How do you bring yourself to a Saving Knowledge of Jesus Christ?

Question

This may seem like a crazy question to most devout Christians, but how do you bring yourself to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? I mean, I have been raised in a Southern Baptist Church and, in a way, kind of thought that I was a Christian, but my best friend is the most wonderful young lady I have ever met in my life and we have often talked about God and Salvation, and the thing is that from what I have learned in Church, I can carry on an intelligent conversation that seems to show that I am a very mature Christian, but the bad thing is that I can say it all that I want to, but I can't feel it. It's like Satan is standing in my way of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I know this must be the case, because when I try to pray to God for forgiveness it is like I am up against a brick wall. This is a very sad and disturbing situation to me. Thanks for taking the time to read and answer this.

Answer 1

I find that I am closest to God in worship. I find forgiveness and unconditional love at His throne. Put in a good worship CD, like Mercy Me or Casting Crowns and just sit at the feet of Jesus. Close your eyes and commune with your Creator. You will feel Him working in your heart. It's an amazing thing, this gift of worship. Most churches open with worship to ready our hearts for the word. It is through worship that we open ourselves up to the Lord. I know what it is like to be in an almost just existing state with the Lord. It gets depressing. I wrote a song about just this subject called "Can I Get Back"

I'm weary and alone
I'm scared and I'm weak
My heart, it longs for home
Your love I do seek
I've lost my way somehow
And I don't know the way back
And this sinful life I've found is not the right path

Will time take me back
To the place I used to be
Do You hear my cries for help
Do You still love me
And I feel a million miles away
From where I was yesterday
I need to know
Can I get back?

That's just part of it, but I think you will relate.

Answer 2

Know this, your sin has been forgiven. Not just the one sin from Adam but also the sins present and future. God through Messiah took the punishment for ALL your sins and not just one at a time. There is no other sacrifice to God which has been made save the one sacrifice of his son. To continue to ask forgiveness is redundant. Pray instead to God for the strength to follow his good and perfect will for your life. That his will would become your will. Sin will happen in your life because you and I are trapped in our flesh. Death is the only release. Until God takes you home remain in is love and you will know his love. Have faith and do not doubt, the road is narrow and the way hard but with faith all things are possible.

Answer 3

I think it is Satan that's trying to block your relationship with Jesus Christ, although, as Christians, I don't think we should feel that anything is blocking our salvation. There are lots of verses in the Bible that show us our salvation is not temporary, it's forever. I believe that Satan definitely does things to try to keep us apart from The Lord. I think the thing to do is to read the Bible, every day, and to search for verses that will help you feel Jesus' presence and power. I also think that if you pray to Him, He will hear you and you will know that you've been heard. The power of prayer is amazing. Try to find someone to pray with, because I think it's even more powerful to pray with someone. It's awesome to see the power of prayer and to feel it. I believe you that once you have become saved through salvation, you can not lose that salvation (there are verses that point that out in the Bible).

Answer 4

Hi south_marengo. Jesus tells us in John 6:44:

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day."

What Christ is telling us in this verse, is that God decides when to draw us near. My advice is you continue in prayer. Praying often. God does not like a proud or rebellious heart, it is when we are broken in spirit that we finally surrender to Him. In Psalm 34:18 God tells us:

"The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit."

The fact that you seem to be concerned about your relationship with God may indicate your getting closer to Him.

Try praying the sinners prayer "God have mercy on me, for I am a sinner"

Answer 5

u must pray strong. try to pray with a friend.

and when u pray, maybe u can include this line,

" Satan, i bind u right now IN JESUS NAME. u shall NOT HAVE ANY MORE HOLD OF ME. GET BEHIND ME IN JESUS NAME!!!! " its ok to yell... cause u will feel more powerful.

talk to a friend. and admit all of ur inner grudges. satan is using the grudges u have in your life to bind against u. the power of confession is there. reach out for it and confess all of your dark sins, the sins u havent dared to tell God. thats probably why u cant talk to God comfortably.

hope it helps!!!

