Faith or no faith?

[looking4joy]

I've been really struggling with faith lately. In fact, there have been periods where I'm convinced I have no faith, and I get scared and tormented as a result. But I keep crying out to Jesus, as best as I can understand Him, to give me faith. I've been asking Him, "Why don't I have any faith in You?"

My hope is that just by the fact that I am praying to Jesus and putting my hope in Him to give me faith means exactly that I have faith.

What do you guys think?

 

[FireWithin]

Come with child-like faith to God... tell him that you are at war with your thoughts, but even when your mind can't comprehend or understand, you know in your spirit that He is the Lord! The famous prayer of Thomas, "Lord I believe... help my unbelief!" Bind wandering thoughts into spiritual captivity and make them subservient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, fight back in your mind against the seeds of doubt, proclaiming: I know in my heart YOU ARE GOD.

I take your prayer as hope indeed that you still believe in your spirit. It reminds me of Paul on the road to Damascus when the Lord shone down upon him, and Paul's reply was this: "Who art thou, Lord?" Think about what that means.

 

[EmethAlethia]

I frequently hear that faith has nothing to do with facts, data, what is true or provable. Faith just is, or isn't in whatever degree we have it ... or don't have it.

After more study though, faith in "beliefs" and faith in "truth" are two different things, and utilize two different processes. Holding fast to what we want to believe is a simple process. We gather what we can "use" to prove our beliefs true, and we gather what we can "use" to prove all opposing beliefs false. Then we interpret everything in the light of our beliefs.

If this is all we gather though, then we do not want truth for no man can ever get to truth this way. All we can do with this method is believe whatever we want to believe to 'be" truth.

If your "faith" is shaken, perhaps it is because it is not founded on truth, but on beliefs, and the facts that you have gathered to prove them true, and to prove all opposing beliefs false, and not based on an objective look at ALL the passages and facts that "might" apply to the topic at hand.

What "part" of the faith that you have seems to be in question? Maybe that's the starting point. Maybe not.

 

[CGL1023]

I've been really struggling with faith lately. In fact, there have been periods where I'm convinced I have no faith, and I get scared and tormented as a result. But I keep crying out to Jesus, as best as I can understand Him, to give me faith. I've been asking Him, "Why don't I have any faith in You?"

My hope is that just by the fact that I am praying to Jesus and putting my hope in Him to give me faith means exactly that I have faith.

What do you guys think?

Rom 10:17 gives the prescription for acquiring faith. "So then faith cometh by hearing (and hearing and hearing ...), and hearing by the word of God; KJV. (The parenthesis are mine). Part of what you will find in your search is relationship with God. Think of Adam, Enoch or Noah and others. These were long before the New Covenant where faith is a requirement (Heb 11:6). They had faith through obedience and relationship with God. Abraham was counted as righteous through his faith in God, who spoke with him personally. Without faith righteousness or salvation cannot be attained.

 

[looking4joy]

I frequently hear that faith has nothing to do with facts, data, what is true or provable. Faith just is, or isn't in whatever degree we have it ... or don't have it.

After more study though, faith in "beliefs" and faith in "truth" are two different things, and utilize two different processes. Holding fast to what we want to believe is a simple process. We gather what we can "use" to prove our beliefs true, and we gather what we can "use" to prove all opposing beliefs false. Then we interpret everything in the light of our beliefs.

If this is all we gather though, then we do not want truth for no man can ever get to truth this way. All we can do with this method is believe whatever we want to believe to 'be" truth.

If your "faith" is shaken, perhaps it is because it is not founded on truth, but on beliefs, and the facts that you have gathered to prove them true, and to prove all opposing beliefs false, and not based on an objective look at ALL the passages and facts that "might" apply to the topic at hand.

What "part" of the faith that you have seems to be in question? Maybe that's the starting point. Maybe not.

Part of me believes and part of me doesn't. I'm like the man who cried, "I believe, help my unbelief!". My natural instinct is to believe God has me singled out for doom, so it's hard to have confidence or faith in someone who has you singled out for doom. But I know that's a damning belief, and so I try to believe that Jesus died for my sins and that he loves me, that God loves me, but I'm struggling to believe it. I feel like I have put up a strong wall of defense around my heart so it can't be hurt again. I don't know how to go on because God is the only one who can tear that wall down, and it's been over 20 years that the wall has been up. I've been searching for God for 20 years, and haven't found trust or faith in him. I'm scared for my soul, I'm frightened at the torment that awaits me, but I keep hoping God will break through to my heart and I will believe. I really do.

