Is there a God?

[ScottA]

Is there a God? I want to believe in God. I used to believe when I was a child. But now I am not so sure. What proof is there that God is looking over us? Why do you believe? How could a loving God not show us humans proof that he is here when life is so hard and the world is so terrible?

All good questions.

The great divide between this world and the ability to have proof of God, exists because the human race has been set apart because of rebellion against God. So...He doesn't owe us proof, but nonetheless, He has provide plenty if you will seek it out. Much of the evidence of God comes from Him to a few chosen to give witness to His existence. This has been occurring all throughout the history of the world, and it has been written down and passed on from generation to generation - it's now called the Bible. But that is what it is: a series of first hand witness testimonies - from people who have personally come in contact with God. And this, I know, because I am such a witness. After years of downward spiral on life's many fronts, having no detailed knowledge of God, as a last resort, I called out to Him - and He answered. I was immediately taken up above the earth and shown the answers to my many questions - and then returned.

You should read of Him from those who have had first hand contact. But do realize (do not loose heart) the message has been delivered in jars of clay, mostly broken jars. Nonetheless, what is written is true. But know also, that because there are enemies of God living in the world, that whether in nature or experience or in word, all things come in parables - so the enemy will not understand. But if you seek Him, you will find Him - that is a promise, and then the meaning of the parables will be revealed to you. Pray - talk to Him - and ask that He make himself known to you. That is the way back from the terrors of this world.

 

[LucyT25]

Lucy,

I am posting links to 2 articles that might help you.

1. 
   “From Atheism to Christianity: a Personal Story.”[18 June 2016]
   
   http://www.bethinking.org/is-christianity-true/from-atheism-to-christianity-a-personal-journey
   
   Does the Bible contain allegory? Got Questions Ministry, n.d. Web [18 June 2016]
   
   http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-allegory.html

Don

Don,

Thank you for the articles. The first was well written and factual. I have read Mere Christianity and I think I do believe now. I'm still searching but I feel I have found some clarity in my doubts.

 

[ldonjohn]

When God calls people to repent, does that mean confessing your sins to God? I was raised Catholic and I used to go to confession. Now, I'm really not sure if that is the way God intended people to repent.

P.S. My daughter's name is also Lucy. The great love I have for her is indescribable, I couldn't imagine there being a greater love.

Lucy,

Repent can mean that we have a sense of “sorrow” for our sins, and we should be sorry for our sins, but another meaning of “repent” is a “change of mind.”

God's call to us for salvation means that we see ourselves as a sinner who cannot do anything to make ourselves righteous enough to stand in the presence of our righteous God, that we see Jesus' death on the cross & His shed blood there as the only thing God will accept for the forgiveness of our sin, and that we accept His sacrifice for our own forgiveness & the new life that only He gives as we become His.

It's not about anything we do, but it is about what Jesus did on the cross that saves us. We believe it & we make it real for our sin. IOW, "He died for me; He died for my sin. My sins were nailed to the cross with Him and He took care of my sin problem there."

I will close by saying that many years ago, before the internet was available, I was asking the same kinds of questions you are asking today. I was raised in a Baptist church where I heard about God, sin, heaven, hell, and Jesus dying on the cross. When I became a young adult I wasn't sure that all the things I had been taught & heard in church were true. I wasn't sure if God even existed. My life was filled with doubt, uncertainty, and fear. I talked to people at church, read bible tracts, read several books about “salvation”, but could not find anything that would convince me that the bible was true. I wanted to “believe” but did not know what that really meant. I did not understand the true meaning of repentance, faith, and believe. I was confused & miserable.

Praise God, He did bring me out of that miserable time in my life and showed me the truth about Him & the bible & about how to truly “believe” in Jesus for forgiveness of my sin and a new life in Him. God literally rescued me from myself as He brought me out of darkness of unbelief into the light of His Word. He changed my life, He gave me a new life, He change the way I think, the things I want to do, the way I treat others, the way I deal with problems, He changed my whole focus of life. It's not about me anymore.

Lucy, I am listing 2 articles below that might help you with your questions. The author is the late Dr. John R Rice. He presents the Gospel message in a very simple manner that is easy to understand.

