Coming to faith versus being raised in faith

[Depleted]

I'm hoping this doesn't descend into another bickering match, but it probably will.

I'm not Christian. I've never claimed to be. I'm curious and there is a nagging in the back of my mind that I need God and that I need to read and study the Bible. Many will think because I am not a Christian that I must therefore be a child spawn of Satan, and no doubt many will flood me with Bible verses to beat me into submission. Good luck with all that.

Not to worry. I don't think Satan spawns at all. lol

I am curious though how many of you were raised in Christian families, had Christian up-bringing, found your way to your faith early on in life...versus finding faith later in life or became a Christian after a life lived as an agnostic/atheist. I'm also curious if any of you had an "a-ha!" moment somewhere along the way that cemented for you your belief(s) - did you experience something or have some defining moment along the way?

I've been thoroughly enjoying my nightly study of the Bible, really I have. I can read the words and enjoy what I am reading, but as of yet, the Bible is not speaking to my heart. I'm not having issues of belief, but more along the lines of "what is this supposed to make me feel?", and I have no answer for that.

So, anyone care to share?

It's not a feeling. If we're just after a feeling, pot/marijuana gives it faster with fewer side effects. (Nothing changes because of using it, other than missing out on emotional maturity and a purpose in life.) It's a relationship with the one who made all this and orchestrates it all beautifully. It's finally fitting where we were meant to fit all along and appreciating the one working it all out. Something like you had as a Marine -- the sense that you are but one person, but your purpose is for the larger good of everyone. Big difference though, we have a good relationship with the Secretary of Defense 24/7. (And the Secretary not only trumps the President, he trumps every leader in every country.)

Right now you're reading the training manual. Why not ask the one who made it to make it clearer exactly what his intentions are?

That's how I came to know him in a way. Sure I was raised Catholic, but the only thing keeping me in the Catholic Church at 15 was the fact that I made a promise when I was ten years old to raise my younger brother to be a good Catholic. (I was his godmother and, sure enough, Mom got cancer five years later, so I felt obliged to keep that promise. And she felt obliged to make me promise her again. She died three months after I was born again.) I did believe there was only one God, but I hadn't bothered doing the research yet to figure out which one he was.

And then I went to see this new musical -- Jesus Christ Superstar. During the opera, I asked God to make himself as real to me as that actor on the stage. I thought the it was fantastic, but real life pulled me out of that thought before the car picking us up afterward warmed me up.

Next morning, God was more real than that actor on the stage. Still is 44 years later. I serve him because he loves me and adopted me. Pretty cool!

 

[Depleted]

Interesting. So you're saying that the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John aren't going to make sense to me until after I have become saved? Seems kind of backwards. Seems like the gospels - first hand accounts of the deeds and sayings of Christ would lead a person to becoming saved.

I'm still at the point of discerning WHY I need to accept Christ. I don't say that to be inflammatory, but that's the stage I am at. It's a matter of "don't tell me I need a savior, show me why". By "show me why" I speak of "let me read this Bible and see what it says", but from what you wrote, I am going about things all the wrong way.

First paragraph -- you're right.

Second paragraph -- to answer the BIG question in life, "Why am I here? For what purpose was I born?"

 

[Depleted]

It was quite strange the day I was at my favorite bookstore and felt the pull towards the section at the back where all the Bibles are, and even more strange that I spent my alloted money that day on a Bible instead of another book. I never was much of a fan of reading, but a man will do almost anything when locked away to pass the time, and books became a way to "escape" for a while and go someplace else that wasn't concrete and steel.

I'd like to think that is was God speaking to me telling me to buy that Bible, and that He did so because He thought I was ready to accept it. Apparently I'm not ready just yet. Maybe my stubborn nature, my secular up-bringing, my own selfish pride is getting in the way. Maybe that's the lesson for me - get out of my own way and quit trying to do it all myself. I have not because I ask not.

Pffft! (Friendly pffft. lol) No one is ever ready, yet God gives us new life anyway.

Most of the people I know as believers started out angry at God and either read the Bible to prove there was no God or tried to turn Christians into atheists. You think you're not ready? They will still at "don't even want to hear it!" Like I said, they're believers now. God does that. We don't.

