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/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

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.
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File: d537e498802c896⋯.jpg (131.51 KB, 1200x797, 1200:797, asd.jpg)

e419fd  No.849666

Hello, I recently received a Bible and, out of curiosity, started reading the New Testament. I grew up in a Christian community and a modestly Christ-centered household, but was always middle-of-the-road. Not necessarily Christian, but recognizing the cultural and spiritual importance of the doctrine, and recognizing the great effects it has on many men and women I've known.

Anyway, I've become pretty invested in scripture recently and I've come to know the reasons why Christians do the things they do. I hope to become saved in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, because now I fully understand the importance and significance of God sending his Son to die for OUR sins. I've started praying, actively reading the NT, and trying my hardest to be Christ-like, but I fear it's all in vain. I fear that I'm doing these things solely to better myself, rather than because I need to rely on Jesus as lord to deliver me from sin.

To say the least, I feel like my faith just isn't there. I'm reading through, and I'm making the connections and understanding what Jesus did, and what we need to do and *why*, but I feel as if that undying and everlasting faith that is so common of men in Christ is absent in me and I don't know how to fix that. It feels like I just have a surface-level appreciation of the things Jesus has done for me. Even as I write this, saying it as fact that Jesus has done these things for me, I don't know for sure whether I genuinely believe it. That isn't some atheist unbeliever phraseology that means "I'm hesitant to believe", but I genuinely do not know if I believe in Christ or not. I WANT to believe in Christ as savior, because that is a wonderful thing. I just don't have that "feeling" or "spark" in me that will lead my to total devotion. I feel like I am hearing, but not understanding.

In short, it all makes sense to me, but I still feel like I haven't truly devoted myself to faith, and I feel indifferent. I don't want to feel indifferent, I want to be saved, because God loves me and wants to save me, and I know the only way I can be saved is through faith in Jesus. I hope someone understands what I'm saying.

____________________________
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e419fd  No.849667

I feel like a fake Christian. My yearning for more biblical knowledge seems superficial at best, and I feel like I only understand and agree with the concepts from an outsider's perspective, even though I want the spiritual fulfillment Christ would give me. Like I said, I've been exposed to Christianity my whole life, but I'm new to the actual practice and indulgence of it in hopes that I will be saved. I'm also bad at articulating things sometimes, so apologies if this isn't the most straightforward or easy to understand confession. I just need guidance right now. I pray, I read scripture, and I still feel this way, and I'm "scared" that I'll still feel the same way if I continue reading and praying. I put "scared" in quotation marks, because in the same way my "faith" is, my scaredness feels empty.

I think it has something to do with me listening primarily to rationality. The rationality in me is telling me that it is a positive thing that I will be saved, and that it is a positive thing that I become faithful, according to the truth of scripture, but my brain only sees that in terms of superficial improvement to my person, and refuses to acknowledge the deeper meaning of being saved. It's as if God's word truth is a valuable heirloom, and I only think of its value in monetary terms instead of the actual value it has as a sacred heirloom given to me.

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e419fd  No.849668

I recognize eternal damnation as a scary thing, but I do not fear it. I recognize the power of God as a scary thing, but I feel like I do not fear it; the same way one would recognize a monster under their bed as "scary", but they don't fear one. I don't mean to be so faithless, I want to grow, and I want to experience the power and change that Jesus can give me, but I fear it's in the same way that everyone "wants" a million dollars, but isn't going to work 24 hours a day for it. I don't know what work I have to do to feel that faith inside me. I know I have sinned, I have prayed, read scripture, and I have declared Jesus as lord. I feel lost. I hope this is only a side effect of being a newbie, and that I can overcome this and grow in Christ. I also want to let you know that this isn't going to stop me from pursuing Christ, and that I realize this may just be part of the trials that God puts upon me, but I am troubled and I need guidance. I'm putting this out here in hopes that another man of Christ has gone through the same thing, or knows what I'm saying.

