save me. Understanding that He died for me personally is what saved me.
Anna Vallance, Michigan, USA
I spent the first seventeen years of my life in the second half of this verse. It wasn’t because I didn’t know about Jesus. My parents were Christians, and I spent every Sunday at church. It wasn’t because I didn’t believe in God. Despite being taught evolution in school, there was enough evidence to thoroughly convince me of God’s existence.
At first, it was because I didn’t think I needed Him. I learned from a young age that my sin separated me from God, but I didn’t think my sin was serious. Later on, it was because I didn’t want Him. As a teenager, I rebelled, believing that I would never enjoy life as long as I was bound by the Bible’s strict moral code. Even later on, it was because I didn’t think He wanted me. Left empty and broken by what the world had to offer, I tried to reform – but couldn’t. Surely, God had no interest in someone like me.
A near-death encounter caused me to reconsider. In search of peace, I turned to John 3:16-18. I realized I had refused to believe God’s Word about me, my sin and His Son. Such arrogance deserved eternal punishment. Having finally accepted what God said about me and my sin, I thought about what He said about His Son in John 3:16. He died so I don’t have to! I simply accepted God’s word, and today I am forgiven. I have eternal, abundant life through Christ, the only One Who can save and satisfy.
Cecil V. Morton – Ontario, Canada
I learned in Sunday School that I was a sinner, and I needed God’s salvation to pay the price for my sin. On April 16, 1955, down on my knees by my bed, I said: “O God, if you do not save me, I will just have to go to Hell.” The next morning was Sunday. At approximately 10 AM, I was thinking of John 5:24. All alone, by myself, pondering it over in my mind, it came to me this way:
Verily, Verily I say unto you – Who said this? It was the Lord Jesus.
He that heareth my Word – I said: “Lord, I hear your Word.”
And believeth on Him that sent Me – Who said that? It was God.
Hath everlasting life. That is forever,
And shall not come into condemnation. That says no judgment for me.
But is passed from death unto life. Praise God I am saved my sins are gone I will never be in Hell.
Christ is my daily closest friend; He keeps me, guides me, and has never disappointed me. Eternity will never be long enough to thank Him for dying for me, Coming for me; praise God He lives today.
Bernard Rideout – Newfoundland, Canada
I grew up in a Christian home. I was always told that I needed to be saved. I finished High school and went to vocational school. I then got a job as a Linesperson. I met a wonderful partner, and we started a family. I got far away from God, with no concern for my soul.
I made a move with my job, which brought me closer to home. I was given lots of Gospel tracts, and people were praying for my salvation. God was dealing with me, and I wanted to be saved but was unable.
I started reading the Bible. On January 01, 1997, I made a New Year’s resolution to read the Bible from cover to cover. As I started reading, many verses came back to me that my mother had taught me and verses I had learned in Sunday School.
I would go for long walks and sing hymns, trying to feel better. One night in particular, I walked and sang hymns, and I definitely did not feel any better. I said to myself, “You are lost, and you will never be saved.” The verse that spoke to me was – “My Spirit will not always strive with man.” (Genesis 6:3) I remember praying and asking the Holy Spirit to come back to me.
I went home that weekend. I had decided to tell my wife and daughter about my concerns. Then when they went out to the store, I went to my bedroom and knelt by my bed and asked the LORD to save me, and He did.
Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 6: 37
No more sleepless nights. When I rest my head on my pillow, I know that all is well with my soul.
Nurkle C. Litchmore – Nottinghamshire, England
I was thirteen years old and full of good deeds based on my religious background and family values. I worked hard at school, attended church, helped around the house and maintained strong moral behaviour outside the home. My school teacher, a born-again Christian, noted my behaviour, graded it as good and commendable and invited me to her home for a talk. She read from the Bible and then asked me to read the same passage:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. John 10:1
My teacher told me that I was “a little goody-goody,” but all persons, including goody-goodies, were born with sinful hearts which come between them and God and bar them from Heaven. The solution was to seek forgiveness of sins through Jesus the Door, the only way to God and Heaven. I felt my guilt, bowed in prayer with my teacher, confessed my sins to God, and received forgiveness and new life in Jesus. I was now at peace with God.
