Christians keep saying I have to "choose" to accept Jesus. I'm all about making choices, and I have nothing against accepting Jesus; unfortunately I got beyond a 4th grade education.
So let's say I go ahead and choose to accept him. Will I then suddenly believe that the universe was created in 7 literal days by an all-powerful deity who is merciful, but sometimes wipes out whole cities just for fun?
Will choosing to accept Jesus overcome my ability to seperate fact from fantasy and logic from fertilizer? Or do I first need to believe that true equals false before I can accept Jesus?
Which do I have to do first, accept Jesus, or stop being intelligent?
2006-09-09 14:53:38 · 25 answers · asked by abram.kelly 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Right. So I think my issue is, why the hell would I believe the nonsense unless I already accepted Jesus, and how could I possibly accept Jesus without believing the bible first?
2006-09-09 15:01:32 · update #1
I don't know what Christians you've been talking to, but there's no real choosing involved--at least not at first. God chooses us. He wants and desires to have a relationship with us. That is why we were created.
So, let's say that you want to become a Christian. Does that mean you will be magically made to believe that all these things you question are true? Not by a long-shot. God doesn't force his will on anyone. Nor does becoming a Christian inflict stupidity upon God's people. Are there studid Christians? Absolutely. Are there stupid non-Christians? Absolutely. No one is perfect, and that is the reason that Christ came to die. He died for our lack of perfection. We are all flawed people, and it took a perfect sacrifice to cover over our sins. That is why Jesus came.
I'm in ministry and there are things that I still question. However, I am able to place the things that I don't know or understand in the hands of one that does know and understand. God is sovereign, and just because I don't know or can't fathom how something has come to pass doesn't make it any less wonderful.
You sound like you've got a little chip on your shoulder. People are telling you that you have to accept things with blind faith? In a way, they're right. Putting trust in Jesus isn't easy. There are things that don't make sense. I've learned just to accept those things. Am I stupid for doing so? I don't think so. It all boils down to having to trust that God will work all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. Unless God draws someone, it is impossible for them to come to him. I truly hope that you feel the pull of God's Holy Spirit because unless you do, it will be impossible to make sense of anything that you are having trouble with. The Bible says in I Corinthians that God uses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise and the weak things to shame the strong. Basically, there is no real way to try and figure God out. But I do hope that you come to know him.
2006-09-09 15:05:08 · answer #1 · answered by Walking in Freedom 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You obviously can't do either. Your going to believe what you want to believe regardless of how people respond to your question which is actually not a question at all it's more like a statement. But you say "choose" like it's a joke and i noticed that u refered to the Bible as a "story" which means that you don't believe in it o any part of it in the first place. There is nothing in the Bible that can be proven wrong, that's a guarantee, no person on this Earth can prove 100% one thing wrong or UN true thats in the Bible. Now from what i understand it's a lot better to believe in something that i can say i no is true, rather than to down something that i can't prove isn't! If and i say if speaking from your point of view, If everything in the Bible is true and there is a Heaven and a hell would it not be better to take the chance rather than to burn in hell for eternity? If you were intellegent you would ask for direction from a pastor or a family member instead of people over the internet!
2006-09-09 15:10:30 · answer #2 · answered by Ash 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When/ if you ever give your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will come inside you. If you get in a good church (not all churches are alike) you will learn Truth.
It's a supernatural thing when the Holy Spirit helps you. Seriously....I didn't understand the Bible until the day after I asked Christ to run my life. I was as lost as you are. I used to call non-denominational churches "religion of the month club". I thought it was people that just couldn't commit to a church. I was wrong. A non-denominational church will not TELL you what to believe. You get to learn it on your own using LOGIC & life experience. Everything I believe from the Bible, I've questioned. Because I'm a medical scientist, I need proof to believe something. Most of my pastors didn't go to seminary, they lived real, sinful lives and have been transformed. Most of them were chemical & electrical engineers. One a phd geologist, an ER nurse, a chemist, a botanist & radiation safety officer. They all used logic in helping me understand things.
You can keep knocking Christianity, but what happens is that when you finally DO get saved.....you will have so much more zeal and you'll want to tell everyone how awesome it is!
2006-09-10 10:18:28 · answer #3 · answered by megmom 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you believe all the stories in the bible are 100% true you deserve a free Labotamy.
Several parts of it are completely bogus...
In Levidicus it states that Rabbits chew their cud and that Grasshoppers have four legs. In one of the Psalms it states that "happieness is beating children upon the rocks". The thing about the "Red" sea? Not only did it also happen to Napolean, it also occured at a completely different location... that was known as the "Reed" sea. Not verry deep only a few feet deep(4-5 i believe).
2006-09-09 15:36:51 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Believe in people. Accept that there are good people and bad people in this world. Accept the fact that there is a logical reason for everything. Don't accept things just for the sake of fitting in.
A religion gives you passage to a community. It's up to you to evaluate the benefits of that particular community.
I choose to lead my life with my brain and trust my heart.
2006-09-09 15:20:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
first of all, no one is pressuring you. i am a christian and everything became clear. not all at once. you can choose to believe what you want, but god ,nor anyone else can force your decision. at 1st grade i was working in an upper highschool level, so i can tell you right know you dont have to be stupid to believe in god. as a matter of fact, it would be stupid not to. by the way, earth was created in six days, on the seventh he rested. and he dose not destroy whole cities just for fun. if you read the bible you will find that all he has done was not in foolishness but for a greater cause that you and i will never understand on earth
2006-09-09 15:09:35 · answer #6 · answered by kyle caudill 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Or have you rejected eternal life?
" I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life; no man can come to the Father except through me".- Jesus
" I am the resurrection and the life; he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ; and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die". - Jesus (Jn. 11:25)
" Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved". (Acts 4:12)
" God is patient and longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance".
God Bless You! And Happy Eternity!
2006-09-09 15:08:59 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
you do not ought to position self assurance in a literal Adam and Eve to trust that people are sinful. the whole "fall of guy" tale can quite be taken as a metaphor for the variety of human knowledge and the consequent duty to make moral judgements. If the in worry-free words Christian theology you've been uncovered to is the dumbed-down literal belongings you probable do not understand how the more beneficial wise Christians imagine of it, yet there is surely no reason to position self assurance in a literal "unique sin" to trust that people fall short and desire a fashion to be restored to oneness with God. The "blood for sins" portion of the tale isn't inevitably taken as literal, both. i have run into an excellent variety of Christians who do not trust that there change into some variety of literal magic that surpassed off on the demise of Jesus, redeeming the sins of people; quite that Jesus coming to earth in human variety and suffering as something individuals did provided a approach for people to fix a courting with God even with their flaws.
2016-10-15 23:50:26 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You do not accept Jesus as your personal savior. You have to repent, be baptized in Jesus Name, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This is the plan of salvation in Acts 2:38, the first message preached to the church after the ourpouring of the Holy Ghost.
2006-09-09 14:56:05 · answer #9 · answered by Southern Apostolic 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You can't accept Jesus and be forgiven unless you believe what the Bible teaches. If you claim to and don't believe the Bible is God's word, in that great day Jesus will say "I don't know you." It's that simple.
2006-09-09 14:59:27 · answer #10 · answered by Calamity Jane 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