How can I be sure of my faith?

[Jeffery]

Hi All,

This is my first post on this Forum, I had tried to do it via the introductions forum, but for some reason, cannot find it now?? Doh!

I am a 30 year old male living in London. I am a confirmed Catholic and had a moderately religious upbringing. i.e. I went to a Catholic School, done religious studies etc. But once I left school I stopped attending church altogether, I also lost my faith and began to see religion as something that was created to keep an ancient lawless society in order, however, I have recently been attending a Baptist church. Not because I felt that I needed to re-kindle my faith, but because I had fallen for a girl who attended the same church and she was keen to share her experiences with me.

Since attending the aforementioned church I am totally convinced that i have been missing something in my life, something far greater than that which can be found in normal day to day life. I am attending an Alpha Course at the same church and am really interested and keen to understand the relevence of Christianity in my life...something that I find the Catholic Church had failed to show me through my younger days.

Since attending the Church and Alpha course I have had an overwhelming urge to read about Jesus. To read the bible and to basically get as much information on God and christianity as possible...the same reason that I am tyoing this I suppose.

I am constantly told of this "Relationship" with God that true Christians experience and I crave that same feeling. I often feel that, because I have been brought up a Catholic and lost my way, that I will never experience this feeling. I worry that, because I am not looking at things with a totally clean sheet i.e. as someone would who had never been involved in any form of Christianity, that I am never going to get the feelings that I probably once felt, back again! Am I making sense?

I have read numerous books by Nicky Gumble, Steven Graukher (apologies if the spelling is wrong) and they totally convince me that the Christain way is the right way and I am desperatly trying to live by the rules that God has given us.

I am a sinner, of that there can be no doubt, I have numerous sexual relationships, I have been bad. But I have asked god for forgivness and I have asked him to come into my life and do with it what he will...I pray all the time and try to do the right thing with th help of the Holy Spirit...but I still don't feel that I am in a relationship with God.

Will it come with time, or am I never to experience these feelings? Has my Catholic upbringing and subsequent loss of faith caused ireprable damage?

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, I am struggling with some of the terminology used in the forum headers.

Thanks

Darren

Darren, Have you ever recieved Jesus Christ as you Saviour, by faith, trusting in His shed blood and Him only for eternal life?
Jeffery

 

[DJG]

Hi Jeffery,

Yes. I have given my life to him. I appreciate what Jesus did for me, the pain and suffering he went through so that I wouldn't have to.

Things have changed a lot for me over the past few weeks, I feel that I am truly coming into a relationship with God. I am praying more and more and I am having prayers answered. I still have occasional doubts, but when I do, I speak to God and ask him to help me along the way.

I have a lot of work to do, but my walk has only just begun and I have faith that my relationship with the lord will become stronger every day!

 

[Jeffery]

DJG, that is great! It is a growing process and it never ends, till we are with Him!
Everyone doubts at one time or another, stay in your Bible and attending a good Bible preaching and teaching church and you will grow.
God bless you and keep your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ!!

 

[strawberry]

Hey there DJG! I'm a cradle catholic in the same situation the more i read the bible the more i doubt my denomination...

 

[Suzannah]

Dear Darren,
I loved your story. Thank you for sharing it! You are quite right: the example you gave is a good one of how the Lord begins working in our lives...with small things, onto bigger things. I do want to agree with the others that the "relationship" with Jesus can be completely different from person to persom, because He meets us where we are, not where He is. He does not expect perfection. He also does not expect a certain personality type and way of relating. I would ask yourself some questions to get a feel for your starting place:
1. are you more logic or feeling oriented?
2. are you more artistic or "number" oriented?
3. are you a listener or a talker?
4. are you a sports guy, or a bookworm?

Do you see what I mean? In this way, by examining ourselves, (not just our sin which is gone forever anyway!), but our "good" qualities, we can start relating to Jesus on our own level. And He is faithful to that. So my relationship with Him might be more quiet and "reserved" whereas someone else just might be absolutely bubbly all over, kind of expression...am I making sense?
I hope this helps and that you will come back often to CF and share with us what YOU think about things...about YOU have discovered, or YOU have felt.

 

[DJG]

Hi guys!

Strawberry, when you say you doubt your denomination, is it because you don't feel close enough to God? Or because you feel that Catholicism just doesn't ring true?
Forgive me if I am talking out of turn or misunderstanding your post, but I think that any form of worship is a good thing, its just that I personally feel let down by Catholicism, in that I just couldn't see why I needed God and didn't feel that the Catholic church was actually teaching me anything! In order to get closer to God, I needed to find out more about him, more about the message that is clear to see in the Bible, the need for ministry and to realise that being a Christian isn't just about going to Church on a Sunday and reciting prayers. It is a full time job, I would recommend trying another church, I don't think that it matters which denomination you choose, after all, most of them are trying to spread the same message and worship the same God, I just think you have to find the one that works for you.

Suzannah - You make perfect sense and you are totally right!

If any of you guys are interested in my journey so far, here is my Testimony
http://www.christianforums.co.uk/t75459
And here is a praise report that I posted a couple of days ago
http://www.christianforums.co.uk/t76880


Thanks for all your support.