 

[NayborBear]

Interesting. So you're saying that the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John aren't going to make sense to me until after I have become saved? Seems kind of backwards. Seems like the gospels - first hand accounts of the deeds and sayings of Christ would lead a person to becoming saved.

I'm still at the point of discerning WHY I need to accept Christ. I don't say that to be inflammatory, but that's the stage I am at. It's a matter of "don't tell me I need a savior, show me why". By "show me why" I speak of "let me read this Bible and see what it says", but from what you wrote, I am going about things all the wrong way.

After reading the OP, (Sometimes, methinks I just need only read the OP, and not read any of the replies n re-replies...), I was going to say CONVICTED, yanno, the way one feels when he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Guilt/sadness/sorrow/helplessness...But above all these things? A "humbling" of yourself, more like an awareness of something you did not initiate, nor can you stop, or cease from continuing, that would render your heart, soul, head, mind and spirit, into a quivering mass of protoplasm. Trust me, or anyone else who has been convicted, tis not a pretty sight. The mere thought of seeing oneself in this state, should be enough to keep one from pursuing any further investigations along these lines. YOU.......HAVE BEEN WARNED!

But, alas, me fears it is too late for you, me-bucko! Sometime, someday, when you least expect it, there'll be a door open, that starts a "cascading effect" of more doors opening, with perhaps a voice in yer head that asks: "You been looking for ME?"

It's an incomprehensible, unexplainable, feeling of His LOVE, that cannot be denied, and will not be deniable.

ALL THIS (and more perhaps) within a time frame of about 4 er 5 minutes. Any longer, and it would kill a man!

 

[wwjd_kilden]

Hi
I am happy to hear that you are studying the bible For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved

as for why you need Jesus:
God is almighty, without fault.
All humans have, in some way or another, sinned.
We cannot be in God's presence as sinners.
Back in the OT, this was solved by animal sacrifice, but it was a temporary solution
(A bit like using a bucket to get the water out of a leaky boat).
Jesus didn't sin, so he was the sin- free "lamb" that was given as a final sacrifice
(the leak in the boat was sealed)
but you have to accept him as your savior
...that is , admit you are a sinner and ask him to forgive you and guide you.
(If you are in the wrong you'll sink)

 

[Jimbone]

I'm hoping this doesn't descend into another bickering match, but it probably will.

I'm not Christian. I've never claimed to be. I'm curious and there is a nagging in the back of my mind that I need God and that I need to read and study the Bible. Many will think because I am not a Christian that I must therefore be a child spawn of Satan, and no doubt many will flood me with Bible verses to beat me into submission. Good luck with all that.

I am curious though how many of you were raised in Christian families, had Christian up-bringing, found your way to your faith early on in life...versus finding faith later in life or became a Christian after a life lived as an agnostic/atheist. I'm also curious if any of you had an "a-ha!" moment somewhere along the way that cemented for you your belief(s) - did you experience something or have some defining moment along the way?

I've been thoroughly enjoying my nightly study of the Bible, really I have. I can read the words and enjoy what I am reading, but as of yet, the Bible is not speaking to my heart. I'm not having issues of belief, but more along the lines of "what is this supposed to make me feel?", and I have no answer for that.

So, anyone care to share?

I was absolutely NOT raised in the church at all. In my younger days from about 16-24 I looked at religion like this. "Religion was a man made control system created by the elite to control the weak minded." I would claim to be an atheist yet when life got beyond what I could handle, and I hit a breaking point the first thing I'd do was cuss the God I claimed not to believe in. I'm not talking about a little "I hate you God" either, I mean a scream the most ugly and hateful things I could possibly come up with in a belligerent rage, while beating on my chest up at the sky. I mean I was a very angry person. My full testimony is posted here for more details, My testimony to Gods glory in my life. It's long but worth a read. , but a quick history rundown is my mother left me before I was 1, my step mother treated me like a 2nd class citizen, I did drugs (anything you can think of), I sold them (and not just sacks of weed but we're talking 100's of lbs's and kilo's of coke, books of acid, major weight), of course that lifestyle brought extreme violence, women all around, jails, prison's, just utter chaos, and I loved it. I honestly loved the "no God", "survival of the fittest" philosophy that allowed me logically to smash my fist in your face if I disagreed with you, or if you got in my way. It also wasn't some slick talking preacher or anything good that led me to truth either. It was actually tragedy in my own life and the biggest hardship I ever faced that He used to pull me in.

