Well, at DesiringGod.org, we talk a lot about joy and treasuring as being ingredient to

saving faith, part of what saving faith is, a treasuring of Christ.

And it raises questions like this one from a listener named Nick.

Hello, Pastor John.

Thank you for answering so many questions on this podcast.

Here's mine.

I recently discovered what you believe the Bible says about saving faith, namely that it

includes treasuring Jesus above all things.

This has made me wonder if I truly believed at the time of my apparent conversion.

I saw growing signs of holiness in my life after my apparent conversion and obeying God

has been the number one pursuit of my life for years.

But I don't recall being aware of my desire for God himself in my heart over the early

years after what I think was my conversion.

If I did not begin treasuring Jesus when my apparent conversion happened, was I really

unsafe?

Pastor John, what would you say to Nick?

Well, the first thing that needs to be said, I think, is that Nick should not lose any

sleep over the question whether he was truly saved, truly born again in that first moment

of apparent faith.

The all-important question for all of us is the question of right now.

Do we embrace Jesus now as the Lord and Savior and supreme treasure of our lives?

When and how we came to have this glorious miraculous preference for Jesus above all things,

...