Several people have raised this issue with me today and I was hoping to discuss it with others. What do you think about questioning your faith? Is it frightening? Is it challenging? Is it something you control or does it wax and wane on its own? Do you find your faith challenged on this board? Does it help you grow spiritually or does it bring you down?
Questioning your faith
- Thread starter aspen
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G
I have a very skeptical mind, and when I first believed in Christ, I would question all the time. But God proved faithful and true, and over the years the questions have faded, and my faith has grown. Nothing on CC, no matter how logical or how offensive; do you like how I grouped those together; has shaken my faith in the least. My Savior always proves true, even if, most of the time, He must prove my way of thinking wrong first. I love the intelligent debates here, and I enjoy contemplating some difficult topics; God says that iron sharpens iron, and I think that means that we as Christians will sometimes rub each other the wrong way, but the Lord will use it to hone our faith and make our belief stronger and more resolved for His cause. I love reading everyones posts, unless the thread turns to childish flirtations or useless banter. God bless you all!
C
Being a believer my question of faith didn't originate here...rather it led me here. I haven't been here on CC too long but do enjoy the site a lot. I went for too long without studying the scriptures and listening to God's voice, just trying to control everything from the flesh. I've found a lot of helpful and uplifting words here. Thank all you for being honest about your own faith or lack thereof..it all helps me to develop my relationship with God.
Using something as an excuse implies intent. In this example it also implies deception. I just think people do not like the idea of thinking deeply about spiritual issues - I do not think they are satanic or being attacked by the devil - can't you just have a difficult time with this stuff without the devil?
After re-reading my post - you are right - it doesn't make much sense - time for bed!
I do have to clarify though; C I do not think you are stupid, honest! On the contrary, I think you have well thought out posts and I respect what you have to say - please understand! I think people have been holding me to a high standards lately, I am just a normal guy who gets tired and doesn't always speak clearly. I am just doing the best I can, and enjoying life.
I do have to clarify though; C I do not think you are stupid, honest! On the contrary, I think you have well thought out posts and I respect what you have to say - please understand! I think people have been holding me to a high standards lately, I am just a normal guy who gets tired and doesn't always speak clearly. I am just doing the best I can, and enjoying life.
M
Being raised in a cult, I was taught to have more faith in a body of men than in God himself. On top of that I suffered much physicly and mentaly in the name of God that by the time I was able to run, the only faith that I had was mistrust.
Now several years later, several debates with atheist, agnostics and even christians, my faith has taken a two fold path. 1. I have absolute faith that there is a creator, no amount of debating with atheist or agnostics ever shook that. I have absolute faith that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected and the reason why? It is what is recorded in John 20:29; Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Without the intent of boasting, those who truly believe in Jesus have a strong faith. It can be shaken if you read the likes of Baigent, Armstrong or Pagels, it did with me, but there is no denying the world wide shaking of society by 1 man.
2. The other side of the coin is my faith in mans ability to interpret scripture. My faith does get depressed when I see sooooooo many different churches who teach different interpretations of scripture. My faith tells me that a God of love would want to have his word made plain and clear, not open to fanciful interpretation by imperfect men, leaving the door open for confusion, like with the Trinity, using pagan objects in the worship of God at holiday times, etc.
Matt
Now several years later, several debates with atheist, agnostics and even christians, my faith has taken a two fold path. 1. I have absolute faith that there is a creator, no amount of debating with atheist or agnostics ever shook that. I have absolute faith that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected and the reason why? It is what is recorded in John 20:29; Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Without the intent of boasting, those who truly believe in Jesus have a strong faith. It can be shaken if you read the likes of Baigent, Armstrong or Pagels, it did with me, but there is no denying the world wide shaking of society by 1 man.
2. The other side of the coin is my faith in mans ability to interpret scripture. My faith does get depressed when I see sooooooo many different churches who teach different interpretations of scripture. My faith tells me that a God of love would want to have his word made plain and clear, not open to fanciful interpretation by imperfect men, leaving the door open for confusion, like with the Trinity, using pagan objects in the worship of God at holiday times, etc.
Matt
K
I've found that "questioning your faith" is often a euphemism for trying to hold on to things you know you no longer believe, but would like to. It's a polite way to communicate that you're still sympathetic to the ideas, but need to work through your doubts.
I believe that a faith which isn't frequently tested is essentially fake. For instance, there are a number of doctrines which have no practical application but on which people hold strong views. Because the beliefs are never exercised, I don't really think they're issues of faith - they're pet doctrines. These are the bread and butter of debates, because debate is the only way you can reinforce them. If you can't live them, you might as well talk about them.