Seeing my first son born started the softening of my heart, after that I could no longer claim that all I could see, taste, touch, smell, and hear was all there was to life. Don't get me wrong I didn't run strait to church, but it started the process. Then my wife found God, after that I started looking to learn a bit about Jesus. I honestly liked what I saw, but I liked the "idea" of Jesus, but still just thought of Christianity as a life philosophy that if lived by would result in a decent life. Nothing more really. About 3 years ago I was doing awesome, I had the job, wife, kids, motorcycle, bills paid, and anything else I wanted, until I was in a motorcycle wreak that took the function of my right arm completely. This sent me into a downward spiral for years where all I wanted was to die. The ONLY thing that kept me from killing myself was my 2 boys. I couldn't leave them with the "my dad killed himself" story, and I knew no one would love them like I would. I basically got to the point where I knew I couldn't do anything to fix myself, and the world, science, medicine, nothing else could fix it either. I also didn't even know if I wanted to believe there was a God anymore either. I hit my knees one night and didn't cry out God, God, or even Jesus, Jesus, but I cried out "I can't do this anymore, I can't do this anymore, I can't do this anymore, world you win and I QUIT!!!!".

That was it, God did the rest, the next day I woke up a NEW man just like the bible says. It even took a day or so to realize what happen, and a month after that to pick my jaw back up off the floor after realizing it was all REAL. I'm trying to keep this post as short as I can, but no I was not raised a Christian nor "duped" into it by a smooth talker. I would be more than willing to answer anything you want and/or fill in any blanks you want to know about. It sounds to me like God is calling to you and I will testify to my dying breath that He is REAL and the TRUTH man, I love that you came to ask about it, keep seeking He is there.

 

[Txroads]

I'm hoping this doesn't descend into another bickering match, but it probably will.

I'm not Christian. I've never claimed to be. I'm curious and there is a nagging in the back of my mind that I need God and that I need to read and study the Bible. Many will think because I am not a Christian that I must therefore be a child spawn of Satan, and no doubt many will flood me with Bible verses to beat me into submission. Good luck with all that.

I am curious though how many of you were raised in Christian families, had Christian up-bringing, found your way to your faith early on in life...versus finding faith later in life or became a Christian after a life lived as an agnostic/atheist. I'm also curious if any of you had an "a-ha!" moment somewhere along the way that cemented for you your belief(s) - did you experience something or have some defining moment along the way?

I've been thoroughly enjoying my nightly study of the Bible, really I have. I can read the words and enjoy what I am reading, but as of yet, the Bible is not speaking to my heart. I'm not having issues of belief, but more along the lines of "what is this supposed to make me feel?", and I have no answer for that.

So, anyone care to share?

Hey hoss.... Guess who... Well, I can't give you all these scholarly learned answers or "wow" you with a earth shattering speach... All I got is me... So here goes......
Didn't have a huge Christian or religious upbringing at all... Saw and heard other folks....
Right now I think the most important voice you got is that little voice in the back of your head...its the one leading you in your direction, takin you where you need to go and havin all these questions pop up... Now, who that little voice is, lol that's gonna be fun when it decides to tell you who it is.... You know all the reading your doing is great...and a lot of folks read the words to understand information or answer questions....try....try thinking of those words as a real person talking to you...they're tellin you somethin like they're sittin right there....when you read words you remember what they say because of good memory, when you feel like they're bein said to you, you tend to feel them more....feeling the answers might answer a whole lot of questions you didn't know you had....i think your on a good tract....run things through your heart sometimes instead of your head... Sure hope I haven't bored you or carried on too much....always around if you got questions.....God bless you on your journey...

 

[Lost_sheep]

I try to approach reading the Bible differently than I do, say, a journal article from some conference presentation. For the journal article, I need to look for certain patterns that get a certain academic reaction out of me - it's all about A+B=C. For the Bible though, I am trying to read it from an emotional center, and that's hard for me because I'm not real good with emotions other than anger, fear, or sadness. I'm a hard-hearted bugger. Now, I could, in theory, read the Bible like a text book and I could probably make my way cover to cover in a few weeks but I wouldn't get a thing out of it other than a few factoids of info and maybe one or two obscure passages remembered.

