Where to go from here?

Introverted1293

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Jul 22, 2017
2,978
3,071
Washington
✟684,188.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Single
I have surrendered my life to Jesus and I still don't believe that I am save. I have surrendered my life to Jesus in the past but went back to my old ways.

The truth of the matter is that I don't know how to be a true Christian. All I can think about is hell. It is in my thoughts almost 24/7 even when I'm watching TV. I know that I do not ever want to go there. But it is the most scariest place to go. I worry about my mother whether she went to heaven or hell. I am asking God's forgiveness for my sins. I am not just asking God's forgiveness, I am begging him to forgive me. But I know that he won't forgive me unless I forsake my sin. I just don't know how to do that yet. Sin is so much more than just to our Behavior. We can send by the way that we feel like bitterness and anger. Or feelings of hatred is also sin. These sins are very strong Within Me.

But after surrendering to Jesus I do not know where to go from here. I don't know how to just stop sinning because I have lived a sinful life all of my life. I am one of those people that accepts God's word but I don't accept God's word with gladness I accept God's word based on fear.

So, where do I go from here?

1. I do not know how to love my neighbor as myself, for I have always despised other people. Not because I thought I was better than them, but because my feelings get hurt pretty easily.

2. I don't know how to get rid of my bitterness.

3. I don't know how to love my brothers and sisters. I have never loved them. My mom (died of Covid last year) was pretty much the only one that I have actually loved. But my brothers and sisters, well some of them, wants to have a relationship with me. Well, I did love my twin brother but my love for him has disappeared. Every time he calls me, I roll my eyes and say to myself, oh great, he is the last person that I want to talk to. He gets upset with me because I never go out of my way and talk to him. He keeps wanting me to come and visit him. But I don't want to. He has four children that I've never met before. I do not want to meet them.

4. I have same-sex attraction. Leviticus 18 talks about how homosexuality is an Abomination to God. I recognize this and I accept this. But I still have same-sex attraction. I don't know how to look at men and see them Through The Eyes Of God. Of course, I am not attracted to every single man. But this is sin.

5. I am angry with my mom. She is no longer here anymore. But I am angry at her for not practicing social distancing, even though I understand that it was her right to not practice social distancing. I understand that she had every right to take the risks. But I still feel angry at her and feel that she was selfish for not doing so. It cost her life. But I still love my mom.

The point is that I have a lot of baggage. And I don't know where to go from here after surrendering to Jesus. The truth of the matter is I still feel unsaved. I don't know how to hate sin or to leave it. It has been my master for a long time.

What does one do after surrendering their lives to Jesus? And how do they get rid of all their sinful baggage?
 
Last edited:

Petros2015

Well-Known Member
Jun 23, 2016
5,088
4,321
52
undisclosed Bunker
✟287,561.00
Country
United States
Faith
Eastern Orthodox
Marital Status
Married
1. I do not know how to love my neighbor as myself

You have vision into this; this is where you ask Him to show you how.
The vision is unpleasant, but...
Most people never get the vision
And most people never ask how
And most people never ask for God's spirit to help
I know it seems bad
The vision is unpleasant
But you are 3 steps ahead
Not behind
 
Upvote 0

TzephanYahu

Active Member
Sep 9, 2018
305
283
Dorset
✟95,299.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Hi @Introverted1293

First of all...
I have surrendered my life to Jesus
...That's great news! You have made a good first step.

From reading your post I feel your confusion, anxiety and pain over this issue. So how much more must the Most High...

Now, it seems that the unsettled and heavy feeling inside you may well be the Holy Spirt trying to convict you to change. In my past experience, this fear of hell and dwelling on sin only comes when we are outside of His Will.

You cannot worry yourself back into His Will and you cannot just sit back and wait to be in His Will. It requires action on your part to "renew your mind" and walk in righteously and in the light. For this is why we were called. Not to just sit back and say "I'm saved!" but rather to stand up and walk in the newness of our repentance and faith towards Him.

As for more practical advice, I advise you to turn to the Word of God. Not just the New Testament or cherry-picked verses that make you feel good for a moment, but I mean to truly digest it all. It won't be a quick thing to do, in fact it will take a life time. BUT, as you begin to do this, earnestly seeking to find Him and His Will through His Word, the heaviness will go and you will be walking in a new light. A light in which sin and hell and guilt do not dominate your thoughts and heart, but rather His Kingdom, life and joy. Again, you must seek Him and His Way truly with all your heart in order to do this though becauseany half-hearted effort will not be rewarded.

