Recently came back to God and have some questions

Love and service to God grows as His grace touches us sinners. We are sinners and we do fall short but it is God in His grace who lifts us up. The more grace you internalise the more love for God will grow. When you love God then you will automatically begin to seek out sin less and less. Love for God does not desire sin. Loving our neighbours like God loves them is something we have to learn. The more love for God grows in our hearts the more love for people will grow as well. Love for God loves neighbour as self.

So endevour to love God for His love in your life. Don't force things. Don't look at yourself but at Christ. When you look at yourself you will begin to doubt God but when you look at Christ you learn to love God for His grace.

When sin take you to God for grace then sin is washed off along the way and love for God grows there instead.

So eat grace brother and keep eating grace. Look at Christ and not yourself to be worthy of grace it doesn't work like that. Service out of love God accepts but religious duties become spirit killers instead of love growers like grace does.

Be of good courage God called you back. Thank Him and live a humble God and neighbour loving life. Love is what you feel inside. So do the loving when this is the case. If you see you have no love for someone ask God for it. Much better ask God for love than try loving out of our own ability. Such always stuffs up on us.

Oh and welcome to CF i hope you make lots of friends.

Welcome to the forums, dear Ryan!
I'm glad you made it here

You got some really good questions there, and I feel your honesty about it. It's touching how God is moving your heart.
I will go through your questions one by one. Perhaps some of my answers will help you a bit

ryan_abc said:

I read verses in the Bible like "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". If I'm being honest with myself (and I know God knows my heart); my love is not this strong - I would probably describe it as feeble. I acknowledge what Jesus dying on the cross means for us and I am appreciative, but I feel like my love and appreciation is inadequate. Perhaps my heart has been hardened after many years of sin. Is my situation normal? How can I learn to love and appreciate God/Jesus more?

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Fortunately God is realistic. We can't force feelings, and God does not expect us to. The love Jesus is talking about here is not defined by what we feel but by how we act. To love God with all your heart, soul and mind means to put Him first. Absolutely first, the top priority! If your beloved wife asks you to lie, don't! Whatever decision we make, first we think what God wants us to do.
So, loving God is an act of your will, not an emotion.

ryan_abc said:

The Bible implies that we should fear God e.g. "the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him" and "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell". My mind goes through all sorts of 'what-if' scenarios e.g. what if my heart is so hardened that I'm unacceptable to God, what if I've committed some unforgivable sin... perhaps it's the Devil bullying me to feel despair - I don't know, but I do get moments of worry/fear/anxiety... Is this normal? How do I overcome this?

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It might not be normal for someone knowing God very well, but it's certainly an understandable feeling for someone who just turns back to God again.
There is a good fear (holy fear) and a paralyzing fear of God. The former leads us to respect, honor and praise God, while the latter makes us feel unaccepted by God. But you already are accepted by God. Paul says in Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The fear the Bible talks about here is always that kind of fear commanding you respect. God is your loving father, but also the one judging every person in the world. The one saying to you "well done, my servant" or "away from me you evildoer".

The Bible tells us that there is only one unforgivable sin, and that's the rejection of Jesus Christ, the denial of God. The only thing that can't be forgiven is being indifferent towards God (which makes sense, because making a choice, for or against God, is the reason we exist here). You are certainly not indifferent towards God, and you don't reject Jesus as your saviour. So don't be scared there is anything that God would not forgive you

ryan_abc said:

I'm genuinely trying to live a more Godly life as one of God's children. When it comes to things like charity; one of the things I've been doing more of is giving money to the occasional homeless person I see. I do feel sorry for these people, but I ask myself; am I doing this out of genuine love and compassion for my fellow human being, or to win the approval of God... I do have empathy and compassion, but I'd definitely say the latter is a factor. Does this make me a bad person, or is it OK for God to be the reason for charity.

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To be honest, the very last part of this question made me laugh a bit. I'm sure God wants to be the only reason for charity! God is working the good deeds in us, including the willingness to give away money. He does not command us to share because he is proud of such kind people. God wants us to share in order to honor him!

ryan_abc said:

In Matthew there is the The Parable of the Talents. In this parable 'talents' refers to a sum of money, but it could also be interpreted as actual gifts/talents given to us by God e.g. good at public speaking, gifted at basketball etc. In some ways I think I'm gifted - probably not in the looks departments, but as a real example; I'm probably slightly above average in intelligence (sincerely not trying to brag). What would God be expecting with the talents He's given me? I've worked very hard at the things I'm good at to be successful both individually, as well as for the benefit of other people and/or groups. Is God just expecting us to make use of our talents in the world, or is He expecting something else e.g. good works for God, bringing/encouraging other people to God's family, etc.

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That's a good question, and different people got different opinion on it. I personally believe that God will bring you into the exact position or situation in life where He wants you to use your abilities. God not only provides the software so to say, he also provides the hardware.
Let me give you an example from my own life where you might be able to see what I mean:

When I was a little child of 5 years I was really close to death. In that time God told my mother that the following verse applies to me: "I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done" (Psalms 118:17). I obviously survived.
After school I had no clue what to do. In the end I went to university and studied "Material Science and Engineering" because that's a section with lots of opportunities in the future and I can also choose between being an engineer or a scientist.
Then the pandemic started and I'm in lockdown since then. And what am I doing now? I am using all the knowledge I gathered at university studying chemistry and physics to debate unbelievers on the internet on scientific questions regarding creation, on "what the Lord has done"!
Do you see God's hand navigating me through life?

ryan_abc said:

What does discipleship mean? Are we expected to sell our property and give away all our possessions? IMO this would have been hard in Jesus` day, but would be even harder today... for me; I've got a career, wife, kids, etc. I'm probably considered wealthy in the sense that I have a good paying job, I live in a clean modern city in a first world country, etc; but I'm definitely not in the 1% - I have a mortgage and have to work to pay this and other bills like most other people, so that me and my family can get by. God is now my number #1 priority, and if he called me to do something I'd do it, but what is the expectation...

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I think discipleship has rather little to do with selling your property. It is more about "becoming like Jesus", and I don't recall Jesus selling his spare coat. Paul says in Romans 8:29: "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son". Growing spiritually, being followers of Christ, walking in discipleship, means to let God change you into the image of his Son. You'll see! When you give God space in your life He will change you, and the people around you will see God's presence in your life.

ryan_abc said:

Sometimes I feel like I need guidance from the Holy Spirit. I was baptized as an infant, so I can't remember this occasion. I've never really experienced a moment of overwhelming love/joy, or any spiritual encounter. I've read about some of these testimonials (and there's many documented in the Bible e.g. in Acts) and I truly believe they do occur, but just not for me (so far). I don't expect this to happen to me, but is this type of thing something that most Christians get to experience?

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I was baptised as an infant as well, and never had such a moment of "feelings". The opinion of Christians on this topic varies (from charismatic to the exact opposite), but I can firmly tell you from my experience that such an encounter is not necessary in order to be guided by the Holy Spirit. If you get it, that's fine. If you don't that's also fine. Perhaps even better, because then you don't rely on feelings.

Hello and welcome to CF.

ryan_abc said:

Hi everyone.

This is my first post, so be kind

Just a bit of background about me; I was raised as a Christian in a small town. I've always believed in God from a young age, but got drawn away by worldly pursuits (e.g. sport, friends, partying, work, marriage, kids, etc) from my mid-late teens all the way through to me now at 39 years of age.

I guess you could say my story (at least from a spiritual perspective) is a bit like the story of the prodigal son.

I reached a bit of a turning point recently (about 6 weeks ago) - nothing health related or anything like that... I guess it was a bit of a light-bulb moment where I started to appreciate the real purpose of our time here on earth, as well as the insignificant time frame of our physical existence compared to our eternal spiritual existence.

