- Aug 24, 2018
- 1,501
- 1,038
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Private
Are these two statements not the same thing? What is the difference between the two
-
Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
-
CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
What would be the correct thing to say? I know God is real, or I believe God is real
- Thread starter JohnB445
- Start date
Joseph G
Saved and sustained by the grace of Jesus Christ
- Dec 22, 2023
- 1,764
- 1,508
- 65
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Private
If you've received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, you not only believe He is real, know that He is real, but best of all and most vital - you KNOW Him.
Matthew 11:27 NIV
"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
How intimately?
John 15:15 NIV
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."
Good News, eh?
God bless!
biblegateway.com
Upvote
0
- Oct 7, 2018
- 11,845
- 9,905
- 65
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Female
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
I would say there is a big difference. James tells us that even Satan believes. Knowing Him , on the other hand, is the relationship after believing, when He makes His Home in the believer through His Holy Spirit.
Blessings.
Upvote
0
- Nov 18, 2018
- 205
- 206
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
The other responses sound good and true, but I don't think they address the question contextually right. Your prefacing statement reflects a difference in confidence level.
Most people have a blind faith based upon what they've been taught. They believe what they hear or read with minimal evidence. That's ok perhaps if you happen to land into the right religious faith, but obviously many do not. In any case, saying "I believe" is usually a more honest, less offensive preface to one's following statments.
After studying Christian apologetics, I believe I have enough empiracle evidence in mind to honestly say that "I know" God is real. I say this now at every opportunity, not only to confess my faith boldly and publicly, but to prompt a challenging response that can lead into a witnessing opportunity.
I think it's up to each person to decide which camp they fall into, but I will say that the second position is a better place for a mature Christian to be.
Most people have a blind faith based upon what they've been taught. They believe what they hear or read with minimal evidence. That's ok perhaps if you happen to land into the right religious faith, but obviously many do not. In any case, saying "I believe" is usually a more honest, less offensive preface to one's following statments.
After studying Christian apologetics, I believe I have enough empiracle evidence in mind to honestly say that "I know" God is real. I say this now at every opportunity, not only to confess my faith boldly and publicly, but to prompt a challenging response that can lead into a witnessing opportunity.
I think it's up to each person to decide which camp they fall into, but I will say that the second position is a better place for a mature Christian to be.
Upvote
0
Upvote
0
Those who are of the truth can recognize in the gospel that which is true. This knowledge becomes the basis for trusting (faith).
The word "believe" is tricky in English because it is often devoid of the element of trust.
I would stick with "know" as it conveys a greater degree of certainty that "believe" which is often taken to mean preference.
The word "believe" is tricky in English because it is often devoid of the element of trust.
I would stick with "know" as it conveys a greater degree of certainty that "believe" which is often taken to mean preference.
Upvote
0
- Jun 25, 2018
- 11,978
- 11,364
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Female
- Faith
- Baptist
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Constitution
I would say "God is real". I know is for what you have evidence of, and believe is something I say for disputable matters (matters that some people will dispute)
While I had an experiential encounter with God, it's not something I can prove - it's not a scientific matter in that it can be falsified.
At the same time, the existence of God is not a disputable matter either in that very few on the earth would even dispute the statement because everyone believes in a God of some type - worship is baked into the human being - we were created to worship. .
Therefore, to give examples of the track with language, I would simply say
1.) God is real
2.) I know God
3.) I believe in reformed theology (or I have a reformed understanding of the sovereignty of God etc).
God being real is an indisputable fact of the human experience and existence.
The only thing you really need to do is explain why worshipping the God you do is superior to whatever god is being worshipped by the person to which you speak. (Everyone worships, it's just a matter of what they worship).
Last edited:
Upvote
0
Similar threads
