Main reason people become Christians?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
S

Seedz

Guest
#1
I by no means claim to be perfect or wise. I am young, and not very experienced in life.

However, I have come to think of a few things that I sort of only realized from myself having experienced them.

I've wondered what encourages someone to become a true Christian?

From what I have experienced some people try to become Christians because they fear that their souls will burn for eternity.

Some people want to have a prosperous and wealthy life.

Some people want healing, and some people are just scared that God is going to punish them.


I too thought this way, and I am guilty of having been motivated by some of these ways of thinking.

What I have now come to see is that I want to follow Christ because I want to live as I was intended to live by God.

I want to adhere to the original design and intentions God had set for his creation.

By doing so, we will lack nothing in every sense. Allowing the will of God to shape your life and character is truly the only way for us to find peace, love and communion with YHWH.

I think the focus has to be redirected and we need to understand that the modern world is pushing society further and further away from the original design that God had intended for our lives.

This way we will have better discernment when it comes to identifying snares set by the enemy.

If we truly allow the will of God to guide our path, everything else will follow.

Seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be added.
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#2
Only reason people become Christians -- The Lord.

(Makes it easier, no?)
 
S

Seedz

Guest
#3
Only reason people become Christians -- The Lord.

(Makes it easier, no?)
Well yes, but don't forget we have free will and WE chose to follow God.

We are not pre programmed robots and God does not make anyone a Christian. He is there for those that want to know him.

We have to use use our free will to follow God.
 

Waggles

Senior Member
Sep 21, 2017
3,338
1,261
113
South
adelaiderevival.com
#4
In respect to true Christians - true worshippers of the Father in
spirit and in truth (John 4)

God the Father calls such to himself through Jesus Christ.
Everybody has a different story, but a common thread is a vague
God consciousness.
An emptiness inside that needed to be filled spiritually.
A searching for truth.
Some people go church shopping never satisfied with the
teachings and doctrines they come across.

Then one day a person preaches to them the full gospel of
salvation and they come in to check it out.

I myself was dissatisfied with the hypocrisy and contradictions
of my Roman Catholic faith. I always knew that the practise never
matched the scriptures.

Then one day I read a testimony to being born new again by the
baptisms of water and the Holy Spirit - and how this had dramatically
changed the life a heroin drug addict for the better and she was also
healed from hepatitis C.

My inner man said to myself I want what she has.
And a man shared testimonies of himself and others to the power and
truth of the full gospel of salvation.
Bob opened up his KJV and read out scriptures to me about the Holy
Spirit - and the words came off the pages and entered my heart.
From that time on I was troubled and could not simply return to being
RC and content.

I had to find out if these scriptures were true and experience the
power and infilling of the Holy Spirit for myself.
God was calling me. I followed and bowed my knee to Jesus.

I got water baptised by full immersion, and a month later I was
baptised with the indwelling Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
And I knew at that moment that everything about Jesus as my God
and my Lord and as my Redeemer is true.
And that the scriptures to all this are true.
 
S

Seedz

Guest
#5
In respect to true Christians - true worshippers of the Father in
spirit and in truth (John 4)

God the Father calls such to himself through Jesus Christ.
Everybody has a different story, but a common thread is a vague
God consciousness.
An emptiness inside that needed to be filled spiritually.
A searching for truth.
Some people go church shopping never satisfied with the
teachings and doctrines they come across.

Then one day a person preaches to them the full gospel of
salvation and they come in to check it out.

I myself was dissatisfied with the hypocrisy and contradictions
of my Roman Catholic faith. I always knew that the practise never
matched the scriptures.

Then one day I read a testimony to being born new again by the
baptisms of water and the Holy Spirit - and how this had dramatically
changed the life a heroin drug addict for the better and she was also
healed from hepatitis C.

My inner man said to myself I want what she has.
And a man shared testimonies of himself and others to the power and
truth of the full gospel of salvation.
Bob opened up his KJV and read out scriptures to me about the Holy
Spirit - and the words came off the pages and entered my heart.
From that time on I was troubled and could not simply return to being
RC and content.

I had to find out if these scriptures were true and experience the
power and infilling of the Holy Spirit for myself.
God was calling me. I followed and bowed my knee to Jesus.

I got water baptised by full immersion, and a month later I was
baptised with the indwelling Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
And I knew at that moment that everything about Jesus as my God
and my Lord and as my Redeemer is true.
And that the scriptures to all this are true.

Glad you found the truth!

I find if interesting that a lot of true Christians came to faith after following their inner voice to find truth.

Unfortunately some other people end up finding false truths. (new age, false doctrines, etc)

We all have a God shaped void within us, and only God can fill that void.
 

Prov910

Senior Member
Jan 10, 2017
880
47
0
#6
Most of the responses so far have been reasons why people *should* become Christians. But I suspect many people are Christians simply because their parents were Christians. I'm not saying this is the right reason for becoming a Christian. I just think it's the most common reason. /jmho
 
M

Miri

Guest
#7
In order to properly answer this question, one has to ask what is a Christian.

I would say it is someone who has had an encounter with God.
 
S

Seedz

Guest
#8
In order to properly answer this question, one has to ask what is a Christian.

I would say it is someone who has had an encounter with God.

How would they know it is God YHWH?

The serpent is crafty...

The bible is the guide left for us by God to come to know him through Jesus and everything else enclosed within the holy book.
 

