Feeling alone in my salvation

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Sep 30, 2017
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#1
I feel as though I am alone in my salvation.

The majority of my family are Jehovah's Witnesses. Those who aren't are Catholic, Atheist/Agnostic, or just say they are Christian.

The ones I'm confident were saved were my Dad(Born again Baptist/Calvinist) and his Mom.
(My favorite Aunt died last year as a stubborn JW, she would not listen to me about the truth of that organization.)
(My Grampa died as an inactive JW, I have no idea what he believed at the end, I was too young to know.)
My Grama is still clinging to the JW literature and tries to give it to us when we visit. Me and my Dad have tried for years to talk to her about it but she is set in her ways. I'm not sure if she is saved or not because she does love God with all hr heart but she is still stuck on the JW stuff...

My Husband is agnostic, but he will listen and talk to me and ask questions and read the bible with me if I show him something.(hopeful!)

I can't get to church because I don't drive and no one else goes to church. there are some in walking distance but they are not ones I feel comfortable going to. I'm very careful where I go and what preachers I listen to coming from a JW background myself. I'm very careful not to go somewhere that doesn't teach sound doctrine.

I don't really have a question with this, it's just something that has me very very sad/depressed. I cry about it often because I'm sad for my family and I miss my Dad, the only person I could go to to talk about Gospel or ask questions.
 

Prov910

Senior Member
Jan 10, 2017
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#2
Perhaps you could talk your relatives about why you believe, but have chosen not to be a Jehovah's Witness (or agnostic). Keep in mind though, it's not our place to judge others. But you can share the bible with them, and discuss why you believe what you believe. Godspeed to you! :)
 

PennEd

Senior Member
Apr 22, 2013
12,818
8,596
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#3
I feel as though I am alone in my salvation.

The majority of my family are Jehovah's Witnesses. Those who aren't are Catholic, Atheist/Agnostic, or just say they are Christian.

The ones I'm confident were saved were my Dad(Born again Baptist/Calvinist) and his Mom.
(My favorite Aunt died last year as a stubborn JW, she would not listen to me about the truth of that organization.)
(My Grampa died as an inactive JW, I have no idea what he believed at the end, I was too young to know.)
My Grama is still clinging to the JW literature and tries to give it to us when we visit. Me and my Dad have tried for years to talk to her about it but she is set in her ways. I'm not sure if she is saved or not because she does love God with all hr heart but she is still stuck on the JW stuff...

My Husband is agnostic, but he will listen and talk to me and ask questions and read the bible with me if I show him something.(hopeful!)

I can't get to church because I don't drive and no one else goes to church. there are some in walking distance but they are not ones I feel comfortable going to. I'm very careful where I go and what preachers I listen to coming from a JW background myself. I'm very careful not to go somewhere that doesn't teach sound doctrine.

I don't really have a question with this, it's just something that has me very very sad/depressed. I cry about it often because I'm sad for my family and I miss my Dad, the only person I could go to to talk about Gospel or ask questions.
Hi Lizzie! Welcome!

I'm sorry you are feeling lonely in your walk with Jesus. I don't know what I would do without the support system of my brothers and sisters in Christ, not only here, but at our Church.

But I'm sure you know the Holy Spirit lives in you, so you are NOT alone.

Almost all of my family, (not immediate, wife, boys) are also either wishy-washy catholics or agnostic.
I think the best way to convince them of the truth of the Gospel is to show Jesus shining out from you through love. They cannot understand Scripture until they are born again. If they know verbally what the Gospel is already, then what is left for you to do is pray for them, and let them see how the Gospel has transformed YOU.

In the meantime, spend some time with your brothers and sisters here that will love and fellowship with you.
 

Dan58

Senior Member
Nov 13, 2013
1,991
337
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#4
No reason to be sad or feel alone.. You might be prematurely writing people off who don't believe or interpret things the same way you do. God knows the heart, and I doubt He would condemn anyone because they were a tad confused or joined a denomination who's interpretation or doctrine was somewhat askew. We aren't saved because we have a better intellectual understanding, but because our heart is right and we have a genuine love of Christ. Even Jehovah's Witnesses and Catholics can have that :). I'd be more concerned with your agnostic husband. Belief is a choice, just keep trying to get him off the fence and to make the decision for truth. No one knows nothing for sure, but believing is just as easy as not believing. Explain to him why God requires faith, and does not call us by proof. In any event, you can rest assured that your Grandma's fate will be in the hands of the fairest judge.
 

mailmandan

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2014
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#5
I feel as though I am alone in my salvation.
I felt alone in my salvation at first with my family. My parents, along with my other blood relatives (except for my older brother) thought I flipped my lid when I got saved. My wife thought I did too at first, but fortunately, she came to receive Christ through faith within a few months after I did. When I was first saved, I felt like someone standing in a large room with a lot of people, music playing, all the lights were on and I was shouting, "praise the Lord, I'm saved!" Then slowly everyone left the room, the music shut off, the lights were all dimmed, and instead of hearing people talking and music, all I heard was crickets chirping. :(

Once my wife was saved, that all changed as we found new friends who were Christians and now experience great fellowship! :)
 

Joidevivre

Senior Member
Jul 15, 2014
3,838
271
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#6
Maybe you could change your perspective a little to help. In the lives of all your relatives who do not believe, you are to be that "light" that Jesus said. Lights do not talk much - they just have an inner glow that draws others. Begin to enjoy your time with the Lord and His Word - let your faith "see" that His presence is in you and He is delighting in the fact that you belong to Him. Grow deeper in your relationship with Him for that is where the joy and peace is.