 

[doulos]

Hi, Darrell,

I think it is not a question of being sure of your faith, but of Him whom you have believed, the Lord Jesus, God the Son that became man to seek and save us by His death on the cross. Salvation is by faith ON HIM. So, let's turn our eyes away from our feelings and sensations, and fix them upon Him and His true word. Whosoever believes in Him shall be not ashamed.

Also, it is not that we are trying to have a relationship with Him, but that in mercy He has visited us and seeks us and finds us. It is not by works, or sacraments or efforts of ours, but His invitation to turn back to Him, because He has done it all for us.

Just rest in His finished work, contemplate Him in the Gospels, Epistles, Prophecies, and follow our great God and Father and our Lord Jesus in His pre-incarnate ways with man from the beginning, and then the revelation of His grace and Truth in His coming to seek and save us, and now His glory at the right hand of the Father, while waiting to come and receive His own in His coming for us.

Just rest in Him. In 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10 the Christian life is summarized in this way:

"how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

Your brother in Him,

doulos

 

[aanjt]

Hi All,


Will it come with time, or am I never to experience these feelings? Has my Catholic upbringing and subsequent loss of faith caused ireprable damage?

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, I am struggling with some of the terminology used in the forum headers.

Thanks

Darren

Darren,

I am Episcopalian (very close to the RCC) and it is in the Episcopal Church where I really experienced the Christ. My sister-in-law is RC, and she feels God and Jesus every day in her life. So, there is no irreparable damage. I was raised Methodist, my father is a retired minister of the Methodist church. For 6 years, I denied there was any kind of deity. I did not believe in God. So, that won't do any damage as well. It is through my denial of God and coming back into Christianity, slowly, that I have the faith I have today. If you do decide to join the Baptist Church, if it is So. Baptist, you will have to admit that your baptism was invalid and your confirmation meant nothing. Are you prepared to do that? Anyway, I don't believe that it is your bringing up as a RC or your denial of faith for a while that will hinder you now.

Yours in Christ,
Jen

 

[Lizquests]

Hi All,

This is my first post on this Forum, I had tried to do it via the introductions forum, but for some reason, cannot find it now?? Doh!

I am a 30 year old male living in London. I am a confirmed Catholic and had a moderately religious upbringing. i.e. I went to a Catholic School, done religious studies etc. But once I left school I stopped attending church altogether, I also lost my faith and began to see religion as something that was created to keep an ancient lawless society in order, however, I have recently been attending a Baptist church. Not because I felt that I needed to re-kindle my faith, but because I had fallen for a girl who attended the same church and she was keen to share her experiences with me.

Isn't it awesome how God works in our life? I believe that he brought the girl you were seeing to you. He wants you to get to know him better. What an awesome thing! AMEN

Since attending the aforementioned church I am totally convinced that i have been missing something in my life, something far greater than that which can be found in normal day to day life.

I was catholic when I was growing up. I never really felt apart of it. I did have to go thru a lot of trials to come closer to God. I am so thankful for it.

I am attending an Alpha Course at the same church and am really interested and keen to understand the relevence of Christianity in my life...something that I find the Catholic Church had failed to show me through my younger days.

Since attending the Church and Alpha course I have had an overwhelming urge to read about Jesus. To read the bible and to basically get as much information on God and christianity as possible...the same reason that I am tyoing this I suppose.

I am constantly told of this "Relationship" with God that true Christians experience and I crave that same feeling.

This feeling will most definately come to you sooner or later. Patience is a virtue. I know that I have had to learn to be patient. Sometimes He does not answer right away, and I do tend to get frustrated, but now I do realize that He will answer. When the time is right

I often feel that, because I have been brought up a Catholic and lost my way, that I will never experience this feeling. I worry that, because I am not looking at things with a totally clean sheet i.e. as someone would who had never been involved in any form of Christianity, that I am never going to get the feelings that I probably once felt, back again! Am I making sense?

Definately making sense. It might be good that you aren't looking at this as a totally clean sheet. Sometimes it is a good thing to compare. (Depending on what it is of course.) I have found that with my upbringing, I understand things better.

I have read numerous books by Nicky Gumble, Steven Graukher (apologies if the spelling is wrong) and they totally convince me that the Christain way is the right way and I am desperatly trying to live by the rules that God has given us.

I am a sinner, of that there can be no doubt, I have numerous sexual relationships, I have been bad. But I have asked god for forgivness and I have asked him to come into my life and do with it what he will...I pray all the time and try to do the right thing with th help of the Holy Spirit...but I still don't feel that I am in a relationship with God.

Will it come with time, or am I never to experience these feelings? Has my Catholic upbringing and subsequent loss of faith caused ireprable damage?

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, I am struggling with some of the terminology used in the forum headers.

Thanks

Darren

Some of my answers are up above in the perrtyyy blue. LOL

There was one time where I felt EXTREMELY close to God. Almost 5 years ago my mother died at age 50 of cancer. I was so close with her. She was my best friend. I think it was that night after she passed (my memory is a bit fuzzy) I was crying uncontrollably in my bed when I should have been sleeping. All of a sudden I had this feeling come over me. At first I thought that it was my mom comforting me, but now looking back at it I know that it was God. I got this very warm feeling all over. It was warm and felt like my whole body was being hugged. I immediately stopped crying and started smiling. I can't even begin to describe in our words how wonderful it was.