Did you have to give up any moral principle or belief when you find Christ?

[Doubting Brutus]

To be more specific were you challenged by god's moral code in any way...i.e - having to let go of a cherished belief in something like homosexuality not being a sin, abortion being the justified choice of a woman exercising body autonomy etc.?
Did you struggle with that? If so how did you overcome that discomfort?

Thanks.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

YES! EVERYTHING must be given up to become JESUS' permanent disciple. ALL of the so-called morality , or moral codes, of men (and of demons) must be given up to follow Jesus as His permanent disciple.
YES! It IS a struggle, sometimes devastating and embarrassing, to admit that God always tells the truth, that willful perversion is always sinful, that taking the life of anyone else on purpose requires their own life be taken, unless redeemed.

Yes, it is a lot of discomfort, for them, us, me, you, everyone around when someone is like a butterfly struggling to escape its cocoon so it can fly....... especially for the person being set free ! And then FREEDOM! REJOICE ! ETERNAL LIFE ! ALL THE ANGELS REJOICE whenever even
just one man is saved !!!!!!!!!! (they KNOW the eternal glory to be!)

 

[FireDragon76]

To be more specific were you challenged by god's moral code in any way...i.e - having to let go of a cherished belief in something like homosexuality not being a sin, abortion being the justified choice of a woman exercising body autonomy etc.?
Did you struggle with that? If so how did you overcome that discomfort?

Thanks.

It depends on what church you go to, really. Some churches expect their members to exercise a great deal of moral autonomy. For instance, Anglican churches, or many mainline churches in the US or in Germany or Scandinavia.

 

[Sabertooth]

THIS PAGE explains the costs of Christianity.

 

[Albion]

To be more specific were you challenged by god's moral code in any way...i.e - having to let go of a cherished belief in something like homosexuality not being a sin, abortion being the justified choice of a woman exercising body autonomy etc.?
Did you struggle with that? If so how did you overcome that discomfort?

Thanks.

I interpret your question to be a very personal one, not a toss-up for everyone to speculate about. If that is right, there will not be any standard or official answer(s). Some people will have to change a lot; others relatively little.

I hope you get a good range of responses from people who did have a conversion experience in mid-life after their values had already been formed in some other way.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

To be more specific were you challenged by god's moral code in any way...i.e - having to let go of a cherished belief in something like homosexuality not being a sin, abortion being the justified choice of a woman exercising body autonomy etc.?
Did you struggle with that? If so how did you overcome that discomfort?

Thanks.

Yes. Feel free to peruse the various threads I've created here on CF to find out ........ "how."

 

[TzephanYahu]

Did you struggle with that? If so how did you overcome that discomfort?

Hello there,

Yes, certainly. At first I struggled to understand some things and would even try to spiritualize some laws away, like most Christians do, saying "oh that's old testament, I'm not under the law" blah blah blah. It helped me effectively turn a blind eye to it.

However, the more I submitted my life to Him and the more I submitted my mind to His Word (all of it, not just the New Testament), the more things made sense and becore I realised it, all His Word was just and right in my heart. I came to see that previously I was judging His Word with my limited understanding. But who was I to judge the Creator of all things?

As the Bible says in Proverbs - lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will establish the path before you.

That said, always ask questions and seek answers on anything you don't understand. The answers are out there my friend and I don't mean the escapist answer "God works in mysterious ways".

Keep digging and searching, always

Love & Shalom

 

[paul1149]

abortion being the justified choice of a woman exercising body autonomy etc.?

When I cast off God in my late teens, I embraced the cultural ethos in a big way. And not the establishment ethos, but that of the burgeoning 60s cultural revolution.

In my case, it didn't take too long for life to not-so-gently tap me on the shoulder and issue a stern corrective. I realized I needed God in a big way, and fast. It's a long story, but after a time I finally gave myself to Christ.

But even then there was (as there still is) a lot of clean-up to be done. It was like Lazarus emerging from the tomb but needing the grave clothes taken off him, at John 11. Abortion was one of the misbeliefs I had. It seemed such an easy way to do away with a problem. Why not? As the concept of God's sovereignty percolated through me, aided by holy writ, I came to see that we don't have the right to take innocent life under normal circumstances. Once I saw it, it wasn't hard to accept it. The foundation stone - the lordship of Christ - was already in place; all I had to do was conform myself to it.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I think it's most important to consider Christian precepts that apply to us rather than those that don't. As an example, as a married straight guy, I need to be more concerned about Christian ethos on heterosexual marriage and heterosexual expression than fretting over homosexuality. I see too many people fretting over other people's sins and not their own. But, yes, change is required. The first step of discipleship is obedience.

 

[Josheb]

Did you have to give up any moral principle or belief when you find Christ? To be more specific were you challenged by god's moral code in any way...i.e - having to let go of a cherished belief in something like homosexuality not being a sin, abortion being the justified choice of a woman exercising body autonomy etc.?
Did you struggle with that? If so how did you overcome that discomfort?

Thanks.

