/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

Are you saved?

You believe in "Jesus and a higher power", what does that mean?

If you died today, went before God, and he asked "Why should I let you into my heaven?", What would you say?

>>784814

When I say a higher power, I mean just that. Jesus walked the Earth, that much I believe. I believe that the higher power described is God, but because faith is in the belief of something absent of proof, I can't just say 'it's a fact he's real' because I myself can't prove it. There is evidence He exists, but evidence in itself is not proof.

If I were to go before God, I would say 'I was baptized, Lord, but that guaranteed nothing. I have sinned and I was worried the price of redemption would be too high for me. I made many mistakes, and my belief has faltered many times, but if I am not granted entrance, please give my family a chance if it would be in your graces.'

I firmly believe that sinning without realizing it is a sin is still sinning. Since some days I do not know if I have committed an error in judgement, I always think I have sinned. That in part is why I am always worried.

What's so hard to believe about Hell? Tell me if the following scenario sounds logical to you.

Once there was an archangel named Lucifer. The role God intended for him to carry out was to be a good and mighty servant of God. But Lucifer rebelled against his God-given place in nature, so he and his followers had to be cast out of Heaven. Now God hates to destroy spirits, so instead he created a spiritual realm suitable for those spirits who are in total rebellion against God's will. This realm is called Hell. So Lucifer and his host of fallen angels were cast into Hell, and they are now Satan, the enemy, and his horde of demons.

Cut to humanity. Humanity was made to eternally live in the flesh and to serve God on Earth. But humans enter into rebellion against God as well. It's not a total rebellion, like the demons', and they do repent of it afterwards, but all the same from that moment on humans have a hard time with not trying to claim some sort of independence from God. With humanity in rebellion against God, the miraculous forces which protected their bodies from the natural process of decay are taken away, and the death of the body becomes part of mankind's destiny. When man dies, he becomes pure spirit, and there are ultimately only two realms where spirits can go: Heaven is for those who wish to submit to God's will, and Hell is for those who do not.

So Hell is a place for both dead humans who are in rebellion against God, and for demons. And demons really hate humans. Thus, demons torture damned humans. God does not protect damned humans because they are in complete rebellion against Him. However, the very act of torturing the damned is an act of rebellion on the part of the demons, because they were created to be good angels who love both God and humans; the role of tormentor was never something God wanted them to take on. It's simply the logical consequence of all the aforementioned circumstances which I laid out in this post.

>>784824

That clears up a few assumptions I made regarding Hell, but one part confuses me. When does one 'defy God' so to speak? When he proclaims it, or when he honestly, 100% believes in Him but sins, even if he justifies it to himself he is 100% in the right? I am not attempting to be standoff-ish when I ask; I just honestly some days wonder if when I sin or if I get angry, how much of it is in defiance and how much of it is accidental.

>>784822

Your worry about sin is warranted. "The wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. If you are a sinner (which all of us are), you deserve hell.

You're missing the gospel. If you believe on Jesus, your sins are forgiven.

1 John 1:9 KJV: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

There is absolutely nothing you can do to deserve heaven, and you can't die (go to hell) as a sacrifice for your loved ones because your righteousness isn't greater than their sins either. There was ONE perfect man, the divine son of God Jesus, who lived a sinless life and died as a sacrifice.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

>>784826

Every sin is indeed an act of defiance against God. To sin is inherently a way of rejecting God's plan for you. You may have even noticed that when you're feeling tempted to sin, and the still small voice in your head cautions you not to, you may even start to feel angry or belligerwnt with that voice. At least, I've noticed that I do that when I'm about to sin. Some acts of rebellion are worse than others, for example telling a small lie isn't as bad as openly preaching apostasy, and God does judge accordingly, but a rebellion is a rebellion either way, and either way we need to learn to lay down our arms, repent, and submit to God.

A good book that will explain this way of thinking better is The Problem of Pain by CS Lewis, I highly reccommend it.

>>784805

>>784822

>>784826

Sounds like you are suffering from scrupulosity, otherwise known as religious melancholy. Basically, you're not being chill about the situation, or at least Satan's current role as a torturer, just freaks you out.

Your last post, concerning "what is it to defy God" pretty much clinches it for me that you are suffering from scrupulosity. You want a way to be 100% right, but you see it was the pharisees who wanted to be strictly law-abiding like that, Jesus came into the world so that we would be forgiven our sins.

So the point of this story is just simply that you should ask forgiveness from God as frequently as you think you need to, but after you have asked, have faith that you have obtained what forgiveness you sought, and let it go.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrupulosity

>>784827

It doesn't hurt to ask for them, anon. My mom suffered a lot to help me in life, and she had to skip a lot of church on my behalf. That is why I'd ask.

>>784832

Let's say that I have food in front of me while I am at an event. A lot of food. Let's say that I'm really hungry and eat all of it. However, the food that was left over would go to the homeless after the event is over. Is it gluttony or greed? What if I made a donation after? That's what I mean. Little sins and big sins are all sins in the end, and one sin can cause an eternity of hellfire.

>>784836

What you said is basically the sum of it. I can really only function 100% if I have set rules to follow, or I worry I'm not doing things correctly. Religion has rules to follow about what NOT to do, but not what to do actively. Priests talk about lessons we can learn from the bible, but many lessons like 'if you see this, do that' are usually meant to be applied non-literally. To me there's a difference between 'don't jaywalk' and 'use the crossing when you need to cross the street.' One is 'don't do this' and the other is 'do that.'

>>784841

It doesn't help, that's my point. You and all your family can have assurance of salvation by placing your belief in Jesus right now. You can't do it after you physically die.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27

>>784841

>I can really only function 100% if I have set rules to follow

Oh dear, I feel this level of autism. Don't worry, it's ok, God loves you

>Religion has rules to follow about what NOT to do, but not what to do actively.

False, the great commandment is what you have to do

>>784841

Meet with your spiritual advisor and talk it out is my recommendation

>>784842

Well shoot. I feel like this means it'll be my fault if my mom goes to Hell now.

>>784848

God can love me and still not feel that I can enter into Heaven. God loves all, but that doesn't mean everyone goes to Heaven.

>>784849

I don't have one and don't know where to get one. I'd assume a church?

True religion has nothing to do with panic attacks. Jesus tells us himself to live for the day and not to worry.

"Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."

>>785015

>I don't have one and don't know where to get one. I'd assume a church?

There's at least one per church, and at least 2 per cathedral. I suggest you find one of those, and attend a service, don't take the Eucharist, read up a bit on the etiquette of churchgoing so you make a good impression and feel comfortable, knowing that you didn't screw up.

After the service stay, make yourself known to the congregants as far as the social circumstances seem to indicate, and ask the priest about your problems. It's literally his job to fix them, if he wants to schedule a meeting then do that.

Also, do bear in mind that your feeling of being saved is not an accurate guide to the situation, nor is it true that your feeling of not being saved is an accurate guide. In fact, it's likely, the way you are talking, which is to say that you are taking seriously the words of Christ, and view yourself as a sinner unworthy of heaven, probably means that you are well on your way to salvation, since you have recognized that all your good works are ultimately from God and are not of yourself, and you are working out your salvation with fear and trembling.

>>784805

hello brother/sister

jesus is love. perhaps you should discover ways to live faith with your brothers/sisters

i'm fasting today. i'm also trying to lose some weight. may god bless you and keep you safe.

/dk/

>>787321

>im fasting today

Based and breadpilled