As you do this, others will begin to sense that you have something in you that they do not have. The fruits of the Spirit will shine forth from your actions and they might then be drawn to ask questions. Or not - either way, when they are in your presence, they are in the presence of the Lord. Allow the Holy Spirit time to work on their hearts as you just love them and accept them where they are.

But, be that light! Jesus is counting on you!

May the Lord bless you.
 
Sep 30, 2017
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#7
I read my bible every day downstairs in the livingroom where they see me. I listen to my sermons down there too and they can hear it if they want to, but they usually are in the other room (but still in ear shot). I leave my books down there on the coffee table. (books by Billy Graham and John MacArthur) I have talks with my Husband all the time. But one thing really concerns me is his and his mom's interest in Ghosts and Psychics. (they watch ghost hunting shows together, believe in ghosts and believe their old house was haunted, and his mom goes to psychics a lot.) His cousin/best friend has a Ouija board and is trying to tell him it's just a game and nothing will happen. He also wants to go ghost hunting with him. I've showed him all the scriptures on it, explain how it's very dangerous and the ghosts are demons. That being involved in those things is asking the demons into his life. He said he won't go do those things, but he still watches the shows and is interested in it. I've told him a bunch how nervous it makes me... I don't know how else to warn him. I told him that his cousin (who is an atheist and hates God, he makes fun of christians) will not give him sound advice about this. I told him that he will not lead him down a good path.
 

Angela53510

Senior Member
Jan 24, 2011
11,780
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#8
Your age is not showing on your profile, but is there any reason you can't learn to drive? It is not hard! Then you could find a real church, and have fellowship. Another idea is to phone various churches and find out if they pick people up and take them home before and after church.

Do you have some kind of anxiety disorder that would prevent you from going out and being with strangers? My husband did. he was a quiet closet Christian. He even saved his tithes for years, with no church to give them to! Then, along came me, and we've been to church ever since, every week and more!

I've read a lot of literature, and the social aspects of church are very important to people's mental health, even if they don't believe. I think for believers, it is essential we fellowship with other Christians. This forum is great, but real life is even better. Nothing better than praising God together! And do keep reading your Bible. I am sure you will find that Christianity is a social religion, because we are the "body" of Christ. An eye, or a hand or a foot cannot exist by themselves.

"For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body—though many—are one body, so too is Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Whether Jews or Greeks or slaves or free, we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not a single member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Since I am not a hand, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. 16 And if the ear says, “Since I am not an eye, I am not part of the body,” it does not lose its membership in the body because of that. 17 If the whole body were an eye, what part would do the hearing? If the whole were an ear, what part would exercise the sense of smell?

18
But as a matter of fact, God has placed each of the members in the body just as he decided. 19 If they were all the same member, where would the body be? 20 So now there are many members, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor in turn can the head say to the foot, “I do not need you.” 22 On the contrary, those members that seem to be weaker are essential, 23 and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members are clothed with dignity, 24 but our presentable members do not need this. Instead, God has blended together the body, giving greater honor to the lesser member, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another. 26 If one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it." 1 Cor. 12:12-26
 
Z

Zi

Guest
#9
Do you express your worry to them? Oftentimes it's a turn off for unbelievers to be told about a God who's all powerful, knowing etc from someone who worries.. Whether they say it or not they don't see the point. If you worry, how great can He be..
 
Sep 30, 2017
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#10
I'm 31 and have dealt with difficult anxiety all my life. It has gotten better over the years but is still there. I was in a car accident where a truck t-boned my mom's car in a 4 way intersection. I always sat in the back seat on the right, but for some reason the seat belt would not come out that day. So i sat in the middle. We had the green light to go left, when we were turning a truck ran the red light at full speed and hit us. When the truck hit, that seat was gone. Had I been sitting there..........Well, driving makes me so nervous! I'm not afraid of the driving itself but of the other drivers. I just get too tense behind the wheel. We just bought a car though and my husband is working on putting it on the road, but he works every Sunday morning so he couldn't drive me anyway.
 
Sep 30, 2017
30
3
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#11
Do you express your worry to them? Oftentimes it's a turn off for unbelievers to be told about a God who's all powerful, knowing etc from someone who worries.. Whether they say it or not they don't see the point. If you worry, how great can He be..
Only to my husband when he brings it up, like today when he tried telling me it's just a game.
I don't know how I should bring it up to my mother in law so that it won't put her off of listening about God.
 

FrankLee

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2016
119
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#12
Dear deaconjimsdaughter;

What you are experiencing, not just feeling, is very common and very real. We are experiencing what Jesus walked in as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. You have certainly come out and are separate from them.

Online sites such as this are sometimes a help but often not because of contentions. Draw your strength from the Holy Spirit. Be filled with His Holy Spirit as He commanded us.

My wife and I are also alone and have no church or fellowship at all. Even when we did have a church there was no real fellowship there. Living in a rural place and with the sad state of today's church it's just the way it is. Just keep yourself built up in prayer, sacrifices of praise and digging into the word. What we are going through is part of the fellowship of His sufferings. This though painful will temper and strengthen you in many ways so rest in God's peace knowing that you are not hidden from His sight. He us with you, loves you and not forgotten you.

If you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit then you have a much better position. I pray you encourage yourself in the Lord as David did for this is a help.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 (NKJV)
16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies.
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
 
Dec 11, 2016
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#13
As far as I understand salvation, it is a gift given by grace. In other words, we can’t earn it, we can’t believe that we can save another person; only Jesus can. We can point them to Jesus and let them knowhow they can be saved, but salvation comes from Him. And, by living out our faith every day, wecan draw others to Him. I'd suggest attending worship even if you don't feel comfortable, by leaning on Him Who is stronger than our feelings and who provides the confidence we need. May God bless you!