I like to think it was God drawing me back to Him, but who knows...

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God knows us, and very many have a story like that - God does know how to bring each of us back to Him at the right time.

In my life I've sinned a LOT - inappropriate content/masturbation, pride, hate for others, racist thoughts, lust, impatience, disacknowledgement of God in front of others due to fear of ridicule, etc. I've now repented of my sins many times over and sincerely asked for Jesus to come into my life. Almost miraculously a lot of the sin has gone e.g. no more inappropriate content/masturbation, my hate has subdued, etc. Obviously there's temptation to return to some of these things, but so far (with the help of God) I've been able to resist. I do still sin and I'm far from perfect, but my sins are now less frequent and less significant (that is, if there's a scale to sin e.g. my sins now include occasional moments of grumpiness, accidentally swearing as it's hard to break old habits).

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There’s often an ease of putting off sin in a bit of “honeymoon” period. Just don’t be surprised if things get harder at some point. Or don’t let pride creep in if they don’t.

One of several things that I'm doing to help bring me closer to God is that I'm reading the Bible (which I've never done before). Starting in the New Testament, I've read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, & Acts in the last few weeks alone. I'm doing research as I go, but I've still got quite a few questions I'm hoping for some help with, so here goes...

I read verses in the Bible like "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". If I'm being honest with myself (and I know God knows my heart); my love is not this strong - I would probably describe it as feeble. I acknowledge what Jesus dying on the cross means for us and I am appreciative, but I feel like my love and appreciation is inadequate. Perhaps my heart has been hardened after many years of sin. Is my situation normal? How can I learn to love and appreciate God/Jesus more?

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Anyone who thinks the love God “enough” or perfectly is at risk of spiritual pride. Don’t worry about it. The more time you spend with someone, the more your love can grow. It’s good to think on the things God has done for us.

But we are not meant to “perform” in any way to secure God’s love. God IS love. We just learn to accept it, to live in Him, and become more like Christ. That is our goal.

The Bible implies that we should fear God e.g. "the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him" and "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell". My mind goes through all sorts of 'what-if' scenarios e.g. what if my heart is so hardened that I'm unacceptable to God, what if I've committed some unforgivable sin... perhaps it's the Devil bullying me to feel despair - I don't know, but I do get moments of worry/fear/anxiety... Is this normal? How do I overcome this?

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It’s very common to have these concerns. You haven’t committed an unpardonable sin. That despair is not of God. We are His creation - God loves us. I would not focus on “wrath” verses trying to understand God in the early part of your walk. There are many reasons why we misunderstand those.

Just understand that God IS love and He loves us. But God is also Holy. We need to turn from sin (it is a lifelong process, but we do need to be determined to follow that path) and turn toward Him. Become like Christ ... that’s all we need to worry about.

I'm genuinely trying to live a more Godly life as one of God's children. When it comes to things like charity; one of the things I've been doing more of is giving money to the occasional homeless person I see. I do feel sorry for these people, but I ask myself; am I doing this out of genuine love and compassion for my fellow human being, or to win the approval of God... I do have empathy and compassion, but I'd definitely say the latter is a factor. Does this make me a bad person, or is it OK for God to be the reason for charity.

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You have a responsibility to your family. If you neglect them, that is sin. Yes, we are to give and help people in other ways. Someone once said something I like - that it’s not what you give that matters, but how much you hold back for yourself. I try to think about that.

And doing things “because we are supposed to” is an ok way to start. It’s not as pure as doing it out of love, but there’s nothing wrong with having a starting point. God knows ... don’t worry about it. You can of course pray and ask God to help your motives become more mature in love, and there are ways to practice, grow in that.

In Matthew there is the The Parable of the Talents. In this parable 'talents' refers to a sum of money, but it could also be interpreted as actual gifts/talents given to us by God e.g. good at public speaking, gifted at basketball etc. In some ways I think I'm gifted - probably not in the looks departments, but as a real example; I'm probably slightly above average in intelligence (sincerely not trying to brag). What would God be expecting with the talents He's given me? I've worked very hard at the things I'm good at to be successful both individually, as well as for the benefit of other people and/or groups. Is God just expecting us to make use of our talents in the world, or is He expecting something else e.g. good works for God, bringing/encouraging other people to God's family, etc.

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Be very careful thinking about what we should “do for God” or about a ministry. Yes, we will have opportunities to do good deeds in love. But focusing too much on some kind of mission too soon is a big temptation to pride, and being distracted from what we really should be doing.

Focus instead on Christ, and emulating Him.

What does discipleship mean? Are we expected to sell our property and give away all our possessions? IMO this would have been hard in Jesus` day, but would be even harder today... for me; I've got a career, wife, kids, etc. I'm probably considered wealthy in the sense that I have a good paying job, I live in a clean modern city in a first world country, etc; but I'm definitely not in the 1% - I have a mortgage and have to work to pay this and other bills like most other people, so that me and my family can get by. God is now my number #1 priority, and if he called me to do something I'd do it, but what is the expectation...

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Maybe I read your message out of order when replying. I’m sorry ... see above. Don’t neglect taking care of your family. Help people where you have an ability and see they need help.

Sometimes I feel like I need guidance from the Holy Spirit. I was baptized as an infant, so I can't remember this occasion. I've never really experienced a moment of overwhelming love/joy, or any spiritual encounter. I've read about some of these testimonials (and there's many documented in the Bible e.g. in Acts) and I truly believe they do occur, but just not for me (so far). I don't expect this to happen to me, but is this type of thing something that most Christians get to experience?

Thanks you for any answers

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Experiences vary quite a bit. And they are also sometimes deceptive. Be VERY CAREFUL about experiences/feelings, especially if they start to make you think you are especially spiritual or have something great to do.

Humility is a very important part of being able to draw near to God. And a person usually needs to grow very much in humility before God does things with them that would risk tempting them to any kind of pride. He loves us and wants us with Him. He needs nothing ... and has no need of us doing something for Him that He can’t accomplish any other way, that would mean He would have to risk a person becoming prideful and lost because of some thing God needed that person to do.

I hope that makes sense. Forgive me, I am just hoping to offer a little, some out of my own foolish experiences.

God be with you.

ryan_abc said:

Hi everyone.

This is my first post, so be kind

Just a bit of background about me; I was raised as a Christian in a small town. I've always believed in God from a young age, but got drawn away by worldly pursuits (e.g. sport, friends, partying, work, marriage, kids, etc) from my mid-late teens all the way through to me now at 39 years of age.

I guess you could say my story (at least from a spiritual perspective) is a bit like the story of the prodigal son.

I reached a bit of a turning point recently (about 6 weeks ago) - nothing health related or anything like that... I guess it was a bit of a light-bulb moment where I started to appreciate the real purpose of our time here on earth, as well as the insignificant time frame of our physical existence compared to our eternal spiritual existence.

I like to think it was God drawing me back to Him, but who knows...

In my life I've sinned a LOT - inappropriate content/masturbation, pride, hate for others, racist thoughts, lust, impatience, disacknowledgement of God in front of others due to fear of ridicule, etc. I've now repented of my sins many times over and sincerely asked for Jesus to come into my life. Almost miraculously a lot of the sin has gone e.g. no more inappropriate content/masturbation, my hate has subdued, etc. Obviously there's temptation to return to some of these things, but so far (with the help of God) I've been able to resist. I do still sin and I'm far from perfect, but my sins are now less frequent and less significant (that is, if there's a scale to sin e.g. my sins now include occasional moments of grumpiness, accidentally swearing as it's hard to break old habits).

One of several things that I'm doing to help bring me closer to God is that I'm reading the Bible (which I've never done before). Starting in the New Testament, I've read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, & Acts in the last few weeks alone. I'm doing research as I go, but I've still got quite a few questions I'm hoping for some help with, so here goes...

