Words by Autumn Miles // Image by Casey Liu

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30b)

Do you remember this moment in your life? If you are one that is “churched” in America today, there is a chance that you have walked down an aisle or prayed a prayer of repentance of sin and asked the Lord Jesus to come into your life. There is no moment so sweet to the Christian as the moment they understood what sin is, what sin has done to their life, and that they are forgiven by the blood of Jesus’ death on the cross. I hold mine as the most important transforming moment in my life.

I won’t ever forget my life before my salvation. I was living in terror. I was petrified of death. I wouldn’t leave my house for long periods of time because I thought I would be killed. I also believed that God wanted me dead and that He hated me. I remember being terrified of Bibles and of church. Satan had completely convinced me that in order to live I must stay clear of God in all forms. This posed a problem, since my dad was a pastor. Although I had walked the aisle earlier in my life and prayed a prayer, I never had a relationship with the Lord. I was churched, but blind.

My moment came at 3:00 in the morning. I had decided I’d had enough of the terror I was living. Even though I was scared of death I was also scared of life. I didn’t want to live in the condition I was in. It was hard and miserable, and I needed to be free from my own thoughts. I remember what I know now as the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart that night saying, “Remember me?”

Those two words drew me out of my bed that night and into a room across the hall. I sat on a couch and the words “remember me?” kept repeating. With that, I offered a very rebellious prayer, knowing it must be God. It went something like, “I don’t believe you are who you say you are, but if you are, speak to me now.” With that, I picked up the Bible I owned and my eyes rested on the verse, “With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Ps. 91:16). I dropped that Bible and pledged allegiance to the God that understood my deepest fear and my hardest trial right there. There was no pomp and circumstance. There was no hymn playing—just a messed up girl and her God.

I have never forgotten that night, and I have been passionate ever since that night. I scare some people with my passion, but I literally cannot hold it in. I was set free. God loves me. He has given me new life. I am forgiven. I will preach this message until I die. The grace of God won against all my sin. It wins every time.

Throughout my travels, I have found many who have prayed a prayer of repentance, but are not living for God. Circumstances have killed their passion and subtracted from the power of grace. Amnesia has set into hearts that once were on fire for the Living God.

The amnesia of grace is killing our culture. Sure, we can blame it on the media, porn, or social issues, but the truth is that amnesia of grace is the biggest culprit. If we remembered the grace that captured us from the clutches of sin and wickedness, we would fight for all to know it. If we didn’t let our hearts forget the way we were before we met Jesus, we would be passionate to not let our culture bully our faith. Grace gave you a second chance. Communicating that grace to someone else could give them one as well.

Choose with me to remember, recharge, or rethink the way you are living. Grace cost Jesus everything; it is waiting for you now.

Paul didn’t forget.

Peter didn’t forget.

John didn’t forget.

James didn’t forget.

The woman at the well didn’t forget.

The woman caught in adultery didn’t forget.

I won’t forget.

Will you?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph. 2:8–9)