So let's start at the beginning. When Israel was "saved" from slavery (a depiction of sin), they were baptised through the crossing of the Red Sea and then lead in the wilderness. What then? Did they just walk into the Promised Land? No, they were taught the Father's Ways - the path of righteousness and guidance for every area of our life. Their salvation from Egypt was not dependant on their obedience to the Father's Ways, because He saved them out of mercy. But He did expect them to walk righteously AFTER they were rescued.

1. I do not know how to love my neighbor as myself, for I have always despised other people. Not because I thought I was better than them, but because my feelings get hurt pretty easily.

The Law of God tells you how. But, if you're not sure, just treat them as you would wish they WOULD treat you or your child in an ideal world. As much as you can do, do. A little bit is far better than not at all. But look to excel in this area if you would like the Father to be pleased with your attitude.

2. I don't know how to get rid of my bitterness.

Often people hold on to bitterness as they feel they are justified to, because of how they have been wronged or upset in the past. But bitterness is like a chalice of poison poured out for your enemy that you drink yourself. Nothing good can come from it. But if you can let go out of love, do it out of fear. For if you cannot forgive others, then the Father may choose to not forgive you. Let it go. Take the hurt or insult or pain, and dust yourself off to walk on in peace - pitying the other party if anything, but not hating or reviling them in your heart. Don't dwell on the matter, try to dwell on good things.

3. I don't know how to love my brothers and sisters.

Family issues are complicated and I won't pretend to understand the dynamic of yours. All I can suggest is that you open yourself to them as much as possible. Try to always walk and respond in a way you would feel content with watching back on film a week later (rather than cringe at!)

4. I have same-sex attraction. Leviticus 18 talks about how homosexuality is an Abomination to God. I recognize this and I accept this. But I still have same-sex attraction. I don't know how to look at men and see them Through The Eyes Of God. Of course, I am not attracted to every single man. But this is sin.

Indeed, it is sin. Just as it is sin to have an opposite-sex attraction but be promiscuous.

It sounds like this may be a big challenge for you to overcome, but overcome it you must. Because if there is anything we are unwilling to overcome for the sake of our Creator - we make it an idol. We are effectively saying "Lord I submit myself to you, save me, I give you everything over to you in my life and will change my ways (except my sexual urges, they have to stay!)"

Therefore, whether homosexual, or straight but promiscuous, both are wrong behaviours before God and we have no right to call Him our God if we raise our own sexual desires above Him. Therefore, it's better to deny oneself in this world to find life in the next than to hold on to fleshly gratifications and forfeit our relationship with the Creator of all things. Easier said than done I know. But the greater the overcomer, the greater the reward.

5. I am angry with my mom. She is no longer here anymore. But I am angry at her for not practicing social distancing, even though I understand that it was her right to not practice social distancing. I understand that she had every right to take the risks. But I still feel angry at her and feel that she was selfish for not doing so.

It's very sad your lost your mum like this. But what is sadder is that you are still angry with her about it. This kind of anger and blame towards your mum is not good and you'd be wise to forgive her out of respect for her and for your own health. Start with this before anything else.

The point is that I have a lot of baggage.

From how I read your post, the common thread is hate/intolerance/bitterness. This is the baggage you need to address. All issues seem to stem from this root.

There is no room for the people who hold onto hate in the next life, neither is there room fro those who are quick to get angry. Repent my friend, repent and change your ways. This is not a game we're playing here of "submit yourself to Jesus, go to church, die and go to Heaven - done". No, this is the real deal and you will be judged for what's in your heart and what idle words you have spoken - as will I and every other person. You may live for 50 years or you may only have 50 months left. Or 50 days. Or 50 hours. Repent and change your heart. If you want to forgiven, forgive. If you want to be loved, love. Make the effort and force yourself into new behaviours and patterns of thinking so that this own sinful version of yourself doesn't drag the spiritual version of yourself down to grave.