1. I read verses in the Bible like "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". If I'm being honest with myself (and I know God knows my heart); my love is not this strong - I would probably describe it as feeble. I acknowledge what Jesus dying on the cross means for us and I am appreciative, but I feel like my love and appreciation is inadequate. Perhaps my heart has been hardened after many years of sin. Is my situation normal? How can I learn to love and appreciate God/Jesus more?
2. The Bible implies that we should fear God e.g. "the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him" and "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell". My mind goes through all sorts of 'what-if' scenarios e.g. what if my heart is so hardened that I'm unacceptable to God, what if I've committed some unforgivable sin... perhaps it's the Devil bullying me to feel despair - I don't know, but I do get moments of worry/fear/anxiety... Is this normal? How do I overcome this?
3. I'm genuinely trying to live a more Godly life as one of God's children. When it comes to things like charity; one of the things I've been doing more of is giving money to the occasional homeless person I see. I do feel sorry for these people, but I ask myself; am I doing this out of genuine love and compassion for my fellow human being, or to win the approval of God... I do have empathy and compassion, but I'd definitely say the latter is a factor. Does this make me a bad person, or is it OK for God to be the reason for charity.
4. In Matthew there is the The Parable of the Talents. In this parable 'talents' refers to a sum of money, but it could also be interpreted as actual gifts/talents given to us by God e.g. good at public speaking, gifted at basketball etc. In some ways I think I'm gifted - probably not in the looks departments, but as a real example; I'm probably slightly above average in intelligence (sincerely not trying to brag). What would God be expecting with the talents He's given me? I've worked very hard at the things I'm good at to be successful both individually, as well as for the benefit of other people and/or groups. Is God just expecting us to make use of our talents in the world, or is He expecting something else e.g. good works for God, bringing/encouraging other people to God's family, etc.
5. What does discipleship mean? Are we expected to sell our property and give away all our possessions? IMO this would have been hard in Jesus` day, but would be even harder today... for me; I've got a career, wife, kids, etc. I'm probably considered wealthy in the sense that I have a good paying job, I live in a clean modern city in a first world country, etc; but I'm definitely not in the 1% - I have a mortgage and have to work to pay this and other bills like most other people, so that me and my family can get by. God is now my number #1 priority, and if he called me to do something I'd do it, but what is the expectation...
6. Sometimes I feel like I need guidance from the Holy Spirit. I was baptized as an infant, so I can't remember this occasion. I've never really experienced a moment of overwhelming love/joy, or any spiritual encounter. I've read about some of these testimonials (and there's many documented in the Bible e.g. in Acts) and I truly believe they do occur, but just not for me (so far). I don't expect this to happen to me, but is this type of thing something that most Christians get to experience?

Thanks you for any answers

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What Is a Talent Weight? Bible Units and Measurements
A talent weight was an ancient measuring unit for gold and silver
How Heavy Was a Talent in the Bible?

Parable of the Talents = Parable about a measure of gold.

You have been given a measure of gold - the Bible. Will you bury the knowledge within?

How do you earn interest on this gold? You must think about the knowledge in the Bible, and apply where necessary.

Why is there such a harsh penalty for burying the gold?

Some good counsel given here, Ryan! Just remember that God is love, and we need to come to Him through His "...beloved Son" (the Lord Jesus ---as in John 3; John 14). That is how we get the peace and blessings of our God forever. -1watchman

Wow, your story sounds very much like much like mine. I was born in a Christian, Bible-believing home, even went to a Christian college. I drifted away into the party scene for 15+ years and in my late 30s I felt like God was tapping on my shoulder telling me "look, do you now see that none of this lifestyle satisfies? I'm right here--come home--I'm the one that satisfies." It was at that moment I prayed to God to forgive me of my sins--and I know He did--because Jesus died for all of our sins (regardless of how long you've been gone) when we turn back to Him and confess our sins to Him. Jesus is my King and Savior, and I frankly don't know what or who I would be if it were not for the work of the Holy Spirit in coming to get me.

I knew it was going to be a long road back to get my life cleaned up. In fact, the first year or so back was really difficult. But through seeking God more--reading the Bible, praying, looking *carefully* for sound, Biblically-based articles on my struggles with giving up my sins--drinking too much, sex, masturbation, anger--I've grown in a major way. And even though I've confessed that I'm a Christian to some friends (mostly Christian ones), been baptized again at a church, I've sometimes skirted around the "I'm a Christian" confession to some (which is actually why I came to the forum anyway--see my next post). I've slowly but surely been able to drop many of these bad habits that are sins though. I still struggle with masturbation even in my mid-40s. I plan to fast soon and ask God to help me in this area. Fasting definitely helps tear your dependences from these vices--it's the work of the Holy Spirit we depend on that helps in this area--not anything we can do. Christ gets the glory--he defeated sin already at the Cross. We are no longer slaves to sin (read Romans)--we are slaves to Christ.

This doesn't mean that we don't struggle or don't sin; it does mean that we should strive and show Christ we are willing to take steps in the direction of dealing with these sins and more importantly, ask Him for his supernatural help. Slowly but surely, Christ has empowered me, and even removed some sinful desires in me miraculously. I'm not saying this always happens, but I know that Christ will help us if we ourselves attempt to get help--counselors, friends, church, Christ.

If I can just encourage you--get into the Word. Look for passages that help you understand your particular issue sand ask God to reveal truth and ask for help in those specific areas. If you sin, confess your sin immediately - don't let time go by as it's easier to ignore it and a hardening can take place. Stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Pray a lot, spend time in solitude with God. Find a Bible-believing church where there are people that can help and you can trust them to open up and be honest about these things. No one is perfect.

I've realized in all of this that God does still love me despite how much of a wreck I've been--all the poor choices I've made. He's not here to punish me for this because I came back and asked Him for forgiveness--Jesus was punished on the cross for all of our sins--past, present, future. It's been a journey back to a clean life, but I'm continuing on and could never have pictured this much progress in 5-6 years. Keep going and feel free to DM me if you need to talk further.

ryan_abc said:

I read verses in the Bible like "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". If I'm being honest with myself (and I know God knows my heart); my love is not this strong - I would probably describe it as feeble. I acknowledge what Jesus dying on the cross means for us and I am appreciative, but I feel like my love and appreciation is inadequate. Perhaps my heart has been hardened after many years of sin. Is my situation normal? How can I learn to love and appreciate God/Jesus more?

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Here are some points you might want to consider:

1. Love grows over time, it deepens and expands, becoming mature progressively.

You can see this especially in the marriage relationship (if its healthy). I love my wife now in a way I could not possibly have done when we were first married. Many years of shared experiences - good and bad - have deepened our love for one another in a way the "hot and heavies" of early married life could not.

Our love for God deepens and expands over time, too, as we walk with Him and invest in our relationship with Him. (Matthew 6:21)

2. God doesn't want our sin-corrupted, selfish human love, but His own holy, divine love.

God is holy. He is perfect. And He wants from us the same holy perfection. But we aren't God, obviously, and have no hope of offering this sort of perfection to Him from within ourselves. And so, God has given to us what we need in the Person of His Spirit. A born-again person is made so by the Spirit coming to dwell within them (John 3:5-6; Titus 3:5; 1 John 4:13; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20), transforming them and giving to them in himself all they need to walk well with God. This includes the love God commands us to exercise toward Him:

Romans 5:5
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Galatians 5:22
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love...

Many Christians live for decades never growing in their love for God, never overflowing with the holy love of God because, although the Spirit is within them, they do not live in moment-by-moment submission to Him. God will never force us to His will and way. If we will not live in willing surrender to Him (James 4:6-10), a "living sacrifice" to Him throughout every day (Romans 12:1), He will not fill us with Himself and thus cannot transform us. He waits 'til we yield to Him (Romans 6:13) and then begins to shape us by His power, the power of the Spirit, into the loving, holy, joyful, Christ-like people He always intended we should be.

3. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Our love for God begins in our understanding and being fully convinced of God's deep and abiding love for us. When we properly grasp the enormity of God's love for us, it has the effect of eradicating our fear of Him as Judge and Punisher. (1 John 4:16-18) Our deep confidence in God's love for us is also the fuel for our Christian living. Really, love for God is the only motivation for our obedience to Him that He will accept.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

It takes time and undistracted, prayerful contemplation of the truth of God's love for you for the full weight of His love to settle thoroughly into your mind and heart. Ultimately, God must work to strike the truth of His great love for you deep within you. Ask Him to. And keep asking Him 'til He does.

Sin does have a hardening effect upon the sinner. But not an irreversible one. It took time to bind you in sin and in habits of sin (in thought and deed) and it takes time to undo them and form new, holy, God-centered thoughts and habits in their place. Be patient. God isn't in a terrible rush.

ryan_abc said:

The Bible implies that we should fear God e.g. "the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him" and "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell". My mind goes through all sorts of 'what-if' scenarios e.g. what if my heart is so hardened that I'm unacceptable to God, what if I've committed some unforgivable sin... perhaps it's the Devil bullying me to feel despair - I don't know, but I do get moments of worry/fear/anxiety... Is this normal? How do I overcome this?

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See above.

The only really "unforgivable sin" is the sin of a heart hardened toward God such that it refuses the salvation He offers in Christ Jesus. As C.S. Lewis wrote, "The door to hell is locked from the inside."

"Perfect (that is, mature) love casts out fear. He who fears has not been made perfect in love."

When you are settled into, and confident in, God's love for you, the sort of fear you're experiencing disappears. We are all "unacceptable to God." There is none righteous, no, not one, the Bible says. (Romans 3:23) But we can be made acceptable to God - not by living the right way, but by trusting in Christ (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10) and in so doing being clothed in him, in his perfect righteousness, and so becoming acceptable to God (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31). This is the ONLY way ever to be acceptable to God. Your works NEVER have anything to do with your being saved, being born-again into God's family, and in your remaining His child. (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5)

If you get to thinking your salvation depends on you, fear will always be the result. But it doesn't. Relax. Those God has made His children can never undo their adoption into His family.

ryan_abc said:

I'm genuinely trying to live a more Godly life as one of God's children. When it comes to things like charity; one of the things I've been doing more of is giving money to the occasional homeless person I see. I do feel sorry for these people, but I ask myself; am I doing this out of genuine love and compassion for my fellow human being, or to win the approval of God... I do have empathy and compassion, but I'd definitely say the latter is a factor. Does this make me a bad person, or is it OK for God to be the reason for charity.

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It's a good start. But God would have you give to others out of His compassion for them, out of the love He has for them. And this happens by the means I described above.

ryan_abc said:

In Matthew there is the The Parable of the Talents. In this parable 'talents' refers to a sum of money, but it could also be interpreted as actual gifts/talents given to us by God e.g. good at public speaking, gifted at basketball etc.

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No, actually, it can't. This interpretation places a mistaken emphasis upon us rather than God. We are mere "vessels," conduits, through whom God communicates Himself. The Holy Spirit is the "talent," the "money," God has given to us by which we may serve Him (Luke 11:9-13), not our particular skill set or natural abilities.

ryan_abc said:

What would God be expecting with the talents He's given me? I've worked very hard at the things I'm good at to be successful both individually, as well as for the benefit of other people and/or groups. Is God just expecting us to make use of our talents in the world, or is He expecting something else e.g. good works for God, bringing/encouraging other people to God's family, etc.

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God expects that all you are and possess be made available for His use. He calls us in His word, "servants," "bond-slaves," "vessels," "branches in the Vine," "ambassadors" and such like to emphasize that we exist to serve Him, not the other way 'round. Jesus made this point very clearly:

Matthew 6:25-33
25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27 "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30 "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

ryan_abc said:

What does discipleship mean? Are we expected to sell our property and give away all our possessions? IMO this would have been hard in Jesus` day, but would be even harder today... for me; I've got a career, wife, kids, etc. I'm probably considered wealthy in the sense that I have a good paying job, I live in a clean modern city in a first world country, etc; but I'm definitely not in the 1% - I have a mortgage and have to work to pay this and other bills like most other people, so that me and my family can get by. God is now my number #1 priority, and if he called me to do something I'd do it, but what is the expectation...

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No, you are not expected to sell all you possess. God wants you to give up something far more important, far more central, to your life: Your Self. (Matthew 16:24-25; John 12:24-25) Christ has called his followers to a life of Self-denial, to what is known as the "crucified life" (Galatians 2:20; Galatians 5:24; Colossians 3:1-3; Romans 6) where your Self-will, your desires, goals, and priorities are all submitted - and forsaken, if necessary - for the sake of following Jesus. This may mean some things have to go from your life, replaced by new Christ-centered things, but it doesn't usually mean selling everything you own and becoming a saved but indigent person.

In the Bible, if God had something He wanted someone to do, He never failed to make what that "something" was perfectly clear. Moses got a burning bush; Gideon got a visit from an angelic messenger, as did Abraham, Lot, Jacob and Balaam; some were sent visions or a prophet from God; Paul got knocked on his can and blinded. And so on. In light of how God operated in the past, it is a very good bet that if God wants you to do something, something radical like confronting Pharaoh, or fighting a huge army with a just a few guys and some clay pots and trumpets, He'll let you know very clearly. If this is not the case, just keep on keeping on, living for Jesus where you are, shining brightly for him in your neighborhood, workplace and family.

God has given you His word, the Bible, filled with spiritual principles, commands, truth, and wisdom that He intends you should know well and apply to daily living. (Psalms 1; Psalms 119:105; Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17) The better you know and live in conformity to God's word, to its truth, wisdom and spiritual principles, the more you can be sure you're walking as God wants you to.

ryan_abc said:

Sometimes I feel like I need guidance from the Holy Spirit. I was baptized as an infant, so I can't remember this occasion. I've never really experienced a moment of overwhelming love/joy, or any spiritual encounter. I've read about some of these testimonials (and there's many documented in the Bible e.g. in Acts) and I truly believe they do occur, but just not for me (so far). I don't expect this to happen to me, but is this type of thing something that most Christians get to experience?

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Scripture tells us to expect an experience of the Spirit that is very different from the rather....hysterical "experiences" of many modern, hyper-charismatic Christians. The Bible says the Christian's daily experience of the Holy Spirit will involve:

1. Conviction of sin (John 16:8)
2. Illumination of God's truth in Scripture (John 14:26; John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13)
3. Strengthening in times of temptation and trial. (Ephesians 3:16; Romans 8:13; Philippians 2:13)
4. Development of spiritual "fruit." (Galatians 5:22-23)
5. Divine discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11)

And so on. You can babble in tongues all you like, or convulse on the floor in "spiritual ecstasy," or declare a "prophetic word" from God, but if these things I've listed above are not your daily experience of the Spirit, you're not really experiencing God.

Be extremely wary of believers who urge you to a strongly sensual experience of God: high emotion, wild, hysterical experiences, "worship" that panders to your physical senses. We are in a spiritual, not a fleshly, relationship with God. We cannot worship and walk with God spiritually by flesh-focused, sensual (physical sense-oriented) means. See: Galatians 5:17; Galatians 6:7-8; Romans 8:1-14.

ryan_abc said:

• In Matthew there is the The Parable of the Talents. In this parable 'talents' refers to a sum of money, but it could also be interpreted as actual gifts/talents given to us by God e.g. good at public speaking, gifted at basketball etc. In some ways I think I'm gifted - probably not in the looks departments, but as a real example; I'm probably slightly above average in intelligence (sincerely not trying to brag). What would God be expecting with the talents He's given me? I've worked very hard at the things I'm good at to be successful both individually, as well as for the benefit of other people and/or groups. Is God just expecting us to make use of our talents in the world, or is He expecting something else e.g. good works for God, bringing/encouraging other people to God's family, etc.