Waggles

Senior Member
Sep 21, 2017
3,338
1,261
113
South
adelaiderevival.com
#9
CONVERTS - being converted by the gospel

When we read the Acts of the Apostles we see that people (unbelievers)
have the gospel preached to them.
If they respond and obey what they are taught then they publicly before
others show this by their water baptism and confession of faith.
Then they seek and pray to receive the indwelling Holy Spirit ...

Why do some people believe and seek God and are glad when they
find him?
Why do others never believe?
Why do some believe but their faith is on stony ground and because
of tribulation they chuck the towel in?

Why do some become martyrs and are willing to die for Jesus
rather than deny him? And this is going on right now.
India persecutes Christians to death, along with Pakistan where
Christian persecution is state sponsored.

Real faith is spiritual not just mental.

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
John 12;32
And I have other sheep which are not of this fold. I must also lead those,
and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock, one Shepherd.
John 10:16
 

Tommy379

Notorious Member
Jan 12, 2016
7,589
1,151
113
#10
I became a Christian after receiving all the evidence, like a judge in a bench trial.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
113
#11
family pressure, peer pressure, lack of personal assurance, fear, etc...

I remember well my 'false' so called conversion as an early teen, hey
all my friends were doing it!!! the sad part is that we were cheated and
never brought under any kind of tutelage or re-inforcement of just HOW
or WHAT it meant to be a Christian...we all just seemed to go about our
usual ways, until Jesus truly did CALL, so many years later for me...
 

Prov910

Senior Member
Jan 10, 2017
880
47
0
#13
How would they know it is God YHWH?

The serpent is crafty...

The bible is the guide left for us by God to come to know him through Jesus and everything else enclosed within the holy book.
I've thought about this. If the encounter makes a person love God and want to grow closer to God, then it was God not the serpent.
 

Iconoclast

Senior Member
May 27, 2017
749
186
43
#14
Well yes, but don't forget we have free will and WE chose to follow God.

We are not pre programmed robots and God does not make anyone a Christian. He is there for those that want to know him.

We have to use use our free will to follow God.
There is no free will...the poster gave you the biblical response...Jonah can offer it also;
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
10 And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

No one..."becomes a christian"......God gives life to dead sinners....
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#15
Well yes, but don't forget we have free will and WE chose to follow God.

We are not pre programmed robots and God does not make anyone a Christian. He is there for those that want to know him.

We have to use use our free will to follow God.
The will is neither free nor ever going to choosing the Lord. That's modern gospel, not the gospel. And, indeed, we were preprogrammed with human nature which was at odds with supernature (God.)
 
S

Seedz

Guest
#16
The will is neither free nor ever going to choosing the Lord. That's modern gospel, not the gospel. And, indeed, we were preprogrammed with human nature which was at odds with supernature (God.)

Well, there is predestination and freewill.

Will, is your willingness to do. To chose. Predestination is the will of God and his sovereignty manifesting everywhere.

God has foreknowledge because he is omniscient and omnipotent. He knows everything and he is everywhere in time. Time is no concept for him. He exits in your future now as much as he does right now.

The fact that you can chose and decide to bend down and tie your shoe right away,or walk a few steps further to get out of the way of people means that you were willing to do it one way or another.

The fact that God can use that situation to bump you int,o your future God loving spouse is his foreknowledge and predestination specially if you had been praying in favor of his will for you in your life.

God does not worry about all the little details of your life like picking a brand of fabric softener at the store you chose to shop at on whichever particular day you like to do so.

However, God still knows what fabric softener you will be using 15 years from now, although it does not matter.

Salvation if of the Lord because there is no salvation but through Jesus Christ. He is the way and the only perfect sacrifice.

We all have the opportunity to be saved.
 

Huckleberry

Senior Member
Aug 25, 2013
1,698
96
48
#17
I can only speak for me.
When I was young I did bad things that hurt people.
I was haunted and in fear of hell for years after.
Later I became a parent and came to understand true love.
Then I found out there was a way to be forgiven and at peace.
That's my story.
 

Silverwings

Senior Member
Jul 27, 2016
1,368
495
83
#18
Because the Holy Spirit drew them and they responded!!
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#19
Well, there is predestination and freewill.

Will, is your willingness to do. To chose. Predestination is the will of God and his sovereignty manifesting everywhere.

God has foreknowledge because he is omniscient and omnipotent. He knows everything and he is everywhere in time. Time is no concept for him. He exits in your future now as much as he does right now.

The fact that you can chose and decide to bend down and tie your shoe right away,or walk a few steps further to get out of the way of people means that you were willing to do it one way or another.

The fact that God can use that situation to bump you int,o your future God loving spouse is his foreknowledge and predestination specially if you had been praying in favor of his will for you in your life.

God does not worry about all the little details of your life like picking a brand of fabric softener at the store you chose to shop at on whichever particular day you like to do so.

However, God still knows what fabric softener you will be using 15 years from now, although it does not matter.

Salvation if of the Lord because there is no salvation but through Jesus Christ. He is the way and the only perfect sacrifice.

We all have the opportunity to be saved.
And this is always man's will:
John 3:[FONT=&quot]19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.[/FONT]
 
S

Seedz

Guest
#20
And this is always man's will:
John 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

This is talking about the flesh. The flesh is influenced by the enemy.

We are flesh and spirit. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed
is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Our spirit was designed to have a relationship with God, and it does indeed have a God shaped void that only God can fill. Jesus is the mediator between the Father and man.

Our spirit knows it is lacking something and it is willing to reconnect with God. The flesh in the other hand only wants to experience pleasure, regardless of the consequences of sin.

God does not pick and chose who gets saved. It is a gift for all men. Not just for "The chosen ones."