The good news is that is never to late the change to His Ways! The Creator loves those who do so, despite what they have done and even if they have fallen many times before. So I urge you again my friend - take this more seriously because your life depends on it. Again, this is not a game and these current attitudes you're harbouring are still yours to shed. So do so, because in this "flesh vs spirit" war, none of us can afford to let the sinful flesh win.

I hope this makes sense or helps in some way.

Peace
 
Upvote 0

aiki

Regular Member
Feb 16, 2007
10,874
4,348
Winnipeg
✟236,528.00
Country
Canada
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
I have surrendered my life to Jesus and I still don't believe that I am save. I have surrendered my life to Jesus in the past but went back to my old ways.

Surrender to Christ isn't a once-for-all thing but often a moment-by-moment act of your will. As often as the choice between your will and way and God's confronts you, the need to submit to God again exists.
This may mean you are submitting to God over and over throughout a day, either because you are at another crossroads of choice, or because, without realizing it, you have stepped away from a place of submission to God and are seated again on the throne of your heart.

This daily submission to God, though, is not a means of retrieving your salvation, or of maintaining it. God accepts you as one of His own ONLY on the basis of Christ and your faith in him. You are "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1:6), and SOLELY in him are you one of God's children. You come to God a foul, weak, ignorant creature, desperately in need of reconciliation to God (as we all do). There is nothing you can offer to God in exchange for membership in His family: "Nothing in my hands I bring, only to thy cross I cling," the famous hymn goes. The perfection you need for acceptance by God, the perfection you will never obtain on your own, is found, however, in your Savior, Jesus Christ. When you, by faith, trust in him as your Savior and yield yourself to him as your Lord (Romans 10:9-13), the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Christ - Romans 8:9) responds to your act of faith by taking up residence within you, thereby making you alive spiritually (Titus 3:5-8; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 John 4:13; John 6:63; Romans 8:9-11). And once the Spirit does so, he "will never leave you nor forsake you," (Hebrews 13:5) and no one - not even you - can pluck you out of God's hand. (John 10:27-29)

In Jesus, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, you obtain everything God requires in order to accept you. And since Jesus always perfectly satisfies God's standard, and you are in him, you are always accepted by God. Jesus is for you perfect redemption, justification and sanctification - everything that is required to come into God's presence boldly, as His child (1 Corinthians 1:30). To think that you have something to contribute to this, some effort you can make that will further satisfy God, is to think you can add to the perfect saving work of Jesus, which is both irrational and enormously prideful - bordering upon the blasphemous, actually.

What this all means is that you stand before God in grace, not under the law, not accepted on the basis of anything you've done, but resting in the perfect atoning work of Jesus on your behalf. And so, your sin does not remove you from your place in Christ and from your acceptance by God. It was not by works of righteousness you were saved and it isn't by them that you remain saved (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 2 Timothy 1:9). Christ is your Savior, not you. And you can no more undo his saving of you than you can undo his creation of you. What peace and rest, what relief, there is in fully trusting to this truth! (Matthew 11:28-30)

Submission to God throughout each day, then, is just the means by which we move more and more into a fuller and fuller experience of Him, of the Spirit, in our living. Submission is the doorway to fellowship with God, beyond just redemption and adoption into His family.

The truth of the matter is that I don't know how to be a true Christian. All I can think about is hell. It is in my thoughts almost 24/7 even when I'm watching TV. I know that I do not ever want to go there. But it is the most scariest place to go.

And this is so because, at bottom, you don't know and truly believe the incredible, faithful, merciful love that God has for you.

1 John 4:16-18
16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.


The problem with fear is that it is very absorbing; it can consume our entire attention, making us blind to all else.

Trapped by Fear.

Here's a simple step to take with fear: Every time a fearful thought rises up in your mind, make it a trigger to think on God's love. Have some verses about God's love written down and when fear tries to grip you, take out the verses and quote them aloud to yourself. Maybe two or three times. Declare out loud that you are choosing to believe what God says to you about His love. Thank Him, then, for His awesome love for you revealed in the verses you have read. Keep doing this every time your habit of fear tries to assert itself.

You will be conformed to your focus. It's just the way God has made us to be. At the moment, you've made fear of God your focus and so you are conformed to it. By following the steps above, you begin to shift your focus, and, over time, as you are persistent and consistent in using your fear as a trigger to consider again God's tremendous love for you, freedom from fear will occur and the joy and peace of knowing and believing God's love for you will shape your mind and heart.