• What does discipleship mean? Are we expected to sell our property and give away all our possessions? IMO this would have been hard in Jesus` day, but would be even harder today... for me; I've got a career, wife, kids, etc. I'm probably considered wealthy in the sense that I have a good paying job, I live in a clean modern city in a first world country, etc; but I'm definitely not in the 1% - I have a mortgage and have to work to pay this and other bills like most other people, so that me and my family can get by. God is now my number #1 priority, and if he called me to do something I'd do it, but what is the expectation...

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Someone that asked the same question and whose answer might interest you:

R. G. LeTourneau

“You will never know what you can accomplish until you say a great big yes to the Lord.”

"Because I believe God wants business men as well as preachers, I believe a factory can be dedicated to His service as well as a church."

"I shovel [money] out, and God shovels it back...but God has a bigger shovel!"

“It’s not about how much of my money I give to God, but how much of God’s money I keep for myself.”


― R. G. G. LeTourneau, Mover of Men and Mountains

ryan_abc said:

I mentioned in a previous response that my wife and I have been going through a tough time. My wife has been seeking validation and asking if I love her. I do love her in a way (after all she's the mother of my children), but it's been really hard recently and we've both been frustrated with each other. I've been responding with things like 'of course baby, I still love you', which is probably not speaking the whole truth (which God might not approve of), but I feel like I need to keep the family together and pray for God to rekindle the flame and bring us back together in love. What advice would you give...

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I'm really sorry to hear that. I don't know either of you very well, but perhaps some of the following will give you an idea what to do. Allow me to start with a German pastor who said this about marriage:

"God instituted marriage, but the sort of marriage characterized by love and faithfulness. So what is marriage supposed to be like? Ladies, to be a good wife, it is not enough to cook delicacies for your husband or to sew on his buttons. Men, when you have given your wife the house-keeping money, don't think you have done your duty. According to God's plan, marriage is supposed to deliver you both from solitude. Do those of you who are married have this type of married life? If not, perhaps you ought to talk the matter over together and ask each other, "What has happened to us? Our marriage was supposed to save us from loneliness!" In the beginning, God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Try to understand this. He wanted to take you out of your isolation.

Let me tell you a little anecdote which speaks volumes. When I was a very small boy, my sister and I were allowed one day to go to a family wedding at Stuttgart. It was the first time I had been to a wedding and everything was enormously interesting. We drove to the church in a carriage, then there was a banquet at the hotel. The last item on the menu was "bombe glacée". My sister and I were seated at the end of the table and we couldn't wait to see the "bombe glacée" arrive. But it took ever so long to come, because one uncle after another got up to make a speech. We were terribly bored. But one of the speeches has remained engraved on my memory. One of my uncles, trying to be witty, shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen! It is said that in heaven there are two chairs; they are intended for the couple who has never regretted for one second that they got married." Then he continued, "But to this day, the chairs have not been claimed." Just then he was interrupted. Over the heads of all the guests, my father shouted to my mother, who was at the other end of the table, "Mummy, those chairs are waiting for us!" I was only a youngster and I did not understand the deep meaning of those words. But my heart was filled with a great joy, for I felt the marvellous warmth of a home like ours. Is your home like this? At my own wedding reception, one of my colleagues, an older man, made some very touching remarks about the passage in Genesis, "... I will make a helper suitable for him." This is what he said: "Not a despot to rule over him. Nor a slave to lie under his feet. Nor an object that he can put to the side. But a helper to lavish her love all around him." On the day of their silver wedding anniversary, I was deeply impressed to see the way my father looked at my mother and to hear him say to her, "You have become more precious to me every day over these 25 years!" I could not help thinking of all those couples, who, in 25 years of marriage, have seen their love fade away little by little. It is terrifying! Many married people should be saying to each other, "Listen, let's make a fresh start." Believe me, it is possible!"

You see, I am not married myself but I have been watching my parents' marriage who are married for 33 years now. And I can tell you that this "fresh start" is possible indeed!
My parents had some really tough times as well and a lot of wounds were caused. You cannot get over it without God's help because our human pride doesn't let us forget. The key to a new beginning is forgiveness. Do you know what real forgiveness looks like? God says in Isaiah 43:25

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."

That's real forgiveness! The wrongdoings are blotted out, the mistakes are gone from your memory. Be sure to understand me correctly here: it's not that all of a sudden you can not remember anymore what your wife has done. Forgiveness is not amnesia. It means that you treat her wrongdoings as forgotten (and vice versa). You treat her as if those things never happened.
If you think of your wife and all you can think of is how she has hurt you it is a sign that you've never forgiven her.

Another thing I learned when watching my parents is this: a restart in marriage does not necessarily start with a new feeling of love. My parents pretty much said "Our marriage is not what God wants it to be. Let's start again and live together to His glory". They basically treated each other with another "kind" of love, a love that is originated in reason and will rather than pure emotions.
You could put it like this: God made you marry your wife, so He wants you to treat her decently. If your emotional love faded away then love her for who she is: a being created by God who God wants you to deal with every day. Perhaps that's how God wants to teach you something, for example tolerance, patience, mercifulness...
But that's not all. Often when you do this the emotion of love will return (maybe in parts, maybe more) after a long while. That's when you have learned to appreciate the other person's good sides and to tolerate/bear the other person's bad sides.

ryan_abc said:

Unfortunately, I've probably been experiencing some of the latter. I don't know why this hit me all of a sudden. It actually coincided with me starting to come back to Christ. I was reading the Bible and read things like Mark 3:29 "but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin". It made me think of a few stupid/regretful things I did in my late teens... perhaps the devil felt he was losing his grip on me and started bullying me to self doubt - I don't know... here are the things that I did that made me worry:

• One time my friends and I were drinking and walking past/through a church and and I got down on a knee and joked to my friends and said something like 'baptize me father' and one of my friends tipped some beer on my head. I didn't ask him to do this, but I don't blame him. It was my fault for putting myself in a terrible situation.
• I was drinking in a pub and wrote 'soul' on a piece of paper and joked about selling my soul for a beer (or 5 bucks - details are a bit vague). There was an episode of the Simpsons where Bart did this, and I probably thought it was funny. For what it's worth I never sold my soul to anyone, but to me it's just a horribly sinful thing that I was joking about.

In both scenarios there was alcohol involved and I was trying to get the attention of a girl, but these aren't valid excuses IMO... I'm sincerely repent of these sins... what do you think? are these sins against the holy spirit? Are they forgivable? I've spoken to some other people and they said that they've said it's forgivable and not to worry, but... it's still playing on my mind...

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Before I tell you a long rigmarole about the unforgivable sin here I would like to encourage you to sacrifice 7 minutes and 45 seconds to listen to the following video: it is in my opinion the best explanation, and when you have understood it you might also understand why your silly behaviour as a teen (don't take it personal <3) is already forgiven and forgotten by God.

ryan_abc said:

One of my problems is that I've got a very detailed and deeply inquiring mind. Questions like 'what if this', 'what if that' come into my mind all the time. This can be a benefit in some situations e.g. my job, which actually requires someone to go through all the possible scenarios, but it can also be a hindrance to me trying to get closer to God. This feeling of unacceptance made me anxious (and on the verge of depression) for a few weeks about a month ago...

