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Exploring Christianity
I wish I believed in God.. (moved)
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<blockquote data-quote="oi_antz" data-source="post: 68422344" data-attributes="member: 261524"><p>This is interesting for you to consider: Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life". He also said "if anyone wants to be my disciple, they must take up their cross and follow me". Saying that one who is a disciple of Jesus is then saying that they are following the discipline of truth even by sacrificing their own desires. Jesus confirms this in another statement: "He who wants to keep his life will lose it, but he that loses his life for my sake will keep it". He seems to be speaking about someone choosing to not use their physical present life to do what they want, and instead to use it for what He wants, and in return those who give up their ownership of their life to do His will are given everlasting life in a post-resurrected world, along with only those who also do the will of God.</p><p></p><p>So if that is the nature of Christianity: we do not live for ourselves, but we follow His discipline of truth (note: that is the constant turning away from sin and instead acting in a holy manner), then to go searching for a denomination to follow must be motivated by some desire. Check it out. What has motivated you to seek out Christianity? Isn't that a demonstration that those who approach Christianity are looking for something to fulfill their own desire? (Notice: it is not uncommon or abnormal, only it is not the Christian thing to do).</p><p></p><p>Rather, Jesus says "work hard to enter by the narrow gate, because the road to destruction is broad and many go that way". This is describing that so many people go and find a church that can give them a formula of assurance for their everlasting salvation, and if they adhere to the instructions of that denomination, they can have assurance of everlasting life. If that is what Christianity is, then people naturally ask "why do all the denominations disagree, and which is the right one?" - but notice this: if we are looking for assurance from a denomination, then we are seeking our salvation from fellow man. Those fellow men who we are looking to for guidance are passing away themselves!</p><p></p><p>See how Christianity is a relationship with God and not a formula? Do you see how the following of Jesus is the literal and real action of acknowledging the truth even when it means we must accept that what we want is not right? That's really the hardest thing, and probably if you do some searching of your soul, you will see it too, just as every Christian disciple does - there is a war within us between doing what we want that we know is not holy (sin), and doing what we know God wants us to do. Once you are able to sacrifice your own desire for sin in order to surrender your life to His way of living, then you will know that He has accepted you, and indeed you will know Him. It isn't easy though. Scriptures describe it as nailing the flesh to the cross. Killing the old self. The ritual of baptism represents this decision. But actually making that decision is challenging, essentially because of greed, and pride, and lust. Those things that make us want to live life to our own pleasure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="oi_antz, post: 68422344, member: 261524"] This is interesting for you to consider: Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life". He also said "if anyone wants to be my disciple, they must take up their cross and follow me". Saying that one who is a disciple of Jesus is then saying that they are following the discipline of truth even by sacrificing their own desires. Jesus confirms this in another statement: "He who wants to keep his life will lose it, but he that loses his life for my sake will keep it". He seems to be speaking about someone choosing to not use their physical present life to do what they want, and instead to use it for what He wants, and in return those who give up their ownership of their life to do His will are given everlasting life in a post-resurrected world, along with only those who also do the will of God. So if that is the nature of Christianity: we do not live for ourselves, but we follow His discipline of truth (note: that is the constant turning away from sin and instead acting in a holy manner), then to go searching for a denomination to follow must be motivated by some desire. Check it out. What has motivated you to seek out Christianity? Isn't that a demonstration that those who approach Christianity are looking for something to fulfill their own desire? (Notice: it is not uncommon or abnormal, only it is not the Christian thing to do). Rather, Jesus says "work hard to enter by the narrow gate, because the road to destruction is broad and many go that way". This is describing that so many people go and find a church that can give them a formula of assurance for their everlasting salvation, and if they adhere to the instructions of that denomination, they can have assurance of everlasting life. If that is what Christianity is, then people naturally ask "why do all the denominations disagree, and which is the right one?" - but notice this: if we are looking for assurance from a denomination, then we are seeking our salvation from fellow man. Those fellow men who we are looking to for guidance are passing away themselves! See how Christianity is a relationship with God and not a formula? Do you see how the following of Jesus is the literal and real action of acknowledging the truth even when it means we must accept that what we want is not right? That's really the hardest thing, and probably if you do some searching of your soul, you will see it too, just as every Christian disciple does - there is a war within us between doing what we want that we know is not holy (sin), and doing what we know God wants us to do. Once you are able to sacrifice your own desire for sin in order to surrender your life to His way of living, then you will know that He has accepted you, and indeed you will know Him. It isn't easy though. Scriptures describe it as nailing the flesh to the cross. Killing the old self. The ritual of baptism represents this decision. But actually making that decision is challenging, essentially because of greed, and pride, and lust. Those things that make us want to live life to our own pleasure. [/QUOTE]
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