 

[looking4joy]

About 24 years ago I had a immoral relationship with a woman 12 years older than me. She pushed for the sex, I pushed for the love in the relationship. When I got it thru my heart that she didn't really want me to love her, just have sex with her, I broke the relationship off. I was heartbroken and torn. I at that time wanted to join our church at home and find God. I quickly showed signs of bipolar manic/depression. And I would cry out in despair that God was damning me. So the whole "not trusting God" had to be related to my heart being broken in this relationship with her.

I do have hope that keeps me alive, otherwise this would eat me up and I'd die. I hope God will be merciful to me and look to heal my heart and so I can trust him.

 

[Steeno7]

I've been really struggling with faith lately. In fact, there have been periods where I'm convinced I have no faith, and I get scared and tormented as a result. But I keep crying out to Jesus, as best as I can understand Him, to give me faith. I've been asking Him, "Why don't I have any faith in You?"

My hope is that just by the fact that I am praying to Jesus and putting my hope in Him to give me faith means exactly that I have faith.

What do you guys think?

If your hope is in Jesus then you must be trusting in Him, right? That is faith. We may doubt ourselves, but there is no need to ever doubt Him. Even though our faith may wax and wane, He forever remains faithful to us.

 

[Shadow316]

I keep hoping God will break through to my heart and I will believe. I really do.

Believe first with your whole heart, soul, mind... NO reservations at all! Put it totally into His hands - then He will touch your heart.

He knows when we have any reservations and when we don't. He knows our heart.

 

[Free at Calvary]

I've been really struggling with faith lately. In fact, there have been periods where I'm convinced I have no faith, and I get scared and tormented as a result. But I keep crying out to Jesus, as best as I can understand Him, to give me faith. I've been asking Him, "Why don't I have any faith in You?"

My hope is that just by the fact that I am praying to Jesus and putting my hope in Him to give me faith means exactly that I have faith.

What do you guys think?

I think your struggle with faith says you have faith, and it could only result in greater faith through the grace and mercy of God.

I pray for you, as the hymn says. Lord lift him on that he might stand by faith on heaven's Canaan land; a higher plane than he has found, Lord plant his feet on higher ground. (I'm Pressing On the Upward Way)

 

[Alithis]

If your hope is in Jesus then you must be trusting in Him, right? That is faith. We may doubt ourselves, but there is no need to ever doubt Him. Even though our faith may wax and wane, He forever remains faithful to us.

nicest think iv personally observed you say...and as true as it gets
the lord Jesus is faithful ,our sure hope in times of distress

 

[food4thought]

I think a demon is trying to condemn you, get you to lose all hope. Ask the Lord Jesus to rebuke him, and then rebuke him yourself in the name of Jesus Christ. Resist the devil, and he must flee from you.

This verse, I hope, should ease your fears somewhat, as it shows that our salvation depends on the faithfulness of God, not ours:

2Ti 2:13 NASB If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

 

[pescador]

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we don't see. (Hebrews 11:1). Just trust God to do what He wants with your life. You don't have to strive in your belief, just enter God's rest and trust that everything will work out in your life the way He wants it to.

A child trusts a parent because s/he believes that everything is done (ideally) out of love. There is no striving to love the parent; it's natural as long as the parent doesn't betray that trust. God is perfect and loves you.

 

[looking4joy]

I wake up each morning with confusion and torment. The torment is like I'm in spiritual warfare fighting off unbelief and the discouragement of my enemy. I believe that I will come out the other side ok, but right now it's awful painful. I'm reminded of 1 Peter 6-9

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

 

[ToBeBlessed]

About 24 years ago I had a immoral relationship with a woman 12 years older than me. She pushed for the sex, I pushed for the love in the relationship. When I got it thru my heart that she didn't really want me to love her, just have sex with her, I broke the relationship off. I was heartbroken and torn. I at that time wanted to join our church at home and find God. I quickly showed signs of bipolar manic/depression. And I would cry out in despair that God was damning me. So the whole "not trusting God" had to be related to my heart being broken in this relationship with her.