One of the things I've thought about is;
yes - I've got a detailed and inquiring mind, but it was God who gave this mind to me. Surely then he would understand my struggles... this reasoning gives me some comfort, but I really just want surety/certainty of salvation, but my own mind seems to trip me up a bit...

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"What if" questions can be very useful, they can also be very redundant. For example the question "what if Jesus had never died" is completely redundant since we shouldn't be bothered by what happens in a hypothetical parallel universe.
I think that "certainty of salvation" is not a feeling. But is it knowledge? Or perhaps the right understanding of Biblical verses? Hmm. Maybe a combination of those two.
Let me put in simple words what I believe is necessary to get saved:
- you need to believe that Jesus, Son of God, died for your sins and justified you in God's eyes
- the honesty of your beliefs has to be visible in your life (which means you don't behave like someone who never heard of Jesus Christ)
- you have to keep your faith to the very end (but Jesus is the one making sure you will, so this is nothing to worry about)

Would you agree with that or is salvation something different to you?

Ryan, you have received a lot of counsel, and without going into detail, let me say, you need several things right away: 1.humble yourself before God and ask him to help you overcome the flesh and learn to show love; 2. be sure you have RECEIVED the Lord Jesus into your heart and not just believed about Him (note John 3; John 5:39-40; John 14; Acts 4:12; etc.): 3. make the Lord Jesus your best Friend beside your Savior, and learn to walk and talk with Him and Read your Bible (New Testament) daily; 4. Speak lovingly to your wife and assure her that you want to be closer to her; 5. Ask her to consider your lives together, and seek to be patient with you too as you try to be a good husband; 6. Maybe ask her if she is willing to seek to work on your future together for a good life.

This must be a genuine effort. Perhaps your wife would like to join with you in Bible readings and talks about it and your mutual relationship with God.

ryan_abc said:

For #1 and #2; I sincerely believe in God and Jesus, otherwise I wouldn't be here. I know that I'm a sinner and am deeply sorry and repentant. I've genuinely prayed for God to forgive me and to come into my life. Have I received the Lord Jesus into my heard and not just believed? I don't know and I'm not sure what this really means... I definitely believe (that Jesus lived, died on the cross and was resurrected), but has he come into my heart? I don't know... I want Him to come into my heart, but my current feelings are more of fear and uncertainty than of peace, joy and love... I have changed my sinful ways (e.g. overcoming hate, no more inappropriate content/masturbation, etc), which I was unable to do previously (that is, without God). There's some things I'm still struggling with (e.g. judgmental of others, lust), but I'm praying for help. The question about Jesus coming into my heart is hard - I don't feel the overwhelming love... is me turning away from sin and trying to live a more Godly life evidence that he's working in me? I'm being honest - I want Jesus to come into my heart more and more, but I can't just make it happen All I can do is read my bible, pray, go to Church, and try to live the type of life that he would want me to... I intend to start going to a mens Bible study group, but haven't moved on this yet... any advice would be appreciated...

WRT my wife, we're in a bit of healing phase. We're making more time for each other now, going to Church together with our kids, being nicer to each other and helping each other more (e.g. hugs, kisses, cuddles, hair pats, back rubs, more help with cooking and chores around the home, more help with kids, not trying to get impatient or angry, etc). I think we're on the right path here, but it might take some time...

Also when you say "Ryan, you have received a lot of counsel"; a sincere question - are you expecting me to wrap this thread up? I apologies if I'm not following the forum's guidelines or anything...

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This sounds good, Ryan! Keep up the good efforts before God and with your dear wife. To know the presence of the Lord with you is to take Him at His Word, and RECKON it so (since you cannot see Him). He says: "I will never leave you, nor forsake you". Isn't that nice to know? ---I am thankful for that. I walk and talk with Him daily, reckoning His presence as promised. He does not speak as men speak --you know. The Lord comes as well as the Father (for both are the same, and by the Holy Spirit in you. One can know their presence because of the promise which will not fail, and we see evidence in blessings often. They do not speak audibly, but by the 'Word of God'. Just trust God is in you by His Holy Spirit; and Jesus said: "if you have seen me you have seen the Father" ---John 14 (that is by faith).

ryan_abc said:

Hi everyone.

This is my first post, so be kind

Just a bit of background about me; I was raised as a Christian in a small town. I've always believed in God from a young age, but got drawn away by worldly pursuits (e.g. sport, friends, partying, work, marriage, kids, etc) from my mid-late teens all the way through to me now at 39 years of age.

I guess you could say my story (at least from a spiritual perspective) is a bit like the story of the prodigal son.

I reached a bit of a turning point recently (about 6 weeks ago) - nothing health related or anything like that... I guess it was a bit of a light-bulb moment where I started to appreciate the real purpose of our time here on earth, as well as the insignificant time frame of our physical existence compared to our eternal spiritual existence.

I like to think it was God drawing me back to Him, but who knows...

In my life I've sinned a LOT - inappropriate content/masturbation, pride, hate for others, racist thoughts, lust, impatience, disacknowledgement of God in front of others due to fear of ridicule, etc. I've now repented of my sins many times over and sincerely asked for Jesus to come into my life. Almost miraculously a lot of the sin has gone e.g. no more inappropriate content/masturbation, my hate has subdued, etc. Obviously there's temptation to return to some of these things, but so far (with the help of God) I've been able to resist. I do still sin and I'm far from perfect, but my sins are now less frequent and less significant (that is, if there's a scale to sin e.g. my sins now include occasional moments of grumpiness, accidentally swearing as it's hard to break old habits).

One of several things that I'm doing to help bring me closer to God is that I'm reading the Bible (which I've never done before). Starting in the New Testament, I've read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, & Acts in the last few weeks alone. I'm doing research as I go, but I've still got quite a few questions I'm hoping for some help with, so here goes...

1. I read verses in the Bible like "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". If I'm being honest with myself (and I know God knows my heart); my love is not this strong - I would probably describe it as feeble. I acknowledge what Jesus dying on the cross means for us and I am appreciative, but I feel like my love and appreciation is inadequate. Perhaps my heart has been hardened after many years of sin. Is my situation normal? How can I learn to love and appreciate God/Jesus more?
2. The Bible implies that we should fear God e.g. "the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him" and "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell". My mind goes through all sorts of 'what-if' scenarios e.g. what if my heart is so hardened that I'm unacceptable to God, what if I've committed some unforgivable sin... perhaps it's the Devil bullying me to feel despair - I don't know, but I do get moments of worry/fear/anxiety... Is this normal? How do I overcome this?
3. I'm genuinely trying to live a more Godly life as one of God's children. When it comes to things like charity; one of the things I've been doing more of is giving money to the occasional homeless person I see. I do feel sorry for these people, but I ask myself; am I doing this out of genuine love and compassion for my fellow human being, or to win the approval of God... I do have empathy and compassion, but I'd definitely say the latter is a factor. Does this make me a bad person, or is it OK for God to be the reason for charity.
4. In Matthew there is the The Parable of the Talents. In this parable 'talents' refers to a sum of money, but it could also be interpreted as actual gifts/talents given to us by God e.g. good at public speaking, gifted at basketball etc. In some ways I think I'm gifted - probably not in the looks departments, but as a real example; I'm probably slightly above average in intelligence (sincerely not trying to brag). What would God be expecting with the talents He's given me? I've worked very hard at the things I'm good at to be successful both individually, as well as for the benefit of other people and/or groups. Is God just expecting us to make use of our talents in the world, or is He expecting something else e.g. good works for God, bringing/encouraging other people to God's family, etc.
5. What does discipleship mean? Are we expected to sell our property and give away all our possessions? IMO this would have been hard in Jesus` day, but would be even harder today... for me; I've got a career, wife, kids, etc. I'm probably considered wealthy in the sense that I have a good paying job, I live in a clean modern city in a first world country, etc; but I'm definitely not in the 1% - I have a mortgage and have to work to pay this and other bills like most other people, so that me and my family can get by. God is now my number #1 priority, and if he called me to do something I'd do it, but what is the expectation...
6. Sometimes I feel like I need guidance from the Holy Spirit. I was baptized as an infant, so I can't remember this occasion. I've never really experienced a moment of overwhelming love/joy, or any spiritual encounter. I've read about some of these testimonials (and there's many documented in the Bible e.g. in Acts) and I truly believe they do occur, but just not for me (so far). I don't expect this to happen to me, but is this type of thing something that most Christians get to experience?