This won't be an overnight process, however. It took time to build your habit of fear and it will take time to create a new habit of focus upon the love of God for you. Be patient. And persistent.

I am asking God's forgiveness for my sins. I am not just asking God's forgiveness, I am begging him to forgive me. But I know that he won't forgive me unless I forsake my sin.

Oh, ugh. This is SO wrong! God accepts no one on the basis of the strength of their pleas or sincerity, but only the basis of their trusting in Jesus. See above.

These sins are very strong Within Me.

Maybe. But not stronger than God. As you daily submit yourself to the Holy Spirit, yielding yourself to His control and transformation of you, these strong sins will gradually dissolve, losing all of their power in your mind and heart. And in their place, a deep, abiding desire for God and a joy in walking with Him will form. Remember: no one ever became more like Jesus by staring at their sin. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. Consider him. Behold his glory. (Hebrews 12:2-3; 2 Corinthians 3:18) As you do, you will be conformed to him by the power of the Holy Spirit; not instantly, but over time, growing like a branch from a tree and bearing the "fruit of righteousness."

But after surrendering to Jesus I do not know where to go from here. I don't know how to just stop sinning because I have lived a sinful life all of my life. I am one of those people that accepts God's word but I don't accept God's word with gladness I accept God's word based on fear.

So, where do I go from here?

See above.

The point is that I have a lot of baggage. And I don't know where to go from here after surrendering to Jesus. The truth of the matter is I still feel unsaved. I don't know how to hate sin or to leave it. It has been my master for a long time.

Philippians 1:6
Philippians 2:13
Philippians 4:13
Ephesians 3:16
Romans 8:13-14
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
1 Peter 5:10
Jude 1:24-25

Believe, trust, love, surrender, wait. God will finish what He started in you. Through Christ, you can do all things.

Spend time in God's word; study it, memorize it, live it. (Psalms 1; Psalms 119:11; Proverbs 3:1-6; Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17, etc.)

Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. Throw out your p.c., or t.v., books, magazines, even your cell phone, if necessary, so that there is no avenue of temptation through these things in your life. (Romans 13:14; Ephesians 5:1-12; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Get in the habit of prayer in everything. Include God in all that you do. Talk to Him about what you're doing, or thinking, or feeling. Submit to Him as often as it occurs to you to do so, whether you're brushing your teeth, or having a shower, or mowing the lawn; there is no moment in which it is not appropriate to submit yourself again to God. And when you forget to do so, don't sweat it. God's not out to get you; He's patient, forgiving and gracious, remembering that you are dust. Simply renew your submission to Him when you think to do so and go on, by faith trusting Him to change you as He's promised to do; not with a bang, necessarily, but slowly and surely like the branch in the Vine that you are. (John 15:4-5)
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

BobRyan

Junior Member
Angels Team
Supporter
Nov 21, 2008
51,118
10,509
Georgia
✟899,962.00
Country
United States
Faith
SDA
Marital Status
Married
I have surrendered my life to Jesus and I still don't believe that I am save. I have surrendered my life to Jesus in the past but went back to my old ways.

The truth of the matter is that I don't know how to be a true Christian. All I can think about is hell. It is in my thoughts almost 24/7 even when I'm watching TV. I know that I do not ever want to go there. But it is the most scariest place to go. I worry about my mother whether she went to heaven or hell. I am asking God's forgiveness for my sins. I am not just asking God's forgiveness, I am begging him to forgive me. But I know that he won't forgive me unless I forsake my sin. I just don't know how to do that yet. Sin is so much more than just to our Behavior. We can send by the way that we feel like bitterness and anger. Or feelings of hatred is also sin. These sins are very strong Within Me.

But after surrendering to Jesus I do not know where to go from here. I don't know how to just stop sinning because I have lived a sinful life all of my life. I am one of those people that accepts God's word but I don't accept God's word with gladness I accept God's word based on fear.

So, where do I go from here?

1. I do not know how to love my neighbor as myself, for I have always despised other people. Not because I thought I was better than them, but because my feelings get hurt pretty easily.

