No matter what I do, I don't feel like I believe in Christ. I need guidance desperately.

I suggest you pray to the Lord to reveal Himself to you. Look for His hand in your life.

baylorfan1999 said:

Hello there everyone. I was saved at age nine, and was a firm believer in Christ at that point. However as of recent I have felt an impassable barrier between myself and Christianity.

I had never actually read the Bible until about two months ago when I was given one by my grandfather, and have been reading a chapter a day through it at night every few days (Starting at Matthew, and now am almost done with Luke). When I read it, though, I don't feel like I am receiving some kind of divine wisdom, moreso an intruiging piece of ancient literature like the Epic of Gilgamesh, or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I just dont feel like the events which I am reading about truly transpired (Such as that portion of Matthew where the dead saints rose from the dead and preached to the people). Whenever I pray there's always an extremely loud nagging voice in my head saying yes but none of this is really true, and I don't know if that is Satan or myself truly not believing in the Lord. When concepts like Hell, Angels, or the resurrection are discussed I feel a mental disconnect.

I really want to be Christian. If there is truly a Hell which consists of weeping and gnashing of teeth then the last thing I want to do is get trapped in it. I am trying to incorporate the teachings of Jesus into my life, which I guess means it must hold some merit. I would really appreciate some guidance on what to do from this point, as I feel truly lost in my religious beliefs.

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I would suggest that you read the Gospel of John and Romans, I think you will have a new understanding of Jesus and salvation.

Also, an answer for this is given to us in Scripture. We're to take every thought captive and replace them (II Cor 10:4-5). Replace isnt the best word but it means when we have thoughts that are not in line with Scripture, we're to immediately focus on God and His Word.

These could be beneficial "All scripture is given by the inspiration of God...:" II Tim 3

"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him." Pro 30

Jesus said "... it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matt 4

There's lots of Scripture particularly in John and Romans that we can meditate (focus) on.

Know this strategy works. Even stated those verses. It happened less and less and hardly ever happens. .Be persistent. As you know, God and His Word = truth.

Forget about what you feel.
Read this and tell me who is Lord:
Acts 2:36
36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”

Seeing that He is Lord, have you done this:

Romans 10:12-13
12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

If you have called on His name you are a Christian. He said so. He does not lie. He knows what He is talking about.
Your faith is based on His faithfulness, not yours.
That voice you hear in you head is the Devil. He is essentially saying the same thing He said to Eve and Jesus.
"Hath God said?"
Do what Jesus did.
"It is written... whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. "
You called on His name, you are saved, the devil will flee from you.
You are a Christian.

baylorfan1999 said:

I am trying to incorporate the teachings of Jesus into my life, which I guess means it must hold some merit. I would really appreciate some guidance on what to do from this point, as I feel truly lost in my religious beliefs.

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I've found that the teachings of Jesus -- the Sermon on the Mount, the parables, and so on -- ring true to me, that as I've tried to live in the way that they describe, over the years I've found that the path of Jesus really does describe a good way to live. If you're finding that too, then I suggest that that's a good place to start.

Even if you're only able to see the Bible as ancient literature right now, the stories that the ancients told and retold and wrote down and preserved were preserved for a reason. The stories were important to the people who preserved them. The four gospels in the Bible were preserved by the church, because these writings embodied truths about Jesus that were important to the early Christians. So, perhaps, ask: What does Matthew have to say about who Jesus was, and what he taught, and who God is, and how we should live? What truths are embodied in these stories?

Maybe angels (for example) literally exist, or maybe they're a literary device. You can figure that out later. If they're a literary device, what is the writer trying to communicate about God when he writes his story?

SavedByGrace3 said:

Forget about what you feel.
Read this and tell me who is Lord:
Acts 2:36
36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”

Seeing that He is Lord, have you done this:

Romans 10:12-13
12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

If you have called on His name you are a Christian. He said so. He does not lie. He knows what He is talking about.
Your faith is based on His faithfulness, not yours.
That voice you hear in you head is the Devil. He is essentially saying the same thing He said to Eve and Jesus.
"Hath God said?"
Do what Jesus did.
"It is written... whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. "
You called on His name, you are saved, the devil will flee from you.
You are a Christian.

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Don't forget the next verse, Romans 10:14 "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how they hear without a preacher?" (KJV)

baylorfan1999 said:

Hello there everyone. I was saved at age nine, and was a firm believer in Christ at that point. However as of recent I have felt an impassable barrier between myself and Christianity.

