Do we choose to believe in Jesus?

[tonychanyt]

I speak from my personal experience. As an undergrad student, many Christians talked to me frequently about Jesus. I didn't believe the gospel. I argued with them based on my scientific mindset. Their answers did not satisfy me. I choose not to believe because Jesus made no sense to me scientifically.

After graduation, I started to look for meaning in life. Science could not satisfy my search, so I tried to look for answers elsewhere. I read tons of philosophical books. I continued my graduate study in AI. The Christians continued their effort to convince me. My mind started to soften, and gradually, I accepted Christ over a period of about a year.

Yes, I chose not to believe, and I chose to believe. That was some decades ago. Now, when I look back, I wonder how I survived life before I knew Jesus

See also

• Do we choose to repent?
• Which Comes First: Faith or Repentance?

 

[d taylor]

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You came to perceive the evidence about Jesus differently than you had in the past, was that really a choice.

 

[Spiritual Jew]

I speak from my personal experience. As an undergrad student, many Christians talked to me frequently about Jesus. I didn't believe the gospel. I argued with them based on my scientific mindset. Their answers did not satisfy me. I choose not to believe because Jesus made no sense to me scientifically.

After graduation, I started to look for meaning in life. Science could not satisfy my search, so I tried to look for answers elsewhere. I read tons of philosophical books. I continued my graduate study in AI. The Christians continued their effort to convince me. My mind started to soften, and gradually, I accepted Christ over a period of about a year.

Yes, I chose not to believe, and I chose to believe. That was some decades ago. Now, when I look back, I wonder how I survived life before I knew Jesus

See also

• Do we choose to repent?
• Which Comes First: Faith or Repentance?

Yes, I agree that it is a choice. We can see that when we look at passages like these:

Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

If people were not required to choose to believe or not, then reason would not be involved in whether someone believed or not. But, this passage says that Paul "reasoned with them out of the scriptures". Some were convinced by his reasoning and put their faith in Christ as a result. That clearly implies that it was a choice on their part after reasoning and thinking about what Paul was saying and then deciding whether to agree with what he was preaching or not.

Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; 2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome) and came unto them. 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

Again, we see a description of Paul reasoning with people and persuading them. If there was no choice of whether to believe or not, then reason and persuasion would not have anything to do with whether or not people believe. If believing or not was not a choice, then no amount of reasoning and persuasion would make any difference. But, they do. People chose to either accept his reasoning and were persuaded by it or they chose to reject it and were not persuaded by it. That was entirely their choice.