2. I don't know how to get rid of my bitterness.

3. I don't know how to love my brothers and sisters. I have never loved them. My mom (died of Covid last year) was pretty much the only one that I have actually loved. But my brothers and sisters, well some of them, wants to have a relationship with me. Well, I did love my twin brother but my love for him has disappeared. Every time he calls me, I roll my eyes and say to myself, oh great, he is the last person that I want to talk to. He gets upset with me because I never go out of my way and talk to him. He keeps wanting me to come and visit him. But I don't want to. He has four children that I've never met before. I do not want to meet them.

4. I have same-sex attraction. Leviticus 18 talks about how homosexuality is an Abomination to God. I recognize this and I accept this. But I still have same-sex attraction. I don't know how to look at men and see them Through The Eyes Of God. Of course, I am not attracted to every single man. But this is sin.

5. I am angry with my mom. She is no longer here anymore. But I am angry at her for not practicing social distancing, even though I understand that it was her right to not practice social distancing. I understand that she had every right to take the risks. But I still feel angry at her and feel that she was selfish for not doing so. It cost her life. But I still love my mom.

The point is that I have a lot of baggage. And I don't know where to go from here after surrendering to Jesus. The truth of the matter is I still feel unsaved. I don't know how to hate sin or to leave it. It has been my master for a long time.

What does one do after surrendering their lives to Jesus? And how do they get rid of all their sinful baggage?

1. lost people do "not submit to God's Word -- neither indeed CAN they" Rom 8:4-9 -- so that part is not your fault.

2. No one can be saved without first coming into contact with Christ. this is just a fact.

3. A great way to meet Christ is in prayer and looking into the life of Christ. Here is an amazing way to have that happen. Read this world class commentary on the life of Christ prayerfully. It will change your life.
The Desire of Ages — see first chapter - "God with us"

don't stop daily reading until you get to the end of the book.
 
Upvote 0

ldonjohn

Active Member
Sep 20, 2013
348
178
✟81,177.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
I have surrendered my life to Jesus and I still don't believe that I am save. I have surrendered my life to Jesus in the past but went back to my old ways.

The truth of the matter is that I don't know how to be a true Christian. All I can think about is hell. It is in my thoughts almost 24/7 even when I'm watching TV. I know that I do not ever want to go there. But it is the most scariest place to go. I worry about my mother whether she went to heaven or hell. I am asking God's forgiveness for my sins. I am not just asking God's forgiveness, I am begging him to forgive me. But I know that he won't forgive me unless I forsake my sin. I just don't know how to do that yet. Sin is so much more than just to our Behavior. We can send by the way that we feel like bitterness and anger. Or feelings of hatred is also sin. These sins are very strong Within Me.

But after surrendering to Jesus I do not know where to go from here. I don't know how to just stop sinning because I have lived a sinful life all of my life. I am one of those people that accepts God's word but I don't accept God's word with gladness I accept God's word based on fear.

So, where do I go from here?

1. I do not know how to love my neighbor as myself, for I have always despised other people. Not because I thought I was better than them, but because my feelings get hurt pretty easily.

2. I don't know how to get rid of my bitterness.

3. I don't know how to love my brothers and sisters. I have never loved them. My mom (died of Covid last year) was pretty much the only one that I have actually loved. But my brothers and sisters, well some of them, wants to have a relationship with me. Well, I did love my twin brother but my love for him has disappeared. Every time he calls me, I roll my eyes and say to myself, oh great, he is the last person that I want to talk to. He gets upset with me because I never go out of my way and talk to him. He keeps wanting me to come and visit him. But I don't want to. He has four children that I've never met before. I do not want to meet them.

4. I have same-sex attraction. Leviticus 18 talks about how homosexuality is an Abomination to God. I recognize this and I accept this. But I still have same-sex attraction. I don't know how to look at men and see them Through The Eyes Of God. Of course, I am not attracted to every single man. But this is sin.

5. I am angry with my mom. She is no longer here anymore. But I am angry at her for not practicing social distancing, even though I understand that it was her right to not practice social distancing. I understand that she had every right to take the risks. But I still feel angry at her and feel that she was selfish for not doing so. It cost her life. But I still love my mom.

The point is that I have a lot of baggage. And I don't know where to go from here after surrendering to Jesus. The truth of the matter is I still feel unsaved. I don't know how to hate sin or to leave it. It has been my master for a long time.

What does one do after surrendering their lives to Jesus? And how do they get rid of all their sinful baggage?