Answer 6

You are not alone in your feelings! Every Christian does combat with Satan continuously as he seeks to hinder our Christian growth. Don't ever be deceived by feelings as they have nothing to do with your salvation and they change continually. Thankfully Jesus overcame the flesh,the world, Satan, sin, death and hell and this victory became yours the moment you believed in him as your savior. The Lord does not promise we will "feel saved" as we walk by faith and not feeling. All Christians go through "dry" times and over "speed bumps" The moment you believed in Jesus you made a powerful enemy in Satan and it really rattled his cage because one of his own was translated into the Kingdom of God and you were ".....sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4 V30) in other words you were eternally saved and now Satan tries hard to conceal this undeniable fact from you. The Apostle Paul went through exactly the same thing that you are going through as we read in Romans Ch.7 and 8 and he finally realized that it didn't really matter as Satan has no hold over him any more and irrespective of his "inner conflict" it was all overcome at the cross as his victory doesn't lie in him overcoming anything; his victory lies entirely in Jesus and what he did for him. Paul touches on this subject again in Ephesians Ch6 where he tells us that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against...........etc.,) Take heart, your situation is nothing new as I went through exactly the same thing when I was first born again and I eventually realized that my victory did not depend on me overcoming any thing as Jesus overcame all the things for me that I could not overcome myself. We read in 1st John Ch.5 V5 "who is he that overcomes the world? he that beleives that Jesus in the Christ" You now have nothing to overcome as Jesus has already done it for you and what you are experiencing now is only temporal as it will pass and then Satan will create a new problem when he sees that the present one has no effecr any more. Please keep in touch as I do understand your present situation. May the Lord Bless you as you continue to grow in his grace.

Answer 7

I think its upto every individual to decide. Evidence wouldnt be enough to prove it to everyone. Im not releigious, but i respect. I see jesus in alot of people, in most people. Meaning, regardless of the existence of a saviour, most people would die for what they believe in, and potentially die for the greater good. Maybe he didnt exist, but his personality certainly does, within every person who stands up for themselves. For me, jesus isnt a man, but a concept. I like to think that we all have the potential to be the man himself, and yet most of us are distracted by different, false values. For religious people, why worship the man when you can be the man, live his beliefs. For non believers, why does something need to be prooved for you to believe in it? i dont need evidence to appreciate that if jesus was real, then he did something amazing for us, set an example that nobody, not even those who do believe, follow.

Answer 8

accept Christ's sacrifice in your stead in your prayers and then accept it has happened regardless of feelings because God is the only one capable of keeping his end of the bargain..not you..trust him, and remember who you are (deep down), and what it means for him to keep his end of the bargain regardless...

Answer 9

WE ARE ALL SINNERS,IT IS UP TO YOU,FIRST YOU MUST BELIEVE AND WALK WITH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,JUST FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS, THE HOLY BIBLE,BELIEVE.
MANY HAVE READ THE HOLY BIBLE,BUT THEY ONLY SPEAK FROM THEIR MOUTHS AND NOT THEIR HEARTS .YOU MUST WRITE HIS WORDS IN YOUR HEART,SOUL AND MIND AND BELIEVE,WE ARE ONLY HUMAN,WE WILL MAKE MISTAKES, BUT HE WILL
FORGIVE,DO NOT REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKES FOR HE
KNOWS OUR HEARTS,HE IS LOVE.

Answer 10

Lord Jesus, Let Me Know Myself

Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know Thee,
And desire nothing save only Thee.
Let me hate myself and love Thee.
Let me do everything for the sake of Thee.
Let me humble myself and exalt Thee.
Let me think of nothing except Thee.
Let me die to myself and live in Thee.
Let me accept whatever happens as from Thee.
Let me banish self and follow Thee,
And ever desire to follow Thee.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in Thee,
That I may deserve to be defended by Thee.
Let me fear for myself, let me fear Thee,
And let me be among those who are chosen by Thee.
Let me distrust myself and put my trust in Thee.
Let me be willing to obey for the sake of Thee.
Let me cling to nothing save only to Thee,
And let me be poor because of Thee.
Look upon me, that I may love Thee.
Call me that I may see Thee,
And for ever enjoy Thee.
Amen.


O Holy Spirit, most merciful Comforter: You proceed from the Father in a manner beyond our understanding. Come, I beseech You, and take up your abode in my heart. Purify and cleanse me from all sin, and sanctify my soul. Cleanse it from every impurity, water its dryness, melt its coldness, and save it from its sinful ways. Make me truly humble and resigned, that I may be pleasing to You, and that You might abide with me forever. Most Blessed Light, most Amiable Light, enlighten me. O Rapturous Joy of Paradise, Fount of Purest Delight, My God, give yourself to me and kindle in my innermost soul the fire of Your love. My Lord, instruct, direct, and defend me in all things. Give me strength against all immoderate fears and against despondency. Bestow upon me a true faith, a firm hope, and a sincere and a perfect love. Grant that I always do Thy Most Gracious Will. Amen.


Prayer to Holy Spirit by Saint Antiochus.
Prayer to Jesus by St. Augustine; (354-430)