Different type of reading. Different type of experience with it. It's outside my frame of reference and way outside my comfort zone.

 

[Jimbone]

I try to approach reading the Bible differently than I do, say, a journal article from some conference presentation. For the journal article, I need to look for certain patterns that get a certain academic reaction out of me - it's all about A+B=C. For the Bible though, I am trying to read it from an emotional center, and that's hard for me because I'm not real good with emotions other than anger, fear, or sadness. I'm a hard-hearted bugger. Now, I could, in theory, read the Bible like a text book and I could probably make my way cover to cover in a few weeks but I wouldn't get a thing out of it other than a few factoids of info and maybe one or two obscure passages remembered.

Different type of reading. Different type of experience with it. It's outside my frame of reference and way outside my comfort zone.

I understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure how well that will work for you. All I can really do is give my experience, and seeing as how this is a very personal thing and it's between you and God, I'm not sure it will be helpful at all. Now please don't take this as me saying "don't" read the bible, I would NEVER say that and feel you can't get enough of it honestly. I can say in my particular case I never picked it up before I was saved. It just didn't mean much to me at all, like I said before I really loved the whole idea of Jesus, but I still didn't "believe" in Him. I honestly didn't know what a HUGE word and concept "believe" really was until afterwards.

Again I want to stress this was just my experience and everyone's RELATIONSHIP with God is personal. An example is my wife was brought to the Lord in a quite room, by herself with the bible, so for some that was the way He pulled them in, but the real hard part from my perspective was being able to submit myself to Him. I actually had to lose an arm to get there so it's very hard for me to try to explain to anyone how to do that, or even give any suggestions. I do know that you have to go to Him and do it though. So reading enough bible is really just a "work" in some way, although it will guide you the right way, it's just not how He worked in me. I had to come to a place where I knew I couldn't help or fix myself anymore, and I think you'd understand how hard a place that is for some of us hard headed "tough guys". I also wanted to add one more thing because I was thinking about something you wrote last night. You wrote something about how you thought you felt God but it "couldn't be" because of the things you've done and you didn't deserve it. Well you're right, you don't deserve it, and either do I, or ANYONE else. It doesn't work like that with God though, even though we absolutely DON'T deserve it, He extends His grace anyway. Paul was slaughtering Christians and trying to wipe out this "superstition" when God called him, and then used him to write almost half the new testament. He still loves and WANTS you man, I can boldly promise that, but only because of the grace He's extended to me. Man I feel He is calling you hard too, please keep seeking Him and thank you so much for talking with us.

 

[Depleted]

I try to approach reading the Bible differently than I do, say, a journal article from some conference presentation. For the journal article, I need to look for certain patterns that get a certain academic reaction out of me - it's all about A+B=C. For the Bible though, I am trying to read it from an emotional center, and that's hard for me because I'm not real good with emotions other than anger, fear, or sadness. I'm a hard-hearted bugger. Now, I could, in theory, read the Bible like a text book and I could probably make my way cover to cover in a few weeks but I wouldn't get a thing out of it other than a few factoids of info and maybe one or two obscure passages remembered.

Different type of reading. Different type of experience with it. It's outside my frame of reference and way outside my comfort zone.

Feel free to read it like an academic textbook. I do. The patterns are there. A + B = ∞. You don't have to go all dewy-eyed to find God. He's omnipresent and reaches us where we are. I take it as a study in cause and effect. I'm not wrong in taking it that way.

I really fear you think this has everything to do with an emotional experience. It does get emotional at time. I won't lie to you. BUT it's not an experience. He's a being. He is God. The God! And he's into adopting those who seek and teaching us how and why to follow. You don't have to work up the tears. He is God. When tears are needed, he'll give them to you. When a good hearty laugh is needed, he'll give you that too. Mostly he wants your whole being, including that nonemotional "hard-hearted bugger." What he wants, he gets.

