Christians only! No disrespect to any others.
When we take the story of Jesus, the bible, God, the plan for salvation etc. It seems there is this emphasis on "believing" Example: That who so ever shall believe upon Jesus etc. The way I honestly see it is this way: We have a very hard to believe story (virgin birth, miracles, Jesus being God) and then we are asked in Christianity to JUST believe this all happened without question. The creator of everything paid a visit 2000 years ago, born of a virgin, died on a cross for me (I'm told). We have this against dozens of other religions that all say that you can ask God to reveal "THEIR" idea of truth and he will if you ask..Holy Spirit etc.
Please explain what I'm missing here.
I ask this question in humility & honesty, if it's true it would seem it deserves my best efforts to uncover truth, if it can be found.
Why the "Believe" part...and how can I believe?
Already tried the prayer thing...nothing 11 years!
2006-11-27 05:24:05 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Royal: I thought the bible said: God is not willing that any shall perish
2006-11-27 05:30:05 · update #1
ANYONE can be called, the choice is up to us. However, we must believe and if we truly believe then we will follow the commands He set down for us. Belief takes more then intellectual knowledge, belief is action and knowledge working together. Simply acknowledging God is not belief, even Satan and his demons believe there is a God and that Jesus is His Son. You believe by hearing the Word, Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
Many claim to be Christians and many think they are, but only a small amount truly are Christians. When you truly seek God with your heart and you follow His commands then you will understand.
Luke 10:22-25 (New International Version)
22"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
23Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."
I am reading the same Bible I was reading before I became a true Christian, but it is vastly different when I read the words. It is as if the missing pieces to a puzzle have been returned, or someone who needs to wear glasses finally gets a pair and puts them on.
2006-11-27 06:19:48 · answer #1 · answered by Angie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some Christians are taught to study the scriptures first and then to sincerely pray (with belief & faith) about the things they have studied. That's the way it is in my religion.
To me, seeking out truth is just as much a logical process as it is a spiritual process. There are times when I have to study and think about the things I'm being taught. There are times when I feel the need to trust in God (and those are the times when I pray with faith).
I do not know if my answer helps you very much. But I encourage you to keep seeking out after God.
You could test the things that Jesus says to do in the New Testament. See if following his commands brings you greater peace in your life. Also if you haven't tried this yet, you could pray by saying the things you feel in your heart rather than repeating the phrases that you hear other people say. Those are just a couple ideas.
Matthew 7:17 & 18 - [this chapter talks about distinguishing between real and false prophets, but it can also apply to knowing if a religion is good]
"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."
2006-11-27 05:52:18 · answer #2 · answered by ☼Grace☼ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Google Mithra and you will find this same hard to believe story about the angel the virgin and a celebration on December 25. All happening more than a thousand years before Jesus was supposed to be born.
The bible is a lie about God and Jesus.
Love and blessings Don
2006-11-27 05:31:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK well as for prayer. You can do this on your own, you don't need God to come down and magically make you believe. You just have to believe. It's like when you drive. When you drive you just believe that when your foot hits the brakes the car will stop. You don't prove it, you don't think about it, you just believe that the car will stop. Same thing with God, you just pray and talk to him like a friend and say "I do believe that you are real". You can question, you can think about it, in fact the more you question the better off you are. But when you look around you, do you see God's hand in all this? Look at God like she/he is nature....he is everywhere. every time you see a sunset, God painted that. You just have to see God, and if you can't....I am sorry. But it's ok, you can still get to heaven =) I don't believe that only I have the truth, I think anyone who is good can get to heaven. I just think my road is the easiest to travel upon....
():-D
shadowgirl
2006-11-27 05:32:21 · answer #4 · answered by Mr. T, formerly known as Shadow. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one of TheTrue Christian Faith can "prove" any thing to you... God's call is to every on but only a few will respond. Ant the responce must be in The Way he proscribes....all who come to God in The Way He proscribes will receive His free gift of Salvation and with it all that it intails.
Part of the comeing to God requires compleat submission... that is what stops most all... Also required is the admission that you need to but that you are not worthy to... also most difficult.... Comeing to God is not an easy task for most.... it took me a long time....
To put it some simple... God makes the rules...you and I do not... you can not come to God on your terms... only in The Way
as to the virgin birth et al.... god created this intire universe... God put in place all the rules/laws that controle the functioning of this universe.... if God wants a virgin to give birth a virgin will give birth
God is not bound by the science of this universe... he created the science of this univers
I accept honest email questions concerning the basics of The True Christian Faith. 1 honest question receives 1 honest aanswer to the best of my ability.
2006-11-27 05:43:37 · answer #5 · answered by IdahoMike 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is hard to believe which is why so many people aren't Christians. We believe because we trust in the Almighty God, and have faith that His Word is true.
For me, when I want to understand something that God has chosen not to reveal to me I rest in the peace that He is sovereign and according to Romans I am in no position to question the Creator. There are somethings that we aren't going to understand until Christ returns but we should have the "peace that surpasses all understanding".
Examine why you are asking these questions-James says if God doesn't answer our prayers it is because we are asking with selfish ambition and impure motivation.
Hopes this helps-Stay strong and stay blessed!
2006-11-27 05:33:02 · answer #6 · answered by keepingGodfirst 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Belief is the beginning. Faith comes next. Your works sustain you. How can you believe without first understanding the Scriptures? The concept of belief alone saving you is false. There is a lot more involved. But let's say belief is enough, for argument's sake. Next question is: what to believe? For example, what if you find out that the Trinity is false? Can believing in a false teaching save you? Of course not.
False beliefs will not save anyone.
2006-11-27 05:31:59 · answer #7 · answered by Taipan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pay attention: Have you been born again, washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you saved and know it beyond a shadow of a doubt? If not, there is only a certain few scriptures you have to believe( Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: {power: or, Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 1Jo 3:23 ¶ And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. Joh 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Other than these few and a few like them, if you have not come this far, nothing else will ever mean anything to you. God ask not that you trust the written word(for lack of understanding) but, the living word which is Christ. Repent and confess Christ to God and He will save you for Jesus sake. Otherwise, it really dosen't matter what you believe, the end result is the same.
2016-05-23 10:55:50 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is more to "Believing". One must avail themselves to what Christianity believes about God and about Jesus by reading the accounts about them in the Bible. Then one will receive "Faith" from God about the events and characters describe in the Bible. This has been my experience, but then I am required by God to live out what God or Jesus tells me to live out. Belief leads to Faith and Faith will lead to a living relationship with Jesus Christ, God's adorable Son.
2006-11-27 05:35:32 · answer #9 · answered by brother g 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my dear friend you are right at the door and just hesitating to go in. The apostle paul said "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." You already have the faith or the question would not be asked, prayer is not going to help you if you doubt who you are praying to. Step into it with faith, accept it, and watch the lord work....
1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
2006-11-27 05:36:28 · answer #10 · answered by Robert K 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