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172c2c  No.849674

File: 4d806d047281a6a⋯.jpg (56.11 KB, 764x290, 382:145, Screenshot_20201119_032703….jpg)

I was troubled by this question, because I could deeply relate to you. But I didn't know the answer of how I found faith.

I just opened my Bible app and this is the verse of the day:

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172c2c  No.849675

>>849674

Keep reading, and faith will come to you as it has come to me this year. I felt the same way you do at one poiny, but I kept reading and that is how I came to truly believe.

I couldn't find the words to explain it to you, but this verse summarizes it exactly.

I will pray for you.

Praise God!

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393dcf  No.849679

You're looking for amorous passion, not faith.

In my view, the fact that you don't have this "everlasting and undying faith so common" is a good sign, a sign that you're not under prelest and that your devotion is not based on fickle things.

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058f6a  No.849681

File: b7f97dc7a50f248⋯.jpg (161.85 KB, 1000x730, 100:73, 1592670135713.jpg)

>>849666

>>849667

If it gives you any consolation, know that I too am struggling with the exact thing you describe. I would describe the feeling as follows: "professing to be Christian, but still having the 'atheist mindset'"

>but I fear it's all in vain.

>I fear that I'm doing these things solely to better myself

>but my brain only sees that in terms of superficial improvement

>the same way one would recognize a monster under their bed as "scary", but they don't fear one.

Yep. I don't know what to tell you, I have the same issue.

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172c2c  No.849682

>>849681

Keep on reading the Bible. You are in an atheist mindset because your mind has been shaped by atheist media and literature. The more you expose yourself to the Bible, the stronger your faith will become.

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06080c  No.849737

>>849668

What I can recommend is that as you come to know who God is from reading his word, you will realize that like Christ Jesus teaches in Luke 11:9-13, God answers prayers to those that ask, and is near those who seek Him. "The Lᴏʀᴅ is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." Psalm 145:18.

If you believe that God actually does fulfill the word that is inspired by Him, you will maybe soon start to realize that it has to be the way that He said. That he is our Creator, is responsible for the good that this whole world relies on and wants his people to come to Him, because we need God and because without Him there is only sin and suffering, for again as Scripture says, "Gᴏᴅ saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

The more you study Scripture and consider the possibility that everything it says is accurate and true, you will realize it is impossible to prove it wrong because these things are, by some means or another always fulfilled. You have to look deeply to find it though, and people who want to resist the truth find superficial reasons to reject it if they only want to continue their current trajectory. But again, there is Scripture dealing with the existence of such people, so it ought not to be surprise to me.

Learning the precepts of Scripture is good. I spent 25 years learning many true things about God before coming to believe in Him and recognizing our Lord as the source of every positive thing in my life over all past years. I realized those things had to come from Him, and I was just a very ungrateful recipient of that love from God. But He knew that and was very merciful to lead me and preparing me for the reasons that the Lord has, to a place of acknowledgment. I had to accept that there is a superior Lord and deity and I am actually very thankful now for the existence of something much more infallible and superior to me whom I can rely on and wants me to do so. So, like you should do with any other person whom you respect, you should ask Jesus Christ to hear you when praying and just be ready to receive an answer. He is far beyond needing to speak in a direct audible way, there are ways to get through to us that only God who has infinite knowledge and wisdom can do.

As far as knowing what God says, he has already long ago spoken the words of truth we need, anticipating everything and providing the true answers in his Word. It is through this that we learn about who God is and what you will find is that God wants us to know about his Son, the Lord Jesus.

Of course, we will always be in a place of subjection and giving of thanks to this Lord once we are permitted to see the excellence of that knowledge. Philippians 3:8 "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:"

1 Thess. 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

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b58a61  No.849755

>>849666

I felt the same way a while ago, but have since had an experience that cemented my faith in Christ.

My advice would be to pray about what's bothering you, tell Him exactly what it is you're struggling with and why you want to be closer to Him. You're so close now, please don't give up!

I know it doesn't mean much coming from a stranger on the internet, but I promise you that God is there and he loves you so, so much.

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