If you think he doesn't accept hard-hearted buggers, read Jonah. I think Jonah has you beat. lol

 

[Angela53510]

My parents were not Christians, but my father's parents were. She put heavy pressure on my parents to send us to "church." I ended up in a Baptist Sunday School and choir from grade 1 to grade 3. I learned a huge amount of Bible verses, which I remembered 20 years later when I got into trouble. (I remember those verses today, too!)

Then my parents and my aunt and uncle discovered the Unitarian Church and we attended there a few years. That church believes in "a" god, if you want to. My grandmother didn't speak much English, but she wasn't stupid, and figured out that my father and my aunt were duping her by going to this non-Christian church. So ended my youth church activities.

But there was still a hunger in my soul. I started reading an old KJV Bible. I remember reading Psalm 8, and being reduced to tears. I memorized it. But it was so difficult to be a young teenager in the 60's without any support and to walk with God. I'm pretty sure I wasn't saved, but I sure had a lot of conviction in my heart.

My hunger for God turned into a hunger for music, drugs, etc. At first, I was staunchly atheistic. I believed science, and that meant no God. But the worst part was it lead me into the New Age Movement. But the time I was 24, I had a bookcase full of books on religions, cults, theosophy and any sort of crank pseudo-religion there was. But no peace, no joy in my life, although I thought I was doing everything I wanted.

God was greater than my delusions about how to find him. A revival of epic proportions started in the area I was living. People were getting saved left and right. It was scary! I starting drinking even more. I went back to college, because playing music for drunks in bars got old pretty quickly.

I loved my grandmother, and I realized the one book I had not even tried to read was the Bible. Out of respect for her, I bought a modern version of the Bible and started reading. I just didn't get it at all. Then my future husband and I spent a night talking about God. He told me I needed to repent of my sins. I had enough Bible knowledge to know what that meant. We talked about all the people in the Bible God had forgiven.

Then I heard the voice of God saying, "I am God and you will believe in me and serve me." It was like a nuclear bomb went off! Then the voice said, "I am Jesus, and I am your Saviour." I thought about it, stunned, and I knew it was true. Then I realized that not only was God my Saviour, but the Saviour of the world." I only realized a few years ago, that I was paraphrasing John 3:16

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

So that bit of Sunday School did have an influence on me, as well as all those poeple who found Christ before me, in that area. I have been serving God for over 35 years now, and it has been an amazing journey. I imagine I would be dead or worse, if I had continued on the path I had been going.

To end this long testimony, when I was taking evangelism in Seminary, we had to witness to 3 people. I asked my parents to help me do an assignment. They were happy to help, not realizing they were going to hear the full truth of the gospel. My mom accepted Christ that day, but my father still had doubts.

It was several years later, he got very sick with congestive heart failure and was admitted to hospital for what would become a permanent stay until he died. He had some episodes with his heart stopping, and my husband and I were there at the time. We talked to him about Jesus, and how he needed to repent of his sin, and believe in Jesus. He prayed with us, and he became a changed man. It was astounding! He lived another 5 months, and every day I read the bible to him, prayed with him, and sang hymns to him which he remembered from his childhood. My dad was a man of science, he had a Ph.D and had accomplished a lot with his life. But just before he died, he told me, "I never realized in all these years that God was the most important thing of all." And he witnessed to all the hospital staff. There is no doubt that although he had a "death bed" conversion, he truly had a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I look forward to seeing him one day in glory!

 

[santuzza]

Everyone has a different experience in coming to know God.

I was not brought up in a churched/Christian home. Yet, somehow, I was always drawn to God. I finally started attending church when I was 16 (and could borrow the car to go there by myself). It was in that church that I learned that I was a sinner and needed to repent before God and accept salvation through Jesus Christ. I came forward at an altar call and made a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ at the age of 17. This is how I became a Christian.

My hubby has a completely different story. He DID grow up in a churched/Christian home, but he did not accept the Lord until he was almost 30 and had been through the wringer with alcohol and bad relationships. He says he was hunted down by God (he calls it "angel harassment!") while he was going through all his bad behavior. When he was at his bottom and had no other place to go, he finally accepted the Lord. God immediately removed the bottle from his hands, and my hubby dedicated his life to Christ ever since.