Many years ago, I suffered through a struggle similar to the struggle you have described here. After years of begging God to save me with no assurance that He heard my prayers, after years of fearing eternity in hell, of trying to make myself believe in Jesus, of trying to work up withing myself a sense of strong faith, of committing my life to God & promising to serve Him, of confessing my sin, after many miserable years of trying to believe which left me with only more doubts & more fear, I realized that there was nothing "I" could do so I just simply gave up on myself and turned to God's Word in desperation hoping to find something there that would convince me how to believe God.
The moment I turned from "self" to God, and began to read the Gospel of John, He, the Holy Spirit, showed me that my problem was that my focus was on "me." The Holy Spirit showed me that there was nothing I could do except to cast my hopeless helpless self at the foot of the cross and leave it all up to the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
Like aiki said in his post #4, your focus needs to change. First you must turn from "self" to God, and rest in His provision for your forgiveness. His way of saving us, of forgiving us, is through the finished work of Jesus on the cross, where He shed His blood and died to pay the penalty for our sin; penalty was paid in full. Then, with the indwelling Holy Spirit, as you mature & grow spiritually, you will have the power to turn from your sin.
Your focus needs to be on Jesus; not on yourself. If you look within your heart, you will only find condemnation. But, look to God, Jesus. He doesn't condemn; He forgives. It's about Him; not you. The third verse of the hymn "It Is Well with MY Soul" helps me to focus on Jesus:

My Sin Oh the Bliss of This Glorious Thought
My Sin Not in Part but The Whole
Is Nailed to the Cross and I Bear It No More
Praise the Lord Praise the Lord Oh My Soul

"It Is Well with My Soul," Horatio G. Spafford.

Regards,
John
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

Tolworth John

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Mar 10, 2017
8,278
4,680
68
Tolworth
✟369,559.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
The point is that I have a lot of baggage. And I don't know where to go from here after surrendering to Jesus.

Do you attend a church regularly?
Are you known by the minister and by other church members as being a member of that church?

You want to grow in your faith/christian life, well that involves service, worship and learning.
The easist place to do that is in your local church.

How do you love others? That as you know can be hard.

May I suggest you start by loving your brother. He clearly loves you, so talk to him. Listen to what he says about his life, his family, tell him what you can about your life and then pray intelligently and regularly for him.

Love for others grows as we care for others and one cannot pray intelligently without knowing about those who are praying for.
As one cares one starts to love, it is why Jesus commanded us to pray for those who perscute us!

Your anger and bitterness can be dealt with in only one way, to tell God all about it, literally every incident, all your feelings, rectins, what was said, done where and when and to ask God to deal with it and with you.
Then let go of ot.

It is not easy growing is never easy, having done this, every time the memories and hurt return. Thank God for his dealing with it.

You have many problems, therapy involves talking about them, well you don't havr to go to a therapist if you can tell God about it, be honest with him and having handed things over to God, accept that he has them.
 
Upvote 0

timf

Regular Member
Jun 12, 2011
1,023
368
✟79,640.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Your problem is common to new Christians or Christians who have never been encouraged to grow in their faith. It is a little similar to the Christians in Galatia. They had started down the road of their Christian faith but got diverted by some who told them that they were not doing Christianity "right'.

You might want to read the book "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. He was a monk and not the first place to go for accurate doctrine, but he had a transparent love of God and a strong faith.

The bible is going to be your primary source to draw from to help you grow in faith. One can find in the Psalms in particular, that which can touch the emotions. The letters of Paul can sometimes be difficult, but can touch the intellect.

Having a framework to understand (like seeing the difference between what was told to the nation of Israel, what was for gentile believers, and what was for both) can be useful.

It is good to be skeptical of what you hear, but be encouraged because as a Christian you have the Holy Spirit of truth within you to help you sift through all that is presented to identify that which is true.
 
Upvote 0

Sabertooth

Repartee Animal: Quipping the Saints!
Supporter
Jul 25, 2005
10,491
7,061
62
Wisconsin
Visit site
✟952,359.00
Country
United States
Faith
Charismatic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
@Introverted1293,
  1. Make sure to attend a church that will encourage you in your faith,
  2. If you have never done so before, attend a New Believers' class.
  3. Read the Bible all of the way through (but you don't have to rush), &
  4. Pray for God's direction in your life.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums