lately i've been feeling like i only believe in God and Jesus because i want to go to heaven. is this wrong to do?? i dont know if i am really a christian because i dont know if i just am tricking myself into believing that i believe in God and am saved, for comfort ya know? how do i know that i am NOT doing this?? i really do want a realationship with God, i just hope that i dont want it bc i want eternal life.
how do i become closer to God?
how do i know i am truely saved?
why cant i get this out of my mind!
im 13 by the way... please help me, this is really bothering me..
2007-01-23 13:35:43 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"lately i've been feeling like i only believe in God and Jesus because i want to go to heaven. is this wrong to do?"
I think that it is sometimes troubling, but at the same time I am proud to be one of God's children.
"i dont know if i am really a christian because i dont know if i just am tricking myself into believing that i believe in God and am saved, for comfort ya know?"
What are you trusting him for? He said that if you believe in Jesus, that you would be saved. That's axiomatic then, isn't it? He said it, it's done. So his sacrifice is done, his coming was foretold and it happened, and so now you are trusting him for what he promised. That's faith. That's knowledge. That's understanding.
"how do i know that i am NOT doing this?? i really do want a realationship with God, i just hope that i dont want it bc i want eternal life. "
Okay, you don't want a relationship just for eternal life, right? Then love him. Eternal life is yours for trusting him. So what then? I will tell you as I go.
"how do i become closer to God?"
Get to know him better than you do. Read the entire Bible, that's being committed. That's training for the understanding that you lack. Talk to him. Don't even call it prayer. Just talk to him about anything that you care about, especially this that you are asking.
"how do i know i am truely saved?"
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. You must hear the word of God preached by a good preacher. There are a lot of bad ones out there. I really think that many pastors are ditracted away from the Gospel. Here's one that I listen to sometimes:
http://www.twft.com/
Just choose which one you are wanting to listen to. He gets a little legalistic at times, but he does well in the Biuble teaching department. Give him a try, you can listen at home.
"why cant i get this out of my mind!"
Whoa! You are young! Cool out. M E L L O W. Don't do everything in one day, just take your time. It'll come easier when you are detrermined, set upon the right path, and use your time to accomplish what you were asking about. Don't wait too long, get it going, but be smooth, okay? It's like driving a car with a manual transmission. You have to get the feel of the clutch, easy now.
You can e-mail me if you want. I'll answer whatever you want. ( :
2007-01-23 13:57:56 · answer #1 · answered by Christian Sinner 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Theres nothing wrong with wanting to go to heaven or want an eternal life - it's part of the motivation to get you thinking about what you do with your life now ...
Moving closer to God takes time ... you learn along the way much the same way you learn about the people you make friends with ...
The best way to sit and talk things out is to go to a local youth group and chat with other young people and their youth leaders ...
Your curiousity and questions are much like any other person searching ... I hope you have a place nearby to go and check things out ...
2007-01-23 21:43:53 · answer #2 · answered by kharas3an 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am glad you want a closer walk with God. The Bible says draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Pray Gods will. Seek and you will find. So renew your mind... study the Bible and find a good church to go to.
It isn't wrong to want to go to Heaven. We all do and this is a start. Since you want to have a relationship with God, this shows you are maturing. The Devil will try to put doubt in you mind that you are saved. This is where faith comes in. You must believe it, then you will accept it, and that will be that. Pray on the full armor of God. Read and study this in Ephesians 6:12- . When we pray Gods word, we are in His will and have power from upon high.
2007-01-23 21:49:13 · answer #3 · answered by RB 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Spot on sister.]
The question we all need to consider is WHY do we want to go to heaven?
As a pastor, I'd say you are on the right track. You become closer to God by, as Jesus said, loving God with all your heart, mind, body, soul AND your neighbor as yourself.
If you are baptized and believe, you are saved. You can know this for certain because Jesus said it.
You can't get this out of the mind because Satan is trying to break in. Martin Luther said we can't keep the birds from flying over our heads, but we can stop them from nesting there. Try training your mind to block the yammering by singing Jesus Loves me this I know whenever it starts up.
God bless and blossom in Jesus.
2007-01-23 22:16:36 · answer #4 · answered by Joe Cool 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a great question that I know that a lot of people have. It's normal to have a lot of doubts and questions. So many people have spent a lot of time searching into Christianity and found it truthful. Maybe check out Lee Strobel's book "The Case for Christ." Maybe look into why people believe in Christianity beyond just going to heaven. Maybe ask someone who you know that you feel believes in Christianity beyond just wanting to go to heaven. Christianity is about a real God who acts all around us everyday, interacting with us.
churchtogether.blogspot.com
2007-01-23 22:19:26 · answer #5 · answered by DrThorne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello;
I understand your plight. You are still young, and decisions are hard to come by. From your question, I seems you are sincere. Get to know the pastor of your church. Join the youth group or a Bible study. You get closer to God, by reading His word, the Bible.
