How sure are you?

[ReturningProdigal]

How many of the Christians here have really reasearched Christianity enough to be SURE that it's the way to God? 

 

[Didymus]

i just know deep in my heart and soul that Christianity is the only way to God and i can t explain it any more then that.

 

[ReturningProdigal]

That's it?  Can't Christians have any better reason to believe? 

 

[rapturefish]

That's a good question.

I certainly encourage people to research things if they have questions, but there's more to our relationship with Jesus than merely discovering whether the evidence is there of God's existence. After all, if we have enough evidence that points to a God but he is little more than academic in people's lives then it's really not much practical use to pursue an academic God.

So, for me the main issue (and every person has a different story here) was whether this God would change me from the person I was (and didn't like, defeated by all his faults) to the kind of person that Jesus was - loving, kind, gentle, free and not defeated by sinful habits and damage from the past.

That is why we have testimonies. It says a lot if you know a friend or close one whose life has been changed and you can see that it's not just a cosmetic or delusional mindset but a real transformation. And as Paul writes in Romans chapter 8, the evidence is not merely in the archaeological, scientific or historical fields but in the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

No-one can prove God exists because God exists outside the realm of the five senses. He is not a scientific experiment that can be tested by repeatedly setting the right conditions and observing the results. But the evidence is abundant. Creation and the inherent order of creation both up in the universe down to beyond the molecular level - there is so much order to it that there must be a hand behind the signature. The biblical events have much support from archaeology - real places, cities, kingdoms and peoples.

But none of this is any use without the faith to believe it. If your heart and mind are closed to the possibility from the start, nothing will convince you. If you are open to it and the evidence is there then you could possibly embrace it.

Now, back to the Holy Spirit. There is an intuitive side to this as well as the evidence of the bible. We see from the bible that those who are saved are transformed. The Holy Spirit is the evidence in a person that God is near. Paul is talking about a Spirit of sonship, not of fear. one that cries "Abba father!" and is intimate and close.

The way to find out is to believe and be convinced that it is true in your mind and take a step by doing what the bible says you must do to be saved - technically you can do nothing but receive it and reject the "life without God" life you lived, inviting the Holy Spirit to fill you - and see if the Spirit really does live in you and cause you to express the nearness of God in you.

For some, it was a long process of debating and apologetics before they came to the conclusion on the basis of evidence. For others it was the testimonies of others, the seeing and witness of changed lives, sometimes in people they knew personally. And usually it's a combination of both.

For me it was from a young age that I was convicted that God was real and that I needed whatever he had. There was no question on the side of evidence on scientific, archaeological, etc. grounds. But it's different for everyone. And for me the evidence is in the Holy Spirit that lives within me (not merely a mental assent), as well as the word of God that has held true in my experience.

blessings,

 

[jodrey]

Good answer. However, I don't agree with one thing.

The way to find out is to believe and be convinced that it is true in your mind and take a step by doing what the bible says you must do to be saved - technically you can do nothing but receive it and reject the "life without God" life you lived, inviting the Holy Spirit to fill you - and see if the Spirit really does live in you and cause you to express the nearness of God in you.

I don't see the logic of this. I believe that in order to embrace the Spirit in the first place you must have faith that it's there. To do what you said could lead people into just about any religion, as long as they feel comfortable in it. The Spirit is the witness, but I think it is more acceptable to simply pray first to know.

 

[GraftMeIn]

John 8:31-32
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

For me it's not about being A Christian, It's more about following Jesus.

I did not become a Christian by researching Christianity. I became a Christian by seeking God himself with all my heart and soul. I asked him to show me the truth as I read His Word. God has made himself very real to me, He's done things for me that would be impossible for anyone else to do. His love is amazing

 

[Gerry]

Below is a post you made in Apologetics! So what is the point of your question here? Are you seeking to turn this into another Apologets forum?

I am sorry to see you have chosen to laugh in the Face of God. The choice you have made is not a humorous one and one that you will live with for an eternity. You have every right to make the choice you have God has granted you the right to choose, though it is clearly not the choice He would have you to make, nor would I. I pray you will change that choice before it is too late.