The Lord Jesus Christ has piloted me throughout my teenage and adult years, sometimes through challenging and unknown situations. I no longer deceive myself by seeking to do good deeds and bypass the Son of God who loved me and died for me and will one day take me to Heaven to be with Him forever.
Wallace Buckle – Newfoundland, Canada
I was born and raised in a little fishing village on the Labrador coast, where I started fishing with my father at age nine.
A little older, I moved away from home to make money and have a good time. I worked with a mining company in Sept-Iles, Quebec. Initially, I saved my money and even sent some home to my family but then I got into gambling and drinking. The money started to go as fast as I was making it.
According to the world, I was having a good time. Many nights, full of drink, I would put the little motor car on the railway track and head back up the line, not knowing what corner we would meet a train head-on. Others were ushered out into eternity this way, but God had His eye on me.
One weekend I will never forget. My friend and I went to a nearby city and rented a room, and got some booze. The weekend party ended in a Sunday night brawl. I left and headed back home. But the next morning, I got the news that my buddy had been killed in a horrible accident. Seeing his remains at the scene is a sight I will never forget. I thought of his loved ones and what sorrow and grief this news would bring. I thought about home and how I longed to see my loved ones again. I left for home soon after.
At home, people were talking about a new religion in the village. One night I attended, and the preacher spoke of Heaven and Hell. He said that those who die without Christ will be in Hell. I got so angry I left, tearing the door off its hinges! But, when l got home, I started to think. I concluded that the preacher was right and I was wrong.
I had never read a Bible before, so I ordered one through Eaton’s catalogue. After reading it for two months, one night, I read these words:
And it shall come to pass, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:23
Whosoever – that meant me! I saw that Christ died for me. I will never forget that night. That was sixty-three years ago, and this wonderful salvation keeps getting better as we get closer to being with the One who loved me and died for me. Read full story here.
Winston G. Lirchmore – Nottinghamshire, England
I was born again on the first Saturday of December 1966. I always thought about serving God from my childhood days but did not understand that I had to surrender my life to Him. Trying to enjoy the world’s pleasures did not bring joy and happiness within my heart because God was left out.
Although I read in the Bible about the dangers of storing treasures on earth and not giving God first place in my life, it meant nothing to me as my pride and self-confidence hindered me from humbling myself and admitting that I was a sinner who needed to be saved.
I remember my struggle to be saved in my own way and time. When life seemed hopeless and joyless, these words from the Bible came to me in my bed,
It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks [goads]. Acts 9:5
In other words, “It is hard to fight against God.” The Holy Spirit of God had convicted me of my sins, and there was nothing I could do but to surrender and ask God to forgive me of my sins. This He did and gave me new life through Christ. Life no longer seemed hopeless, and the cares of the world no longer rested on my mind.
I now worship and serve God, my heavenly Father, through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and I know there is a place reserved in Heaven for me.
Jim Stuart – New Brunswick, Canada
As a lost, dark sinner, I was so afraid of standing before God.
On April 11, 1965, the last Sunday night of a six-week gospel series, I was so lost and dark. After two hours at home, my father asked if he could help me. I didn’t know how to answer him. I knew he could not save me, and so did he, but in respect for my dad, I knew I must answer him, but how? The only answer I could give him was, “The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins.” I hardly got those words out before I knew I was saved.
Almost immediately, I thought of this verse:
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Acts 16:31
In a moment, I fell in love with His Name – the same name against which I spoke daily.
John 1:12 As many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God “Even to them that believe on His Name”
I love to tell my story, and a whole lot more could be said. I don’t think I’ve ever been so brief.
Jacquie Reid – British Columbia, Canada
God has been so good to me! I was raised in a fairly strict traditional home with loving parents who sent us regularly to Sunday School.
I loved to memorize Bible verses and, in fact, won a New Testament for memorizing 100 verses in a week at a Bible camp where I first heard the word ‘saved.’
It was there that God spoke to my heart through a younger campmate. One day when we were singing the chorus Romans 10 and 9, she asked me if I was saved. I said, “No.” Then she said, “Well, you can’t sing that song if you don’t mean the words!”
So I didn’t sing that song anymore until one evening shortly after I got home, I was troubled about my sins, and I asked the Lord to be my Saviour. I had great peace.