Yep. Piles of them. I was selfish, pleasure-seeking, angry, violent, dishonestly dishonest, exploitive, greedy, slothful, and unremorsefully so. Nearly everything I believed was corrected by God. It was quite aggravating and inconvenient until I learned trust (and forgiveness).

I'd like you to either clarify something for me or note the nature of the inquiry.

You've asked about homosexuality and abortion and personal autonomy of women. I'm not homosexual so letting go of cherished beliefs about homosexuals wasn't 1) cherished or 2) personal. I've never had an abortion so my supportive beliefs on the mattered weren't cherished or personal. I'm not a woman so physiological autonomy of women wasn't cherished or personal. I didn't struggle with those beliefs beyond realizing my views were wrong and by implication there was something amiss within me that led me to think sinfully.

That idea I wasn't sinful was cherished and personal.

It's like Peter standing up in the boat and saying, "Please leave; I'm a sinful man," while knowing he I don't want him to leave if this sinfulness has any hope of change.


Let God be true and all humans (including me) be liars.


It is such an extraordinary inconvenience at first .

 

[Josheb]

nt

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

My struggle was in believing that God could have a Son.

and good news today: HE (Sovereign Creator) has granted some the power to become His sons today! (1 John)

HALLELUYAH ! HE IS GREAT !

 

[Doubting Brutus]

Yep. Piles of them. I was selfish, pleasure-seeking, angry, violent, dishonestly dishonest, exploitive, greedy, slothful, and unremorsefully so. Nearly everything I believed was corrected by God. It was quite aggravating and inconvenient until I learned trust (and forgiveness).

I'd like you to either clarify something for me or note the nature of the inquiry.

You've asked about homosexuality and abortion and personal autonomy of women. I'm not homosexual so letting go of cherished beliefs about homosexuals wasn't 1) cherished or 2) personal. I've never had an abortion so my supportive beliefs on the mattered weren't cherished or personal. I'm not a woman so physiological autonomy of women wasn't cherished or personal. I didn't struggle with those beliefs beyond realizing my views were wrong and by implication there was something amiss within me that led me to think sinfully.

That idea I wasn't sinful was cherished and personal.

It's like Peter standing up in the boat and saying, "Please leave; I'm a sinful man," while knowing he I don't want him to leave if this sinfulness has any hope of change.


Let God be true and all humans (including me) be liars.

You weren't clear about what you wanted clarifying but I'll try to make my point clearer.

I am not gay but I can empathise with gay people as human beings. I have always and, I hope, always will support gay people in their struggle against persecution, bigotry and hatred. The reason? human empathy. If I was to meet Jesus on this road of discovery that I'm on there are many, many things that would need to be overcome. I would have knowledge of Jesus Christ in all his divinity (I could no longer be Agnostic) but I would face the very battle for my essence because it seems to me that scripture is fairly clear on the subject that gay people are wrong just for loving someone and that is anathema to me. It would place me in an absolutely terrible position where my own salvation would cost me my soul, or at least the soul that has got me this far being kind, generous, understanding, compassionate. etc Its a heck of a hurdle to get over to suddenly start throwing condemnation around.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Related? > If someone LOVES shooting people, or LOVES stealing necklaces off woman and teenagers ,
and thinks nothing at all of committing crimes ad lib (when they felt like it),
what then?
Is it persecution, bigotry or hatred to treat the crimes they commit the same as any other crime committed by them or by anyone at all ?

 

[Doubting Brutus]

Related? > If someone LOVES shooting people, or LOVES stealing necklaces off woman and teenagers ,
and thinks nothing at all of committing crimes ad lib (when they felt like it),
what then?
Is it persecution, bigotry or hatred to treat the crimes they commit the same as any other crime committed by them or by anyone at all ?

C'mon, that's an appalling comparison. Be better than that.

 

[jahel]

"that scripture is fairly clear on the subject that gay people are wrong just for loving someone” fornication outside of marriage holds the same implication. Love doesn’t seem to be in question. Fleshly acts are.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

C'mon, that's an appalling comparison. Be better than that.

I thought you said something in the previous post, about , (just a minute while I go check it again) ......

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

If I was to meet Jesus on this road of discovery that I'm on there are many, many things that would need to be overcome.

I would have knowledge of Jesus Christ in all his divinity (I could no longer be Agnostic) but I would face the very battle for my essence because it seems to me that scripture is fairly clear on the subject that gay people are wrong just for loving someone and that is anathema to me.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Seeing things truthfully is not common at all.

 

[Doubting Brutus]

"that scripture is fairly clear on the subject that gay people are wrong just for loving someone” fornication outside of marriage holds the same implication. Love doesn’t seem to be in question. Fleshly acts are.

But one is not promiscuous by nature. You are free to remain faithful, be unfaithful or have some integrity and negotiate a mutual separation with your partner in order that you can see other people without committing adultery. Those options are not available to someone who is gay. They are not attracted to people of the opposite sex. If homosexuality was a mortal sin then a gay person's options would be limited to a life in a loving relationship with someone of the same sex or a loveless life on their own or in a relationship with someone that they were incapable of being attracted to. What is the greater evil here?