Am I becoming a better/worse Christian?

Question

I was raised Catholic and that was all well and good for a while but then I decide that devotion to God and his son should be perceived through multiple perspectives and not just on sect.

Thus I chose to become a non-denominational Christian.

I started reading the Bible and examined it EXTREMELY thoroughly (I do this often, breaking things down to the finest detail) and was doing well until I got to Duetoronomy. I guess you could say that chapter changed my life.

In Duetoronomy we're asked to stone disobedient children, force women to marry the men who rape them and do other things that waaay back when seemed appropriate.

I quickly skimmed through most of the rest and found that there are a lot of inconsistancies in the Bible that not only challenged my faith but made me understand why people are critical of our religion.

After doing that, I started analyzing my own life and realizing that I was doing things out of routine and not out of love and faith for God...

Sorry I ran out of space...

So after doing this, I stopped going to Church.

I did it b/c when I go to church I don't feel spiritually fulfilled. I don't feel happy and I don't feel the sense of community.

It has nothing to do w/ the church b/c the people there are wonderful and the priest has interesting ways of looking at things in the Bible.

It's just, the feeling isn't there anymore and all I feel is bored and tired.

So I considered it a waste.

Now I do things not to go to heaven/b/c the Bible told me to, but rather b/c I just know in my heart that its the right thing to do.

I think its my heart that sends God's guidance, not the Bible and not my church.

I feel as though I've established a much more personal and closer relationship with God, but many people disagree.

Who is right?

Answers to Welcome Home's Questions:

1. What is the purpose of you living the life of a Christian now?
To be a beacon of light for all to see. To show the world God's love and kindnes through me. To let everyone know that it doesn't take much to be good, to be caring, to be kind.

2. Do you love God yet?
Always.

3. Are you truly grateful for all that God has given us, and realize that through His Son you were saved?
I am grateful for all my fortunes and even my misfortunes b/c I have learned much from my pain and suffering and I will never forget Jesus' sacrifice. Oddly enough, I understand it so well that I would make the same sacrifice if so called.

4. Did you study the whole Bible through closely, as well as do as much background research as possible?
Not all of it, but a good deal. And when I say background research I mean REAL research of all kinds.

5. Are you satisfied where you are on your spiritual walk?
I'm obviously perplexed at this point. Unsure...

Answer 1

Go back and check your motives. God said the heart is deceitful and He knows your heart. Pray that if you've missed the mark in any way that God reveals it to you. Don't trust your feelings b/c our feelings are unstable. Ever told someone you loved them and then turned around and changed your mind? I can't put my finger on it but your approach seems a bit off to me. Just my opinion. Seek God and let His wisdom be your guide to righteous living. God bless you.

Answer 2

I think you're on the right track and certainly becoming a better Christian because you know you are closer to God and your motivation for doing the right thing is no longer rooted in personal gain, but for the sake of doing good.

It sounds like you made the mistake of reading the Bible from page 1 straight through. Deuteronomy and lots of the other books can be very confusing if taken out of context and if studied without the guidance of "those who have gone before us."

The Bible is a valuable document and if I were you, I'd give it another shot, but with some guidance and structure and background in the historical events that were occurring as various books were written.

Also, we should never give up meeting together for communal worship, which means you need to find a church. You'd probably want to start afresh, rather than going back to the place that left you spiritually unfilled. You might consider giving Catholicism another shot, since it doesn't sound like you were terribly well catechized as a kid. What you say you are looking for, I found in Catholicism. You might, too.

Answer 3

Everyone will choose their own path. Jesus does say that "not one is good" that means that we cant possibly gain the favor of God outside of a belief in His son. You didnt mention Jesus much in your question, so Im not sure if thats the route youre taking or not. Just remember that the bible is a complete story from beginning to end everything if fulfilled through the book. As a human its so easy to get discouraged by the OT, I still do and Ive been a born again Christian for 10 years. I was raised Catholic as well. I just have to have faith that even though I may not understand all of His decisions, I am His child and know that Jesus died for me. And because He died for me, I know that He atoned for the worlds sins and everything changed, there were not sacrifices made on earth to atone for sin and we are no longer under the mosaic laws and such.

So thats my perspective, also the bible states we are to test everything against the Word, so its good youre thinking. I wish you the best in your search and Gods peace to you

Answer 4

I think you need to reread the bible and try to understand the scripture, it is God's word. I felt as you did when I first read Deuteronomy, it blew my mind, however, there is deeper meaning to this all that really does make sense once you understand it. There are reasons for the actions in the OT, very good ones. Ones of LOVE, not cruelty.

You can not SKIM the Bible and call out inconsistencies. You haven't read to receive the whole context of what is being said. You can not pick verses out and analise it individually. If that is how it is done, yes, you can make it say anything you want it to say nearly. YOU MUST read it in its entirety for true meaning.

Answer 5

before becoming a non-denominational Christian and after being Catholic did you accept the Lord into your heart, do you have the Spirit? If you have been saved you will know, your doubts about scripture are valid but there are no contradictions in the Bible, Deuteronomy was an ancient book written for the tribal Jews. Remember what Paul said in 1 Cor 3:2.
I'll pray for you brother.