I do have hope that keeps me alive, otherwise this would eat me up and I'd die. I hope God will be merciful to me and look to heal my heart and so I can trust him.

Part of what I think you are missing is knowing EXACTLY who you are in Christ. You are God's child, your faith has given you that. Faith is something that grows inside of us. We all have times when our faith is weaker, those are the times that I cling to who I am in Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1-2
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God"

Romans 5:8-11
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement"

Romans 6:3-11
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once:but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord"

Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus"

Romans 8:14-17
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together"


I would read Romans 4-8. It will clairify to you who you are in Jesus Christ. Christ is in you and will never leave you or forsake you. Those who the Father has given to His Son, no one on heaven or earth can remove from His right hand.

This is the solid rock on which we stand. The rock of Jesus Christ and what His blood did for us. His blood and our faith makes us sons of God. God lives in us. The Holy Spirit lives in us as Jesus sent His Spirit to us.

Know who you are in Christ first.

 

[terryjohn]

It is less about what you believe, trust and more about what you hope for. Now if you can not begin to hope for the promises of christ nothing else will follow. I want to be set free, i want to love christ and these things I want because I see things in christ that I desire.

 

[pescador]

Part of what I think you are missing is knowing EXACTLY who you are in Christ. You are God's child, your faith has given you that. Faith is something that grows inside of us. We all have times when our faith is weaker, those are the times that I cling to who I am in Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1-2
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God"

Romans 5:8-11
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement"

Romans 6:3-11
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once:but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord"

Romans 8:1
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus"

Romans 8:14-17
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint- heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together"


I would read Romans 4-8. It will clairify to you who you are in Jesus Christ. Christ is in you and will never leave you or forsake you. Those who the Father has given to His Son, no one on heaven or earth can remove from His right hand.

This is the solid rock on which we stand. The rock of Jesus Christ and what His blood did for us. His blood and our faith makes us sons of God. God lives in us. The Holy Spirit lives in us as Jesus sent His Spirit to us.

Know who you are in Christ first.

Amen and amen! Well said!

 

[pescador]

It is less about what you believe, trust and more about what you hope for. Now if you can not begin to hope for the promises of christ nothing else will follow. I want to be set free, i want to love christ and these things I want because I see things in christ that I desire.

Christ deserves to be capitalized. He is God's anointed.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

even the creator, yhvh's name, is not capitalized anywhere in original scripture. (no capitals. period. . . . "." )

and hebrew is light years ahead of, before, and better than english "." (for finding out, knowing, and understanding Yhvh and Yhvh's Kingdom and Yhvh's Plan. ---- for the few in ecclesia)

 

[Galilee63]

Looking4Joy, may I ask how do you pray to Jesus Christ our Saviour?

Do you include an Our Father in your Prayers from your heart while completely trusting in Jesus that He will indeed answer your prayers?

I read many Christians of whom wish to fully receive Jesus Christ our Saviour/God/The Holy Spirit into their hearts, receive Jesus speaking to their hearts and yearning for Jesus/God to answer their prayers, yet, some people do not include "The Our Father" to Jesus/God The Most High in their prayers, while completely trusting in Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit.

There are many prayers that are not 'religious' that many Christians can be praying from Jesus/God's Holy Scriptures and The Our Father Prayer is one prayer including "The Lord's Prayer" and a few other prayers from Holy Scriptures.

Jesus LOVES Prayers from the heart for the conversion of sinners of which Jesus always hears and answers!

Love and kindest wishes your Sister in Jesus Christ our Saviour

 

[pescador]

even the creator, yhvh's name, is not capitalized anywhere in original scripture. (no capitals. period. . . . "." )

and hebrew is light years ahead of, before, and better than english "." (for finding out, knowing, and understanding Yhvh and Yhvh's Kingdom and Yhvh's Plan. ---- for the few in ecclesia)

There is no lowercase either or, for that matter, vowels, in original Hebrew scripture. But we speak and read English, in which there is a distinction between uppercase and lowercase. If you don't use capitals you're not using English grammar.

I'm curious why you think that Hebrew is better than English for understanding YHWH, his plan, and his kingdom. Is Hebrew better then Greek for the same reasons? If so, you can discard the New Testament and the Septuagint, the Bible used during the New Testament era.