Thanks you for any answers

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Dear one,
I am delighted to know that you have a change of heart and mind and decide to follow the Lord. I am glad that you respond to the Lord’s grace of repentance.

I heard your longing to love God/ Jesus.

Dear one, have you heard what the Lord has said :
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." -John 4:24

What does this have to do with loving God or Jesus, you may say ?

You must know whom you love, that God is Spirit!

Hear what the Lord said:
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. -John 6:63

So if you want to love Jesus and appreciate Him more, you treasure the words that He has spoken in your heart.

For this is what we have heard:
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. -Psalms 32:10

So those who trust in the Lord, the manifestation of His steadfast love surround them.
Who are those who have trusted the Lord ? Those obey Him and are taught in Him.

Dear one,
when you have moments of worry, anxiety, or fear ! Submit yourself to the Lord !

How, you may say? Submit yourself to the truth of His word. This is what the Lord have said :
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, -John 8:31
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -John 8:32

How to abide in the Lord’s word, you may say? Have you not heard this :
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, -2 Timothy 3:16

So how ; you may say that you can be free from fear of ridicule ? This is what we have heard in 1 Peter 4:3-6

You can submit to the truth by believing what you say and that you will receive:

3 For I have spent enough time already living the way the pagans want me to live — in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, wild parties and forbidden idol-worship. 4 They think it strange that I don’t plunge with them into the same flood of dissoluteness, and so they heap insults on me. 5 But they will have to give an account to Him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 This is why He was proclaimed to those who have died; it was so that, although physically they would receive the judgment common to all humanity, they might live by the Spirit in the way that God has provided. Amen- 1 Peter 4:3-6 CJB

By daily or when you are facing the fear, proclaim what you believe and that you will receive what you say according to the promises the Lord spoke in Mark 11:22.

Likewise, in other scripture, you can bring yourself to the truth. For example 1 Peter 2:1-3

2 Therefore, I rid myself of all malice, of all deceit, hypocrisy and envy, and of all the ways there are of speaking against people; 2 and I be like newborn babies, thirsty for the pure milk of the Word; so that by it, I may grow up into deliverance. 3 For I have tasted that The Lord is good.-1 Peter 2:1-3 CJB

In this manner, you can abide in His word, and the truth will set you free.

So dear one, regarding giving that you have asked. I think it is best that you meditate more on God’s words like 1 John 3:16-17 ; 2 Corinthians 9:8. Let His wisdom guide you.

Dear one, you are asking the talents that the Lord spoke in parable. He is not speaking about our abilities since the talent is of the Lord so He is speaking more about spiritual gifts. He is speaking that we use the spiritual gifts as it is written in the Scripture.

Dear one, in regard to your fifth question:
Consider what apostle Paul have said :

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. -1 Corinthians 13:3

So what you need to have is the love of Christ.

Dear one, are you concerned about spiritual encounter ! This is what we have heard:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. -1 Corinthians 1:22-24

And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]] -Mark 16:20

Meditate these truth, you will understand what has been said.

Glad to hear that you are going to church with your family and reading Scripture. That's great.

In regards to your questions- We dont have to sell our property because "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children:..." Pro 13:22 Unless God tells you like the rich young ruler. Also, Yeshua watched the offering plate and noticed who gave and how much. Then He remarked "For they all put in from their abundance, but she from her need has put in everything she had - all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:44). Or do we think He let the poor widow put in everything she had without blessing her as promised in the OT - Mal 3:10?

Also, we decide if we're going to have the fear of the Lord. Then God teaches those who fear Him. (Pro 1). Having the fear of the Lord is loving Him, giving Him honor, respect, devotion, right worship, serving Him, following Him and being submitted and obeying His Word, His will. No matter our opinions.

It can be taught because we're told to teach children to have the fear of the Lord (Psa 34:11).

How to have the fear of the Lord:
"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shall thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God" (Pro 2:1-5).

Having the fear of the Lord contrast with having the fear of man. Saul had the fear of man (I Sam 13 and 15), He valued what the people thought about something more than what God had said.

"...we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:" Heb 22:28 Having the fear of the Lord is the true and acceptable way of worshipping the Lord (Benson commentary).

"The reverent fear and worshipful awe of the Lord [includes] the hatred of evil; pride, arrogance, the evil way, and perverted and twisted speech I hate." (Pro 8:13, Psa 97:10, Pro 6:16-19). It "...prolongs one’s days..." (Pro 10:27). "In the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children shall always have a place of refuge." (Pro 14:26) It causes men to depart from evil (Pro 16:6), "By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life." (Pro 22:4) "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant" (Psa 25). Having the fear of the Lord is a treasure (Isa 33:6l, and churches walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31).

Having the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, knowledge, instruction, and is the fountain of life (Pro 1:7, 9:10, 14:27). "The reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord leads to life, and he who has it rests satisfied; he cannot be visited with [actual] evil." Pro 19:23

Plus "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him,, and make our abode with him." John 14:23

ryan_abc said:

Hi everyone.

This is my first post, so be kind

Just a bit of background about me; I was raised as a Christian in a small town. I've always believed in God from a young age, but got drawn away by worldly pursuits (e.g. sport, friends, partying, work, marriage, kids, etc) from my mid-late teens all the way through to me now at 39 years of age.

I guess you could say my story (at least from a spiritual perspective) is a bit like the story of the prodigal son.

I reached a bit of a turning point recently (about 6 weeks ago) - nothing health related or anything like that... I guess it was a bit of a light-bulb moment where I started to appreciate the real purpose of our time here on earth, as well as the insignificant time frame of our physical existence compared to our eternal spiritual existence.

I like to think it was God drawing me back to Him, but who knows...

In my life I've sinned a LOT - inappropriate content/masturbation, pride, hate for others, racist thoughts, lust, impatience, disacknowledgement of God in front of others due to fear of ridicule, etc. I've now repented of my sins many times over and sincerely asked for Jesus to come into my life. Almost miraculously a lot of the sin has gone e.g. no more inappropriate content/masturbation, my hate has subdued, etc. Obviously there's temptation to return to some of these things, but so far (with the help of God) I've been able to resist. I do still sin and I'm far from perfect, but my sins are now less frequent and less significant (that is, if there's a scale to sin e.g. my sins now include occasional moments of grumpiness, accidentally swearing as it's hard to break old habits).

One of several things that I'm doing to help bring me closer to God is that I'm reading the Bible (which I've never done before). Starting in the New Testament, I've read Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, & Acts in the last few weeks alone. I'm doing research as I go, but I've still got quite a few questions I'm hoping for some help with, so here goes...

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First of all, welcome! May God's peace find you well, I will try to do my best to answer your questions.

I read verses in the Bible like "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind". If I'm being honest with myself (and I know God knows my heart); my love is not this strong - I would probably describe it as feeble. I acknowledge what Jesus dying on the cross means for us and I am appreciative, but I feel like my love and appreciation is inadequate. Perhaps my heart has been hardened after many years of sin. Is my situation normal? How can I learn to love and appreciate God/Jesus more?