ReturningProdigal
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I haven't read all the other posts, but here's my two cents.

Not everyone will go to heaven because not everyone WANTS to go to heaven. Personally, I would CHOOSE hell over the Christian idea of heaven.

 

[Ratioann]

Not everyone will go to heaven because not everyone WANTS to go to heaven. Personally, I would CHOOSE hell over the Christian idea of heaven.

What? Pearly gates and gemmed walls too gaudy for you?
Nah you probably meant the Xtian idea of how we get to heaven.
Or you maybe meant that you don't want to be stuck with a bunch of stuffy arrogant fanatics for all time.
Anyways..
My proof comes from from the bible and the world around me. They both are beautiful to me. These may not prove much about Gods existence in a sciencetific way, but why is science so important in matters of faith? I just know He is there, it's enough to start with. I've never really gone for the "can't see it, it's not there thing." Whenever I do have a question I look into it.
I go sleep now God Bless

 

[4HimILive]

20th March 2003 at 05:06 PM ReturningProdigal said this in Post #1

How many of the Christians here have really reasearched Christianity enough to be SURE that it's the way to God? 

I can honestly say that I have "researched" all religions, Muslim, Catholism, Judaism, Christianity(Protestant), Buddism, Hindu, Pagan, etc.

As a child I was raised Christian-by way of my Godparents-and in adulthood I became confused. I found this to be due to the fact that I was searching for something to disclaim what I was already feeling. Actually, please allow me to elaborate. As a child you are not actually aware of other religious faiths. As one becomes older, you hear of and befriend others of different faiths and begin to "wonder" and become curious. Which I found to not only become confusing, but also caused me to become lost.

After all of my "research" (and this is all that it became for I did not practice any other faith) and reading the Bible, twice, I discovered my heart and soul belonged in Chrisitianity. I know after reading the Bible that the only way to God is through is Son, Jesus.

As for your other posting. Please remember that the poorest man in Heaven is by far richer than the richest man in Hell. So please be sure of which way you truely wish to go.

 

 

[LookingLand]

enough to be 100% sure in the hope of it.

I was raised Christian, wandered away, sought elsewhere, returned.

There's a lot of BAD stuff about Christianity out there; enough to turn anyone off.

You can't BE a true Christian, I don't believe, unless you know what you are actually choosing Christ over.

 

[ReturningProdigal]

Yesterday at 01:20 AM Gerry said this in Post #7

Below is a post you made in Apologetics! So what is the point of your question here? Are you seeking to turn this into another Apologets forum?

I am sorry to see you have chosen to laugh in the Face of God. The choice you have made is not a humorous one and one that you will live with for an eternity. You have every right to make the choice you have God has granted you the right to choose, though it is clearly not the choice He would have you to make, nor would I. I pray you will change that choice before it is too late.

...

Not everyone will go to heaven because not everyone WANTS to go to heaven. Personally, I would CHOOSE hell over the Christian idea of heaven.

No, I'm not trying to turn this into another Apologetics forum.  And I didn't mean what I said to sound the way it did, next time I'll try to think more about what I mean before I say something, and think more about who's going to read it also.  I apologize for offending everyone.  I was trying to say that it's more about our personal relationship with God rather than if we offically accepted Christ or not.  I don't believe all of Christianity because I've researched it as much as I can, and from what I've learned, it's not worth believing in.  That's why I started this thread, to see if any of you had researched it enough to find out if there was any proof to back up your beliefs.  I don't believe in heaven and hell, or at least the Christian idea of heaven and hell.  Thomas Paine said,

"I consider myself in the hands of my Creator, and that he will dispose of me after this life consistently with His justice and goodness. I leave all these matters to Him, as my Creator and friend, and I hold it to be presumption in man to make an article of faith as to what the Creator will do with us hereafter."

That's what I believe.  I wasn't trying to "laugh in the face of God."  However, I don't see why I should follow a God who creates faulty humans, then says we have to say we're sorry for being that way.  And I would NOT want to live with him forever, even if it was in paradise.  

