Hello, I have been struggling with mental illness since a child and am now in my mid 40s, and I also have considered myself a Christian since a child.. I struggle immensely with ocd, anxiety, and in turn making "certainty", "knowing", impossible for me, especially when it comes to what we hope for as Christians.( I do realize many say certainty shouldn't be looked for that's where faith comes in )I have never done any drugs or drinking etc so this perspective is not created but just simply how I'm wired. For the most part I like the meloncholy deep thinking creative analytical personality I have however it is very difficult in my walk with the Lord. I just crave that "knowing" and "assurance " so many seem to have. I am curious if you think this is the thorn in the side that Paul talked about that will help make my testimony? It seems it would take divine intervention for me to get over this issue. Day in and day out I plead to have that assurance and knowing that so many Christians have. I feel if I had this so much of my anxiety would dissapear.Anyone similar or understand and have any advice?
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Ocd, certainty, faith, belief etc
- Thread starter Eb3WI
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I think I understand. That is your job to get that assurance. Through everything you go through, you can‘t let it take you away from your purpose to get the assurance that God is real and what he did on the cross to give you that assurance is real and good and just for you to have. So you lock horns with your flesh when it tries to confuse you. You can take thoughts captive as in 2Cor 10:3-5. You can reassure yourself until you are sure. You can pull your mind back when it takes off on a tangent. Arm yourself with scripture. You don’t need to be a victim of this any longer. And set about to change it.
I have this somewhat I have MI but I look at the injustice and how useless it all is and I fight back. It’s not impossible and it yields fruit to freedom from it. Every little victory is savored and growth. it’s a war. God blesses me, I have life and victories, plus my relationship with God. I don’t have to work and I spend a lot of time working on myself.
I have this somewhat I have MI but I look at the injustice and how useless it all is and I fight back. It’s not impossible and it yields fruit to freedom from it. Every little victory is savored and growth. it’s a war. God blesses me, I have life and victories, plus my relationship with God. I don’t have to work and I spend a lot of time working on myself.
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d taylor
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J. Wilbur Chapman tells the following true story of how D.L. Moody used John 5:24 to help him gain assurance of salvation:
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I (J. Wilbur Chapman) was studying for the ministry, and I heard that D.L. Moody was to preach in Chicago. I went to hear him. Finally I got into his after meeting. I shall never forget the thrill that went through me when he came and sat down beside me as an inquirer. He asked me if I was a Christian. I said, “Mr. Moody, I am not sure whether I am a Christian or not.’
He very kindly took his Bible and opened it to the fifth chapter of John, and the twenty-fourth verse, which reads as follows: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and beleiveth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.”
Suppose you had read it through for the first time, wouldn’t you think it was wonderful? I read it through, and he said, “Do you believe it?” I said, “Yes.” “Do you accept it?” I said, “Yes.” “Well, are you a Christian?”
“Mr. Moody, I sometimes think I am, and sometimes I am afraid I am not.”
He very kindly said, “Read it again.”
So I read it again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and beleiveth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.”Then he said, “Do you believe it?” I said, “Yes.” “Do you receive Him?” I said, “Yes.” “Well,” he said, “are you a Christian?”
I just started to say over again that sometimes I was afraid I was not, when the only time in all the years I knew him and loved him, he was sharp with me. He turned on me with his eyes flashing and said, “See here, whom are you doubting?”
Then I saw it for the first time, that when I was afraid I was not a Christian I was doubting God’s Word. I read it again with my eyes overflowing with tears.
Since that day I have had many sorrows and many joys, but never have I doubted for a moment that I was a Christian, because God said it.
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d taylor
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Also here is a pod cast on OCD and believing and a written article
How Can People With Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Believe in Jesus? - Grace Evangelical Society
https://faithalone.org/blog/believing-that-jesus-is-the-christ-the-son-of-god-john-2031/
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Mari17
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I completely understand! I have OCD and scrupulosity. I have found these resources helpful:
http://www.youtube.com/@marktdejesus
Scrupulosity.com
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Zceptre
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I just wrote an article (which is mostly a lot of dot-connecting Scriptures) on this you might like and that might help. It does not cover a lot of physical or scientific evidence based things (There is another article along those lines though), but hopefully will give you a simple foundation for knowing God loves you and knowing you are saved.
It is ok to be analytical, just don't be *skeptical* since the difference is that one simply analyzes and the other is driven by constant doubt. People tend to confuse those two mentalities and skepticism really destroys faith, especially faith in God's love for us.
Brother Paul's thorn in the side was persecution ("messenger of Satan"). It was people that were hindering his ministry who were making his life difficult, since his entire life at that point was to tell the Good News of Christ crucified to save us all. People differ on their perception of what Paul wrote, but you can dive into a study of it and prayer will guide you. If you are analytical it may be an enjoyable adventure. It was for me. Not a salvation issue either, just nice to know and helps in walking with God.
You can check out the article here:
If you have any questions for me personally, I have been through that myself, and you can message me if you would like.
If I were to reduce it all down to two verses, it would be Romans 5:8 where God claims the cross as the proof for His love, and John 15:13 where Christ says that no one loves you more than the person who dies for you, and Christ died for us to prove His immense love for us which leaves zero room for doubt that we are insanely loved.
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Mosheli
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Do you mean knowing/assurance/certainty that you are saved?
I have OCD and some anxiety and I also have some difficulty believing/knowing (thinking/feeling) I'm saved and won't go to hell when die. But some of the following verses help me to be not so unsure:
"if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
"This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned."
"he who endures to the end will be saved."
"I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved".
"It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."
"If you love me, keep my commandments."
"Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
"Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him."
"Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew/again/from-above, he can't see the Kingdom of God."
So the way I take it is if we believe and have faith in God and confess that Jesus is the Messiah and died for the forgiveness of sins and we repent and born again and keep his commandments and endure to the end them we are saved. We are saved by grace & faith not by works/earning, though true faith has works.
I don't know why God allows some of us to suffer things like mental illness, but it doesn't mean we are not saved.
Or do you mean difficulty believing/faith in God and in Jesus being true?
Or do you mean knowing/certainty/assurance of answers to prayers?
When it comes to answers to prayer I have great difficulty believing God will answer (as I have all sorts of thoughts of why God may not answer) and it says in the bible that we have to believe without wavering/doubting or we can't expect anything from God (ref James).
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It's a combination I think. Is my strong"hope that Christianity is real" equal to faith? Do I not "believe" because It seems more like a strong "hope"? Then of course the anxiety it gives that is what I strongly hope for true, specifically to the fear of passing and just not knowing what will happen....then round and round I go.
I am very much into apologetics and know the facts around Jesus as well. It is so true how you can be content with something 30 seconds then that contentment passes. Ultimately their are some things we just will never know.
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