So Can The Christians In Here Tell Me If I Have This Right?

Question

You just "accepted" Christ is God and that he died for you FIRST, without proof of such a thing.

Then it was only AFTER you did that, you got special abilities to understand the bible to support your new position and beliefs?

I am asking because of answers given by Christians saying you have to accept Jesus FIRST and only then you get to understand the bible and of course, your understanding would be supportive of what you have accepted.

This is very different to how other religions operate. Most require you to fully investigate, spiritually search for the path
of enlightenment and after you do, you need to fully understand all the doctrines etc before you make a committment.

So now my question is, what made you take that blind leap of faith to accept Jesus in the first place?

I am asking just to try to understand where you guys are coming from.

Answer 1

okay, personally, I examined first before I decided to believe. that's how it worked for me.

that's why I said in your other question to examine things first, because to just accept without even thinking what you're accepting is nothing but letting other people make a fool out of you.

Answer 2

Good question.

People come to Christ any number of ways. In Jesus' time He said, if you do not believe in what I say, believe in the miracles I have performed. Even when miracles were "in their face," many still failed to believe.

The Bible also states that, although God the Father desires that NONE should perish, God sent Jesus to pay the price for ALL. Nevertheless, this gift of forgiveness, justification, and salvation which is all wrapped up in Jesus is available to ALL, but only accepted by a few. These few God foreknew, and are called by God. Like Jesus said, His sheep will hear His voice. The implication is that not everybody will accept the gift of Christ through faith.

That fact does not mean that speading of the Good News should cease, rather, it needs to be preached to all the world.

For me, I was at a Baptist revival - despite growing up Presbyterian - and my spirit stirred inside of me. I realized my sin, and that I was under a sentence of condemnation to the Flames of Hell for my sins...for God is righteous and just and will punish the guilty. I also realized His love and mercy for each of us by providing a way to escape this fate through faith in His Son. Despite being shy, I KNEW I could not leave that auditorium without going down front during the altar call and accepting Jesus into my life. I did. And I agree with what you say...following that single event, my life changed in ways I cannot explain. I have hope and joy that has nothing to do with my circumstances. I want to follow the Lord. My mind is opened more every day as I read the Bible and seek to understand the nature of God more...everyday. The lifelong transformation via the indwelling Holy Spirit into a more Christ-like person is amazing.

Was my conversion blind faith? Probably not. I went to church for years and knew the basics of Christian doctrine. I realize now how little I really knew! Nevertheless, it was the Spirit moving in me that COMPELLED me to act.

Answer 3

From The Bible, we are told that God's Spirit convicts the whole world of sin. Some heed this conviction and begin searching for the truth. The bible says" I AM< THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, NO MAN COMES UNTO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY ME" This is the words of Christ in John:14:6-7
Be sure of this, if you are searching for the Truth you should research the Holy Bible. God will show Himself to those who from a pure heart repent, agnowlege our need of Him, and accept the free gift of salvation. It isn't just a little prayer, but it can start there. Ask God, The Father of Christ to reveal Himself to you. If you ask this in sincerity, you will not be disapointed. Also remember there are many wolves dressed in sheep's clothing. So, just because of what one says does not always make them who they say.
You are obviously searching for more meaning in life, and I will pray that God would open your eyes to the Truth of His deep love for you.
We live in an evil day when anti-God and anti-Christ spirits are everywhere, and even this letter will be openly attacked, because of those who choose darkness rather that light.

Answer 4

You've got things in kind of a reverse order...
First thing is: You have to believe there is God. Then, you have to come to realize that you are a sinner, and that you need a sacrifice for that sin to be able to come to God. If you do not believe that there is sin, or that the Law(Bible)determines what sin is, then you are on your own.
If indeed you realize that you have sinned, and repent of those sins, then you come to the feet of Messiah for forgiveness. That is a STARTING point, and you become 'born again'. From that point, you then study the Bible in spirit and truth, and ask the Father to guide you in your new life.
Going back to point #1: you have to believe before you see. That is what FAITH is all about. The seed of faith is in everyone. Just some people remove the seed before it can sprout.

Answer 5

I think you are called upon first and if you decide not to accept the call then that's your choice.

If you accept, you don't start out preaching the next day at a revival, you start out slow just like a new born doesn't eat solids.

You also receive the Holy Spirit, which you know helps you understand and teach you.

No, just ask the true God if their is a way to prove to you that you should worship him and his son, that he would show you. ( but of course he doesn't have to do anything )

Answer 6

Jesus simply put it this way. He told his disciples to follow after him. He told them that if they were tired of living a life filled with failure and regret and wanted to change it for the better, He would show them and teach them. They had to accept Jesus as the answer first before they learned and received understanding of the ways of God the Father.

As followers of Christ, we must also follow in the same manner as the first 12 did.

Answer 7

Just being a christian doesn't give you automatic revalation of the bible. I don't know who told you that. Many parts of the bible, in my opinion, are too difficult to understand - Revelation for example. It takes a literal bible scholar to get to the bottom of that one. If you just read with an open mind, God will reveal himself to you. I have been a christian for most of my life. I backslid when I was in my early 20's. I thought you had to be perfect in order to go to church. I was doing drugs and living a party lifestyle so I didn't go to church because I was far from perfect. I went to talk to the pastor of a non denominational church about the subject. He told me that Jesus loved me no matter what I was doing and that all I needed to do was be willing to accept Him, repent of my sin and willing to change my lifestyle and that you don't have to be perfect in order to be a christian or go to church. That unconditional love and acceptance "hooked" me. I had never felt that kind of acceptance before. At that point I decided to re-dedicate my life to christ. That was 17 years ago. I choose to believe and have faith. I am still not perfect nor will I ever be.

Answer 8

>> Most require you to fully investigate, spiritually search for the path of enlightenment and after you do, you need to fully understand all the doctrines etc. before you make a committment. <<

And that was the way of the Church for the first five centuries.

"Catechumen," in the early Church, was the name applied to one who had not yet been initiated into the sacred mysteries, but was undergoing a course of preparation for that purpose. The word occurs in Gal. vi, 6: "Let him that is instructed in the word, [ho katechoumenos, is qui catechizatur] communicate to him that instructeth him [to katechounti, ei qui catechizat] in all good things." Other parts of the verb katicksein occur in I Cor., xiv, 19; Luke, i, 4; Acts, xviii, 24.

See:

Answer 9

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

The Holy Spirit is the one who comes into your life at conversion, and HE is the one who gives you understanding of the Scripturs, which were HIDDEN to you before you believed.
John 14:26

Christianity is a UNIQUE religion, and one BIG reason the world does NOT understand it, and HATES it. It is exculsive in that Jesus himself said “I am the WAY the truth and the life, NO ONE comes to the Father, but by me”. John 14:6 ….Jesus said that NOT I.

If you need to INVESTIGATE for yourself I highly recommend you read
The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity by Lee Strobel

My heart as a child was warmed by the fact that Jesus said he LOVED me… he wanted to come into my heart and be mine. It wasn’t a BLIND leap by any means! I understood as a child.
That is what Jesus said you must do even as an adult.

God says in the Word, I have called you, you are mine.
God DRAWS you to himself.
You are SEEKING, God is DRAWING.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Matt 7:7-8

Answer 10

it is not that we just had faith, we gave up faith in ourselves and this world. I know I personally spent a lot of time reading and searching for the truth before I got to that place. I always believed in what Christ did for us but until I took it on personally, meant for me, it did not really open up to me. The vast difference I experienced in the things I had learned before were amazing. Until someone is willing to take that step and let go of even faith in their own self they don't seem to be able to fully grasp the whole picture. Believe me even I was amazed at how little I understood before, God opens the eyes of our hearts and minds to knew things.