Candace Cameron Bure shares how she said the Sinner’s Prayer at a young age, but realized later in life that she wasn’t truly saved.
I found a text version on her site where she goes into more detail, so I wanted to share that too.
“When I was growing up, my family wasn’t Christian. We didn’t talk about God and I didn’t know anything about him. When I was twelve years old, my parents told us we were going to church; a friend had invited us. It was strange to me, and I giggled at the thought of God. But as we continued to go every Sunday, my heart felt warm, and I saw how happy my mom, brother and sister were. I decided that I wanted to feel the same way. It was Jesus Christ that was producing this change in them, so one Sunday morning, I asked Jesus into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior. I was baptized along with some of my family at a later service. I was extremely excited about what I thought was my new Christian life.
During my teenage years, I had what one would consider a very good life. I was on a hit TV show, was making lots of money and had a loving and supportive family. I also had a lot of fans that admired and looked up to me and I was considered a good role model. I traveled all over the world meeting people, fans, and other celebrities. I couldn’t complain about anything! But, aside from my busy and exciting life, church had become more of an after thought. I’d go when I had time, or when I wasn’t too busy. It wasn’t my first priority anymore.
When I moved out of my parents’ house at 18 years old, I was able to do whatever I wanted because I had the money and the resources. So when temptations arose, I’d often give in to them. But, when I stood back and looked at myself, I thought, “You know, I’m still a very good person.” I thought about other celebrities that got mixed up with drugs and alcohol, robbery and even thrown in jail. Comparing myself to those people, I thought I was a saint! And when I did something that my conscience told me was wrong, I just asked God to forgive me. I thought He had to do that because I had asked him into my heart. So, I continued living life in a repeating cycle of sin, then asking God to excuse it.
It wasn’t until I read the book Left Behind that I started rethinking my Christian life. There was one character that stood out to me. Pastor Bruce Barnes. He was left behind after the Rapture had occurred. . I could not understand how a pastor could be left behind and figured the authors had probably never read a Bible! But, the book went on to explain, and it was my own ignorance that had me to believe that I could ask God into my heart, live my life the way I wanted to (even if it was not pleasing to the Lord), and still be in Heaven when I died. Boy, did I have it all wrong. After reading a book my brother gave to me, now called The Way of the Master it changed my walk with God forever! It talked about the 10 commandments, and showed me my sin in it’s true light. You see, when I prayed the “sinner’s prayer” that day in church when I was 12, I asked God to forgive my sins. But I didn’t even know what my sin was. But, the law showed me my sin. As I went through every commandment, I saw that I’d broken all of them. Then I learned that God was going to judge me by this standard, not the world’s standard. So, while I thought I was a good person compared to other people, I saw that I was a horribly bad person by God’s standard. It was then that I truly recognized and understood my sin and what Jesus did for me. I broke the Law, and Jesus paid my fine. God has changed me in ways that words can’t describe. He has transformed the way I think and live my life. Things that were once important to me are no longer. I can’t help but share the Good News with everyone! I know there is nothing more important. I know that without Christ, the eternal consequences are devastating. I urge you to surrender your whole life to Jesus, turn from your sin and trust in Him with all your heart. Pick up a bible, and start reading. Let me leave you with this:”
”And the times of this ignorance God winked at: but now commands all men every where to repent: Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained;” Acts. 17:30, 31a