Also, the Christian hell is NOT a "lake of fire," according to what I've read.  Either The Case for Christ or The Case for Faith talked about that.

 

[GodOwnsMe]

mhh . I think God didn't create us feeling and choiceless like robots but gave us the choice to love him or rebell and disobey. God's ways are higher than ours and um well there's stuff I don't understand aswell but I believe/know He is perfect and holy....... sin, rebellion all that stuff is a real problem for us, it divides us from Him. The God from the bible is love and He loved us so much He gave everything so we can overcome this stuff between us and Him, get holy/ washed clean so we can be with Him.
I mean Jesus didn't die just for fun.. I think it's a lot about free choice..
Even his angels had the free choice to turn from Him. I mean if we didn't
it's no real love and all..........

 

[Tracie]

I was just curious as to what type of research you've done.  It seems to me the only valid research is the Bible.  Why would you take the word of man over the word of God?  If you are going to "research", I hope that this is where you're doing it. 

As for me, I don't need to "research".  I have a relationship with God and that is all that matters.  I have a relationship with my husband and I don't need to do research to decide if I really love him or if our relationship is real.  I know these things.  Just like I know that my relationship with God is real.  It's not the same feeling I had about Santa or the Easter Bunny.  It's a real, true relationship...not just a belief.  There is a difference. 

As for the Bible...I don't use it as a research tool anyway.  I use it so that God can speak to me.  Anything I need to know is in that book. 

 

[Gerry]

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Christianity is a Faith based religion. Before you do anything you exercise the faith God gave you to be saved. THEN you have something to base your research on and someone to guide you in your searching.

 

[Hishandmaiden]

I did not really researched into Christianity.
I was led into it.
I grew up in a non-Christian family, and in a country where Taoism is the religion of the majority of the people.
I was against Christianity as a child, believing in a Taoist God, the God of my tradition.

As I grew older, I became confused. There are so many religions... which is the one? I had no intention of praying to a God that is false so I started to pray to an unknown God... I started to look for the real God.

Strangely enough, God brought me to him.... He gave me a growing interest in Christianity... until to the point I was sure the Christian God was the God I was looking for.

Finally I became a Christian,
and eventually a disciple of Christ.
With my growing involvement and intimacy with God,
I no longer had any doubt about the realness of my God.

And thus, that is when my search finally ends.

 

[SpiritPsalmist]

I'm 100% sure.

I was raised in an abusive home but accepted Jesus into my heart as a young child. Getting through the hell of childhood with my mind in tact is due to Christ. Not my study of Him but my knowing Him. . .personally.

 

[Rafael]

Josh McDowell's book, "Evidence that demands a Verdict" gives some background as to the veracity of scripture, but as a person gets to know the scriptures and the amazing agreement from writers and people over hundreds of years - the truth becomes more evident not only with life and faith, but with physical evidence.
An example of the Bibles veracity would be that Roman history would be a myth when compared to the actual number of written references and archives of scriptures compiled as evidence. There are hundreds of times more physical evidences and witness to the Biblical scripture thatn evidneces and record of Roman history.
Looking at the stars and creation around oneself is enough to know there is a Creator. Being able to believe He would love us and redeem us through His Son as a man - Jesus - is a gift of faith.

 

[karla]

I really didn't feel the need to reserach wether or not it is worth it. All I have to do is fix my eyes upon the cross to know that surely it is worth it. No greater sacrifice has anyone made is the history of the world than Jesus Christ did for us, all of us believers and nonbelivers. I look at all the blessings in my life and surely I can say that there is a God. I see it in the people I encounter each day, in my husband's eyes and in the faces of my children. There is no better evidence, at least for me.

 

[12volt_man]

How many of the Christians here have really reasearched Christianity enough to be SURE that it's the way to God?

After studying the scriptures for sixteen years, now, I'm more convinced than ever that God's word is true and Jesus really is who He said He is.

 

[Lyle]

How many of the Christians here have really reasearched Christianity enough to be SURE that it's the way to God?;

I don't know numbers.. Though they are far lower then I would like.. But I know that I have researched it.