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If I may be humorous for a moment, congratulations! You're a sinner. You're a sinner like all the rest of us, like everyone is.

That realization you see, that gap between God's command and you're own efforts--that's a good thing. That means the Law is doing what it's supposed to do--show you that you're a sinner. The good you want to do, you don't do; while the evil you don't want to do, you do.

The Law is telling you that you're a sinner. Because you are. Because I am. Because everyone else here also is one.

The Law doesn't bring comfort to sinners, it can't. The Law says, "Do this" and we don't do it. Which is why St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans writes, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23). For this reason it is impossible to be righteous before God under His Law.

We can't please God by our efforts. We can't impress God by our works. We can't reach up and take hold of salvation, because we are helplessly dead in our sin.

That's what the Law says to us.

The Good News--the Gospel--is that God loves you, a sinner. Christ died for you, a sinner. Christ saves you, a sinner.

"What the Law could not do on account of the weakness of our flesh, God has done by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." - Romans 8:3-4

What the Law was powerless to do--make us righteous before God by our fulfilling the works of the Law by our own efforts and strength--God has done for us already, by sending Jesus Christ, His own Son made man, who taking on our human nature, has crucified our sinful flesh to His cross, thereby crucifying it. In order that we might have life in Him, and so,

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of efforts, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

It is by God's own gracious, loving compassion for us that He saves us, and He does this through faith, which isn't our own doing, but God's gift. It has nothing to do with our works, our efforts, our attempts at being righteous and being obedient to God. It is impossible to fulfill the righteousness of the Law by our efforts because of our sin. But God has done this already in Jesus, for you. And He now gives this to you, and He gives this to you--makes it yours--through faith. The faith you have received from God, by the power of His own Gospel which you have heard since you were very young. God has granted you faith, and therefore, all that Christ has done for you is yours, as a free gift.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access through faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a just person--though perhaps a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been made righteous by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from wrath. For while we were hostile toward God we were reconciled by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received reconciliation." - Romans 5:1-11

That's the Gospel. That's what we have with God in Jesus--peace with God. Where we were previously enemies, hostile toward God by our own hatred of Him demonstrated through our sin and waywardness; God has overcome and rescued us even in the midst of our sin, by Jesus Christ. Thus God has overcome us, to rescue us, and to reconcile us to Him, out of His great love for us.

The reason, therefore, we are called to lives of obedience, isn't in order to get us closer to God, but it flows from a heart of thankfulness. A heart of faith, that flowing from faith comes good works, good works for others. That we love God, and love our neighbor. That we give food to those who are hungry, drink to those who are thirsty, medicine to those who are sick, clothes to those who are naked, comfort to those who grieve, and justice for those who are oppressed. That we might live out our faith, in love, toward this world--this world that God made and which God loves.

And even as we have been so freely loved by God, we then freely love in return.

The Bible implies that we should fear God e.g. "the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him" and "fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell". My mind goes through all sorts of 'what-if' scenarios e.g. what if my heart is so hardened that I'm unacceptable to God, what if I've committed some unforgivable sin... perhaps it's the Devil bullying me to feel despair - I don't know, but I do get moments of worry/fear/anxiety... Is this normal? How do I overcome this?
I'm genuinely trying to live a more Godly life as one of God's children. When it comes to things like charity; one of the things I've been doing more of is giving money to the occasional homeless person I see. I do feel sorry for these people, but I ask myself; am I doing this out of genuine love and compassion for my fellow human being, or to win the approval of God... I do have empathy and compassion, but I'd definitely say the latter is a factor. Does this make me a bad person, or is it OK for God to be the reason for charity.

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I think a lot of this, is probably covered in the above which I've written. But more to the point, the fear of God isn't something that just happens. As we grow and live lives of faith, as we mature in Christ, that reverence for God does happen. If we are hearing the word as it is being preached, the Law in its harshness, and the Gospel in its softness; that the glory of God is higher than can be conceived, and yet here the all-glorious meets us, and gives Himself to us. Freely. Awe is the only appropriate response to this.

This dumbfounding, flabbergasting, shocking, and scandalous Gospel.

In Matthew there is the The Parable of the Talents. In this parable 'talents' refers to a sum of money, but it could also be interpreted as actual gifts/talents given to us by God e.g. good at public speaking, gifted at basketball etc. In some ways I think I'm gifted - probably not in the looks departments, but as a real example; I'm probably slightly above average in intelligence (sincerely not trying to brag). What would God be expecting with the talents He's given me? I've worked very hard at the things I'm good at to be successful both individually, as well as for the benefit of other people and/or groups. Is God just expecting us to make use of our talents in the world, or is He expecting something else e.g. good works for God, bringing/encouraging other people to God's family, etc.

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The point of the Parable is that Christ wants us to be here, present in the world, living our lives. The unfaithful servant buries his money in the ground, and then simply waits for the master to return. When the master returns he asks the unfaithful servant why he didn't go and actually do something with it, even something as small as investing it.

In this life, in this world, as we await the coming of the Lord in the future, at a time we don't know; we are supposed to be here, living our faith. Living our faith in relationship to our friends, family, and neighbors. We do that by living our faith in our jobs, in our roles as friends, parents, children, siblings, co-workers. Love your neighbor.

What does discipleship mean? Are we expected to sell our property and give away all our possessions? IMO this would have been hard in Jesus` day, but would be even harder today... for me; I've got a career, wife, kids, etc. I'm probably considered wealthy in the sense that I have a good paying job, I live in a clean modern city in a first world country, etc; but I'm definitely not in the 1% - I have a mortgage and have to work to pay this and other bills like most other people, so that me and my family can get by. God is now my number #1 priority, and if he called me to do something I'd do it, but what is the expectation...

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Some have been convinced to devote themselves to lives of poverty, chastity, celibacy, or some other form of particular discipline. But that isn't a universal call to us. The universal call of discipleship is the call to carry our cross and follow Jesus. To carry our cross means to live the Christian life, it's the life of struggle between the old man (dead in his sins) and the new man (alive in Jesus by the Holy Spirit). It's the sufferings of this life, whatever they may be.

The shape or form in which your cross takes may not be the same as it is for me. But sure enough, each of us has a cross, the unique circumstances of life we happen to find ourselves in; and the call to have faith in Jesus, and to follow Him wherever we are. Whether in our sufferings, or in our moments of joy.

There is always the call to move forward, walking in faith, living in Christ, loving our neighbor. And there is always the struggle of the tripping and falling down, as we slip up, we sin, we make mistakes.

There the Law reminds us we are sinners, and so we fall to our knees in repentance, with contrition and grief over our sin, confessing ourselves and our sin to God. And there is God, there, forgiving us, loving us, in Jesus, by His Gospel. God loving us sinners even as we've fallen, to pick us back up again--as we are His, we belong to Him. He calls us children, and we call Him Abba, Father.

The life of discipleship is a life shaped by the cross.

-CryptoLutheran

Sometimes I feel like I need guidance from the Holy Spirit. I was baptized as an infant, so I can't remember this occasion. I've never really experienced a moment of overwhelming love/joy, or any spiritual encounter. I've read about some of these testimonials (and there's many documented in the Bible e.g. in Acts) and I truly believe they do occur, but just not for me (so far). I don't expect this to happen to me, but is this type of thing something that most Christians get to experience?

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Thanks you for any answers[/QUOTE]

That's okay. On account of your Baptism you belong to Jesus Christ, you are born again, a new creation in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has always been present in your life, whether you knew it or not.

You can be confident of God's promise, that the work He began in you, He will complete in you. You're a work in progress, as are the rest of us. The Church is the hospital for sinners. Christ is the Great Physician. Here is His Word and Sacraments, by which you are fed and nourished, given the medicine of eternal life.

-CryptoLutheran