The same summer (August 1953), the Sunday school I had attended moved much further away, and I started going to a new church. What great joy I had when one of the choruses was Romans 10 and 9. God gave me a wonderful teacher who helped me to grow in the Christian faith- reading my Bible and praying became a daily habit.
That was nearly 70 years ago. The Lord Jesus has been with me all the way, and I look forward to being with Him for all eternity. Here is the chorus:
Romans 10 and 9 is a favourite verse of mine,
Confessing Christ as Lord, I am saved by Grace divine
For there the words of promise in golden letters shine,
Romans 10 and 9.
Diane Clement – Ontario, Canada
I was raised in a Christian home where the Bible was read every day. I knew from a young age that I was a sinner that didn’t deserve God’s Heaven. From the time I was seven years old, I wanted to be rid of my sin and not have to face God with them in eternity.
I was afraid of going to Hell or being left behind if the Lord came to take my parents and brothers home to Heaven, and I was not prepared. I tried to believe so many times and so many ways. I tried to be good but always failed.
One Sunday night, I decided that this was the night that I would get this settled once and for all. I told my dad on the way home from a gospel meeting that I needed to talk to him. He took me into his bedroom and opened the Bible. He read many verses to me, including John 3:16. He told me to substitute my name (For God so loved Diane that He gave His only begotten Son that if Diane believes in Him, Diane shall not perish but have everlasting life). I had heard this before and tried it on my own, and it didn’t work. I was disappointed that he didn’t show me anything new. I thought I knew it all!
Then he turned to this verse:
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (or that Jesus is Lord) and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
My dad read it first, and then he asked me to read it. I remember thinking, “where did that verse come from?” I thought I knew all the gospel verses!! I blurted out, “I’m saved!” My dad said, “how do you know?” I told him, “It says it right there. If I confess Jesus and believe God, then I’m saved. I don’t have to do a thing else.” What a relief! I was almost nine years old.
The Lord has never let me down. I’m still resting on that promise. I’ll never have to face Him as my judge with my sins because He removed them completely forever!
Jessie Labbe – North Carolina, USA
As a young child, I would sit on the front steps of our home, trying to figure out how to believe hard enough to be saved. I would clench my fists really hard, trying to believe hard enough. I wondered why nothing was happening.
After hearing the Gospel all my young life, I got a breakthrough at eight years old. After a gospel meeting, two ladies sat with me to show me the way of salvation, and I made a profession of faith when reading John 1:12.
Then five years later, at the end of another gospel meeting, the hymn ‘Almost Persuaded’ was given out. I sang the hymn cheerfully until the very end when I sang “almost but lost.” That was the first time I realized that I was ‘lost.’
The visiting preacher read many verses with me. I was getting weary and said to myself, “I’ll just have to be in hell if I can’t get saved.” It was then that I read this verse:
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1John 5:13
As soon as I read the word KNOW, a calm came to me, and with a smile on my face, Mr. Craig asked me what happened, and I said, “I just got saved.” That was my happy day.
William J. Watterson – São Paulo, Brazil
My parents were missionaries in Brazil in the late 60’s when I was born — which means I heard the Gospel for as long as I can remember. I always knew there was an eternal existence after death and only two eternal destinies: Heaven or Hell. But part of me never worried too much about that — after all, I led a “religious” life. Surely, I would go to Heaven when I died! I knew that Christ had died to save sinners — but in my opinion, I wasn’t one of those sinners!
When I was about seven years old, my father preached one Sunday night from Hebrews 10:
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:31
He read other verses that proved how everyone is a sinner in God’s sight, and even the most honest and upright person in the world falls far short of God’s holiness (Romans 3:9-23, etc.). And the Holy Spirit impressed upon my young mind how unworthy I was of ever dwelling in Heaven with a holy God.
Later that night, alone in my bedroom, I confessed my sins to God and trusted in the Lord Jesus as my Saviour, believing that His death was for me. Since then (nearly 50 years ago) I have rested in the knowledge that my sins are forgiven through His suffering and death on the Cross, and live to serve that wonderful Saviour.
Paraphrasing Paul: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the most sinful” (I Timothy 1:15).