Answer 6

I understand what you're going through. After I made my discoveries of the inconsistencies within the Bible (and the horrids that lies within its pages...), I decided to just follow my heart and do what I felt was correct.

If you believe in Jesus, that's fine and dandy. Personally, I don't. But I drew my conclusions from years of research and a lot of prayer. We all have different paths, and that is why, in my opinion, organized, structured, strict religion is dangerous and foolish. God wants you to follow your heart. If you asked Jesus to come into your heart, and you follow your heart, then you're following Jesus, are you not? You just happen to be bypassing all the fanatical crazies out there that just want your money. :)

Answer 7

Feeling: You said that the feeling is gone. We as Christians should not based things on mere feelings, especially our faith. People come to me all the time and tell me that the feeling is gone, they don't feel like a Christian, they don't feel as though they are saved, and that is a problem.

This is what Satan uses as a tool to keep us from fulfilling God's will, He makes us feel as though we are not saved, and we spend so much time thinking about that we are not living towards God's will and He can't give us the right blessings because we are so preoccupied with whether or not we are actually saved...

Christian: God promised in the Bible that all those who repent, ask for forgivness, and live their lives according to His will then we are saved. We go to heaven, so no one here can judge whether or not you are becoming a better christian or not, because those are the things that you must do, and we don't know God's will for your life, only He does (along with you if you have seeked it)...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, let me ask a few questions please (you don't have to answer just some thought provoking questions).

1. What is the purpose of you living the life of a Christian now?

2. Do you love God yet?

3. Are you truly grateful for all that God has given us, and realize that through His Son you were saved?

4. Did you study the whole Bible through closely, as well as do as much background research as possible?

5. Are you satisfied where you are on your spiritual walk?

Those are just some questions, that we need to ask ourselves from time to time to keep our heads on straight...

Here are my answers:

1. My goal and purpose is to show others the mercy and love that God showed me, and to spread the news that everyone regardless of their past can be saved, and serve God. He gave me breath when I least deserved it... He showed me love, when I deserved hate... and that is a message worth showing everyone.

2. Yes, more now than ever and that love grows as we speak and with each passing day my life becomes more and more blessed (through the good and the bad) and God is there always never leaves, and never turns His back on me... How can I not love God?

3. Yes, I could sit down now, and begin to thank God... and I would die before I was done... He has just blessed my life with so many wonderful things, when I never even deserved a chance, His grace is unlimited and that is awesome because He knows I deserve to be in hell right now, and not here with health, love, family, friends, and His grace. His Son, loved me enough to shed His own tears and blood, that I can have life... that is just sooooo amazing... He came from heaven for me, and you, and the person that answers above me, and below me and everyone on and off of here....It's just breath taking

4. Sadly, there is much more work that I need to do in that field... I haven't done all that I could do, and I know that I need to... I have no excuse for not doing that other than my own self...

5. Nope. I want to be one step ahead, one step further. I am never satisfied on this walk... I want to be one step closer, one second closer... I want to be as close as possible. I want to do as much as possible and help as many as possible... I want to push forward with all i have... till i cant do it anymore...


Those are just some things that help me, and I do realize it was random.. -laughs- but I just wanted to share with you some things that I do.

God Bless, and remember let no one judge you my friend.

Answer 8

more than 70 % of atheists were once catholic. you must just believe in the father of Jesus, the God of love, not the fake god of the church. Jesus told the church that their god is the devil john 8 verse 44 and matthew 23 and today the people are still blinded . if you feel disgusted with the church, that means you are willing to listen to the holy spirit goto http://frikkiebotes.homemarker.com/cgi-bin/blog and start learning about the GOD OF LOVE

Answer 9

I feel you brother. I guess one way to look at it is to read the book of Job. God lets some pretty bad stuff happen to Job, and when Job cries out for an explanation, God basically tells him that it is beyond his understanding. I don't truly know why things happened the way they are set out in the Bible or why the rules changed over time.

Here is what I believe. Jesus was real. He was the son of God. He said the greatest commandments were to love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself. If you do that, you are doing what is necessary to enter the kingdom of God. Everything else is speculation.

Answer 10

As budha said, you have this thing and will have other thing too. You got the good and together you got the bad too. It is your concentration of the good and you neglect the bad. The blue grass is polution the lake but this blue grass is fertilizeing the ground.
vitamin E good for people to have iron in the blood. Too much iron in the blood cause cluts blocking in our vein.
As Toa said, the water float the boat, the water sink the boat.
We can use the rules characters then god or devil are the same.(Blue grass in the lake is devil. Blue grass in the ground is god.)

Answer 11

The problem is that you are reading the Bible in the flesh and not in the spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

I have been down the same road you have been. Started Catholic, moved to non-denom, tried to read the Bible and got discouraged. It was not until I actually asked Jesus into my heart as Lord and Savior, and prayed for the guidance through His Word via the Holy Spirit that it all became clear.

This very reason is why Jesus said this in John 5:39...
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me."