You can know that you are saved. In the book of Romans, chapter 10 vs. 13; "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." If you have studied what is required of
you for salvation. Believing that Jesus Christ is God's Son. Confessed His name before men. Repent of your sins. Were baptized by immersion. You are SAVED!
Continue to live your life according to His teachings. Attend worship, confess your sins again if you transgress then the following applies to you. "...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Revelation 2:10.
Leave the weightier things of life, and the complicated thought processes to God. Do your best, He will do the rest.
" But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. " 1 John 1:7.
2007-01-23 22:06:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dear Heart:
There is nothing wrong in wanting to Return to your Creator when you pass from this life. There is nothing wrong in wanting Eternal life. You were Created to have both. Those two gifts belong to you. They are your inheritance. We are not saved at one given moment when baptized. We are saved, truly, moment by moment in accordance with how we choose to live and by increasing our relationship with the Holy Spirit and Jesus year by year. To be saved, we must have a "tight" relationship with Them that is quite personal and strong.
To establish that relationship we first need to:
1. Acknowledge Them and Their Presence within our minds.
2. Ask Them questions and listen for Their answers.
3. Read material you feel directed toward. This may be bible reading, OR books that transcend the bibles in Knowledge. Ask Jesus what to read. Go to a library and see if you feel directed toward certain books. When your Will is joined to Their Will, you will never choose occult or satanic literature. So, do not be afraid of choosing wrongly.
4. Bring Jesus and the Holy Spirit into all your life decisions. They will offer you the highest and best route, always.
5. Learn to speak with them, mentally, throughout the day as Best Friends.
The Holy Spirit speaks to you in ideas and thoughts He gives you. It may seem like your own inner voice or it can come as a non-tonal whispery voice. Jesus has a voice you will recognize. They speak to us mind to mind. Thought to Thought. Make this part of your life and the fears you now have will disappear due to that relationship you have developed.
Church going and bible reading are not necessary. It's the personal relationship you develop with Them that counts. They are your Counselors, Teachers and Best Friends.
Best regards to you, Lana
2007-01-23 22:26:42 · answer #7 · answered by Lana S (1) 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey this is a wonderful question. It is sometimes hard to figure out what we feel about God..but it can be sorted out if you don't give up.
To have a relationship with anyone, we have to get to know them..sometimes it takes longer to get to know some faster than others. Sometimes it depends on how much time we spend with them, talking to them and learning about them, getting to know their likes, dislikes..learning what kind of people they like as friends.....growing to like them etc.
Wit God, we have nature and the Bible and love we see in others as our guide to get to know God. You can just talk to him and ask what you asked us...you can read stories in the bible..you can look up things about God that will tell you what He is like..and while you talk with him, read about Him, you are learning what He likes..what He wants for you...what He has for you...how He can help you etc.
Perhaps you cannot get this out of your mind because the Holy Spirit is promting you to think about God and learn so much more about Him...you are Gods child no matter what you do in this life. When Jesus was resurrected, He said He would send us a Comforter..that Comforter is the Holy Spirit...He is putting those thoughts into your head...it happens to a lot of us.
Please don't let go your search...with God you can have everything..God never promised us no pain or struggle..but He peomised those who remained faithful to Him that they would have a wonderful life after this one.
God Bless.
2007-01-23 21:49:30 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Eternal life is the gift that comes with salvation! Salvation is free, Jesus paid for it. All you do is accept it.
To do that, you just believe in your heart, sincerely, and turn from your old ways to follow Christ.
how do i become closer to God?
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You just spend time with him! Love him, pray to him, read his word, and just remember him everywhere you go. When a person is a love with another person, they can't stop thinking about them. It's very similar with God.
how do i know i am truely saved?
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If you've accepted that gift I already talked about, you got your ticket to heaven. Have faith in it!
why cant i get this out of my mind!
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You gotta focus on God, and not the problems around you. This is a generation of revival! I know it's coming, and its starting through the youth! Just have faith that God will perform a miracle, and he will!
2007-01-23 21:51:10 · answer #9 · answered by Doug 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I feel very proud of you for thinking this way
to me God is real and the only way to know this is by your level of faith keep on believing and don't let it bother you any and if you feel that you made a mistake just ask for forgiveness and you'll be just fine. also get baptized with the holly spirit and as you pray it would be like having the hot Line to God
God bless you.
2007-01-23 21:49:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