God's word? No problem!

[starbuck55]

My last post asked a similar question, but it didn't really get answered. I'm going to try and word it differently.

In my experience (limited I confess), it would seem that Christians always agree with God from the get go. This is odd to me. I don't always agree with my parent's rules/laws/beliefs initially, let alone the creator of the entire universe.

I would just like to know, out of curiousity, if you have ever ran into a Bible verse/teaching you struggled with, and how you came to terms?

Small example:
John wants a tattoo. Then he reads a passage in the Bible that says one shouldn't put marks on the body. John hadn't thought there was anything wrong with getting a tattoo, but the Bible is pretty clear. He later changes his initial stance on the issue, and follows God's word and opts out of getting tattooed.

Hope that makes sense? Thanks!!

 

[ebia]

My last post asked a similar question, but it didn't really get answered. I'm going to try and word it differently.

In my experience (limited I confess), it would seem that Christians always agree with God from the get go. This is odd to me. I don't always agree with my parent's rules/laws/beliefs initially, let alone the creator of the entire universe.

I would just like to know, out of curiousity, if you have ever ran into a Bible verse/teaching you struggled with, and how you came to terms?

Yes, and in some cases I haven't.

 

[Zunalter]

Nobody ultimately agrees with God on everything in our natural state, because if we did, we wouldn't sin. It isn't until God changes our hearts and gives us new desires and renews our minds that we can fully come into agreement with Him.

I do not know if this will help you get an answer to your question, but I will take a crack at it:

If God is creator of the universe, then He obviously gets to set the rules. All standards of right and wrong flow from Him (What is like Him is right, what is not like Him is wrong). Some of His morals can be hard to handle, but when we recognize that in EVERY disagreement we are in error, then we can fully come to terms with any issue.

I am sorry for this poor attempt to answer you, if you have any additional questions that this response has brought up, please let me know.

-Z

 

[seashale76]

My last post asked a similar question, but it didn't really get answered. I'm going to try and word it differently.

In my experience (limited I confess), it would seem that Christians always agree with God from the get go. This is odd to me. I don't always agree with my parent's rules/laws/beliefs initially, let alone the creator of the entire universe.

I would just like to know, out of curiousity, if you have ever ran into a Bible verse/teaching you struggled with, and how you came to terms?

Small example:
John wants a tattoo. Then he reads a passage in the Bible that says one shouldn't put marks on the body. John hadn't thought there was anything wrong with getting a tattoo, but the Bible is pretty clear. He later changes his initial stance on the issue, and follows God's word and opts out of getting tattooed.

Hope that makes sense? Thanks!!

A belief that I personally struggled with was the idea of communion being the body and blood of Christ. Scripture is rather clear about it and I had difficulty with it for years and attempted to try and convince myself that the scriptures on it aren't as clear as they really are. I didn't want it to be the truth. I finally decided that believing the way I had was getting me absolutely nowhere, so it was a true leap of faith on my part to accept this teaching. It was part and parcel with my conversion to the Orthodox Christian faith and I didn't take it lightly by any means (neither did my family- they were quite upset with me).

Head-coverings are another area that I am still having difficulty accepting. In my case, not only is scripture clear about it, so are the church canons, and more than a few women in my parish wear them (and practically all women wear them in various other parishes I've been to). I'm off and on with wearing one and probably need to get over myself, but this is certainly a prime example of what you're referring to, I suppose.

 

[tansy]

Well, personally, I haven't always agreed with God from the get-go. I was always arguing with Him---but not so much now-I'm quicker to agree. And often things I can't come to terms with are things I don't understand or because there are differing interpretations of scripture and I'm not sure which is right (though a lot of those are possibly things that aren't necessarily soimportant anyway eg full immersion baptism or just sprinkling water on the head)

 

[Angel4Truth]

My last post asked a similar question, but it didn't really get answered. I'm going to try and word it differently.

In my experience (limited I confess), it would seem that Christians always agree with God from the get go. This is odd to me. I don't always agree with my parent's rules/laws/beliefs initially, let alone the creator of the entire universe.

I would just like to know, out of curiousity, if you have ever ran into a Bible verse/teaching you struggled with, and how you came to terms?

Small example:
John wants a tattoo. Then he reads a passage in the Bible that says one shouldn't put marks on the body. John hadn't thought there was anything wrong with getting a tattoo, but the Bible is pretty clear. He later changes his initial stance on the issue, and follows God's word and opts out of getting tattooed.

Hope that makes sense? Thanks!!

Ideally the Christian is one who has realized that Gods ways are much better than our own ways. Part of becoming a christian is to realize our sinful state and the need for a Savior. In repentance we are turning from mans ways to Gods ways giving Him headship over our lives.

We do not always "just blindly agree" because we are also still flesh which means we have 2 natures - that of the world and that of Christ. Through
fellowship and prayer and maturity in our relationship with Him- we come to trust Him more and more and then when we find something we were doing our way - conflicts with how He would have us do it - then ideally again we go Gods way.

We are indwelt as believers with His spirit and as we grow and mature we become more sensitive to the promptings of that Spirit and we desire to please Him much like a man and woman who are married seek to please one another in their relationship.

"Christian" is one who has a relationship with our Creator and seeks to please Him. That is what we were created for to begin with.

So in your example above it sounds like John wanted to please God more than himself and was led to a choice other than what he first decided.

There are many times as believers that we struggle with issues presented to us in the word of God. I am either led to an answer and solution and understanding or I have to wait a while and just Trust that He will respond to my concerns. I always find though after the struggle that my faith in Him is strengthed through it and my understanding greater and relationship is even closer. He has shown me enough times that my faith is justified.

 

[starbuck55]

Thanks everyone, your points were very clear. I really didn't think it was possible for people to always blindly agree, but that was the impression I got from the Christians I knew. I appreciate your honest answers on how you follow God, even when questions come up.

 

[salida]

Since God is all knowing, eternal and is perfect unlike my parents I believe God period. Yes, my limited human reasoning I can't comprehend everything all the time but I walk by faith and God does answer in a way I can understand. We don't walk in a "blind" faith at all - there is nothing blind about it. Plus, when I received the Holy Spirit in my life - it gave me the power to live a christian life. Without it - I wouldn't have been able to. I'm a christian spiritually first and intellectually second. You may want to read, The Evidence That Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell(it would stand up in a court of law concerning biblical evidence). And Examine the Evidence by Muncaster(a former athiest)/The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel(a former athiest). Yes, there are more books but this isn't the book section ha.