I had never actually read the Bible until about two months ago when I was given one by my grandfather, and have been reading a chapter a day through it at night every few days (Starting at Matthew, and now am almost done with Luke). When I read it, though, I don't feel like I am receiving some kind of divine wisdom, moreso an intruiging piece of ancient literature like the Epic of Gilgamesh, or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I just dont feel like the events which I am reading about truly transpired (Such as that portion of Matthew where the dead saints rose from the dead and preached to the people). Whenever I pray there's always an extremely loud nagging voice in my head saying yes but none of this is really true, and I don't know if that is Satan or myself truly not believing in the Lord. When concepts like Hell, Angels, or the resurrection are discussed I feel a mental disconnect.

I really want to be Christian. If there is truly a Hell which consists of weeping and gnashing of teeth then the last thing I want to do is get trapped in it. I am trying to incorporate the teachings of Jesus into my life, which I guess means it must hold some merit. I would really appreciate some guidance on what to do from this point, as I feel truly lost in my religious beliefs.

Click to expand...

So how you doing today

baylorfan1999 said:

Hello there everyone. I was saved at age nine, and was a firm believer in Christ at that point. However as of recent I have felt an impassable barrier between myself and Christianity.

I had never actually read the Bible until about two months ago when I was given one by my grandfather, and have been reading a chapter a day through it at night every few days (Starting at Matthew, and now am almost done with Luke). When I read it, though, I don't feel like I am receiving some kind of divine wisdom, moreso an intruiging piece of ancient literature like the Epic of Gilgamesh, or Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I just dont feel like the events which I am reading about truly transpired (Such as that portion of Matthew where the dead saints rose from the dead and preached to the people). Whenever I pray there's always an extremely loud nagging voice in my head saying yes but none of this is really true, and I don't know if that is Satan or myself truly not believing in the Lord. When concepts like Hell, Angels, or the resurrection are discussed I feel a mental disconnect.

I really want to be Christian. If there is truly a Hell which consists of weeping and gnashing of teeth then the last thing I want to do is get trapped in it. I am trying to incorporate the teachings of Jesus into my life, which I guess means it must hold some merit. I would really appreciate some guidance on what to do from this point, as I feel truly lost in my religious beliefs.

Click to expand...

In Acts I believe they would ask those that were saved "have you received the holy spirit since you believed?" Read Luke 11:13. If Christ said it maybe just do it. If we ask know He the Father WILL do no matter how we feel He will do it.;

Feel.. we believe Jesus is who He said He was. We believe in our heart confess with our mouth Jesus is lord. We are not born again saved. There is not FEELING here. He said it so we believe it. Faith. We walk by faith not how we feel or see if we did.. I would not FEEL saved. I don't feel saved I know I am since He said it He cannot lie. The enemy does come and try to steal the word keeps telling us look what your doing so forth.. your not saved blah blah blah. You know no where does it say we can only read John 3:16 once.

A woman born into witchcraft and later found out dad was a Satanist. A allot of evil bad things happen do her growing up. Saw talked back and forth to spirits. One day her car she had her right hand in the other seat and she felt something. It was a small Gideon Bible. She said when she gets to heaven she is going to ask God how the bible got in her car. It was her car. Anyway in that back of that tiny bible was a pray some call sinner prayer. She said once she said it there was such a peace and she felt Christ holding her. She said all she did was kept saying that prayer over and over and over and over. She didn't want that peace to leave.

Maybe read the Gospel of John. Isa 41 10 to you says "fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”. Yes that is for you..

baylorfan1999 said:

Thank you for your post @PloverWing. The teachings which came from Jesus do resonate with me in my readings, and I would say I feel something when I read his word compared to other ancient works (Although I am unsure if it is just because it is the Bible, or the divinity of Christ is truly coming through). I really enjoy what you said at the end about the communication of God's message. The only thing that makes me nervous is that I might end up gleaning my own interpretation instead of the Lord's. If you do not mind me asking, do you have any advice for making sure I get the right message?

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One thing that I do is compare my interpretation to those of other Christians, both Christians in the present and Christian theologians of the past, and especially to listen to the reasons why they interpret the passages that way. This isn't an infallible guide to truth -- groups of people can make mistakes -- but it means that I don't have to figure everything out all by myself, and it's a guard against coming up with a crazy interpretation that the early Christians would never have had in mind when they wrote.

Well, you're on the right track. I met a pastor one time who started me thinking for a long time. Finally sat down, read the bible cover to cover.

Needless to say, there's parts in it many don't follow and things not in it, many do follow. May your path be illuminated by God all through it.