I say this because actual faith is tested every time it is exercised. Every time one acts in accordance with her faith, there is a moment in which she could choose not to, in which she could easily regress. It's not in conversation that actual faith is really tested - it's in the living of it.
I believe that a faith which isn't frequently tested is essentially fake. For instance, there are a number of doctrines which have no practical application but on which people hold strong views. Because the beliefs are never exercised, I don't really think they're issues of faith - they're pet doctrines. These are the bread and butter of debates, because debate is the only way you can reinforce them. If you can't live them, you might as well talk about them.
I say this because actual faith is tested every time it is exercised. Every time one acts in accordance with her faith, there is a moment in which she could choose not to, in which she could easily regress. It's not in conversation that actual faith is really tested - it's in the living of it.
S
We know that Christ died and shed His blood on a cross some 2,000 years ago. There are those that witnessed that event and wrote about it in the Scriptures that we have and can read. They have told us that Christ bore our sins upon His body and put our sins away in the grave. But on the third day they witnessed Christ being resurrected from the dead without sin. We were not there to see these things unfold as did the others but we can believe their report as it is written. We are to only believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ for salvation. There is no other name among men under heaven whereby we must be saved, forgiven and cleansed of all sin / Acts 4:12.
The only way for that truth concerning Jesus Christ and the cross to be tested is by believing it by faith. With our heart we believe unto righteousness and with our mouth we confess Christ to be saved / Rom 10:9,10. There is nothing fake about that. Thomas would not believe that Jesus rose from the dead unless he saw it with his own eyes. When Jesus appeared to Thomas with the others, Thomas believed and Jesus said to him this, You believe because you have seen but blessed are those who believe that have not seen / John 20:25-29. (that would be the rest of us)
When we hear that Christ died and shed His blood for our sins we have to exercise faith to believe because we have seen nothing. So faith becomes the evidence of things not seen but the substance of what we hope for / Heb 11:1 because that which it eternal can not be seen / 2Cor 4:18. If you can not believe by faith the testimony of those who have seen and been with Christ, then read Rom 1:18-20.
Check these out also so that you can be assured: 1Jn 3:19,20, 2Tim 3:14, Heb 10:22a, Heb 6:11.
The only way for that truth concerning Jesus Christ and the cross to be tested is by believing it by faith. With our heart we believe unto righteousness and with our mouth we confess Christ to be saved / Rom 10:9,10. There is nothing fake about that. Thomas would not believe that Jesus rose from the dead unless he saw it with his own eyes. When Jesus appeared to Thomas with the others, Thomas believed and Jesus said to him this, You believe because you have seen but blessed are those who believe that have not seen / John 20:25-29. (that would be the rest of us)
When we hear that Christ died and shed His blood for our sins we have to exercise faith to believe because we have seen nothing. So faith becomes the evidence of things not seen but the substance of what we hope for / Heb 11:1 because that which it eternal can not be seen / 2Cor 4:18. If you can not believe by faith the testimony of those who have seen and been with Christ, then read Rom 1:18-20.
Check these out also so that you can be assured: 1Jn 3:19,20, 2Tim 3:14, Heb 10:22a, Heb 6:11.
K
I apologize, I'm not sure what you're responding to or what you mean to communicate. Let me be explicit: I wasn't discussing the content of faith, which seems to be your focus, but how there's a difference between what people believe and what they merely say they believe. These are tested in different ways. If you only say you believe something, your faith will be tested more in debate, not in living out your faith. I don't think that's a real threat, though, but in fact an opportunity to come to actual faith.
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K
I'm sorry, but I'm still not sure what you're trying to communicate. If I'd wanted to give concrete examples of living out a faith, that might have been one I would have considered. As it stands, though, I haven't tried to give any indication that I think any specific belief is real or fake, merely that the true challenge to faith in general, be it about Christ's death or the details of eschatology, is not primarily in conversation.
S
I gave the example I did because you gave none. It was an example of testing the faith of the Son of God who died and gave His life for us. This gospel of faith that we preach is a very big part of our conversation whether in word or deed in the life we live. We encourage and edify one another with these words of faith. We build ourselves up in these words of the most holy faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. All this means is that God's faith comes to us through the preaching and teaching of the word and doctrine. We take what we have learned and walk by faith. As we walk by faith God reveals His righteousness in us through the Holy Spirit to produce good works that bear fruit in this life. To test what we have been taught we must walk by faith in obedience and God reveals Himself in us.
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