I did not have the internet as a source of information during my miserable struggle with doubting God, so I found my answer by reading the bible and earnestly seeking whatever God had for me there. But I think if these articles had been available to me that they would have helped me through my struggle. Hope they will help you.

1. How to Come to Jesus, by Dr. John R Rice

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=10522

2. What Must I do to be Saved, by Dr. John R Rice

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=10572

If you are interested in reading my testimony of how God showed me the truth about “believing” I can provide a link to it here at CF.

Don

 

[LucyT25]

Lucy,

Repent can mean that we have a sense of “sorrow” for our sins, and we should be sorry for our sins, but another meaning of “repent” is a “change of mind.”

God's call to us for salvation means that we see ourselves as a sinner who cannot do anything to make ourselves righteous enough to stand in the presence of our righteous God, that we see Jesus' death on the cross & His shed blood there as the only thing God will accept for the forgiveness of our sin, and that we accept His sacrifice for our own forgiveness & the new life that only He gives as we become His.

It's not about anything we do, but it is about what Jesus did on the cross that saves us. We believe it & we make it real for our sin. IOW, "He died for me; He died for my sin. My sins were nailed to the cross with Him and He took care of my sin problem there."

I will close by saying that many years ago, before the internet was available, I was asking the same kinds of questions you are asking today. I was raised in a Baptist church where I heard about God, sin, heaven, hell, and Jesus dying on the cross. When I became a young adult I wasn't sure that all the things I had been taught & heard in church were true. I wasn't sure if God even existed. My life was filled with doubt, uncertainty, and fear. I talked to people at church, read bible tracts, read several books about “salvation”, but could not find anything that would convince me that the bible was true. I wanted to “believe” but did not know what that really meant. I did not understand the true meaning of repentance, faith, and believe. I was confused & miserable.

Praise God, He did bring me out of that miserable time in my life and showed me the truth about Him & the bible & about how to truly “believe” in Jesus for forgiveness of my sin and a new life in Him. God literally rescued me from myself as He brought me out of darkness of unbelief into the light of His Word. He changed my life, He gave me a new life, He change the way I think, the things I want to do, the way I treat others, the way I deal with problems, He changed my whole focus of life. It's not about me anymore.

Lucy, I am listing 2 articles below that might help you with your questions. The author is the late Dr. John R Rice. He presents the Gospel message in a very simple manner that is easy to understand.

I did not have the internet as a source of information during my miserable struggle with doubting God, so I found my answer by reading the bible and earnestly seeking whatever God had for me there. But I think if these articles had been available to me that they would have helped me through my struggle. Hope they will help you.

1. How to Come to Jesus, by Dr. John R Rice

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=10522

2. What Must I do to be Saved, by Dr. John R Rice

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=10572

If you are interested in reading my testimony of how God showed me the truth about “believing” I can provide a link to it here at CF.

Don

Thank you, and yes I would like the link.

 

[ldonjohn]

Thank you, and yes I would like the link.

Lucy, the first link below is to a story I wrote for one of my granddaughters about 3 years ago. The story parallels my testimony. The title is "Do You See the Nails?".

The second link is to an article I wrote that includes my testimony. The title is "What Does it Mean to Believe in Jesus?"

I have received many emails from readers who experienced the same kind of struggle that I described in that article. Many people wrote to me thanking me for writing about my experience with doubting my salvation. I think there were three people who wrote to me accusing me of spreading lies about God's Way of salvation & of leading people to hell. You will have to draw your own conclusions about that; my purpose in writing & publishing that article on a Christian website was to help others who were going through a similar struggle. Actually, I was reluctant to publish the article because I did not know if other people had doubts about their salvation as I did, but the next day after I published it on the website I had many responses from others who doubted their salvation.

I must admit that not only did I doubt my salvation, but I even doubted that God existed or that the bible was true. I believe that I was doubted my salvation because I really was not truly saved at that time.

One other comment - in the second article I mention a book written by Dr John R Rice, "Compel Them to Come In." The 2 articles by Dr Rice that I recommended to you in another post were not available to me back then.

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/a-story-about-the-cross.7947373/

http://www.christianforums.com/threads/what-it-means-to-beleive-in-jesus.7927993/

Don

 

[Trichakra]

Is there a God? I want to believe in God.

If you want to believe in god then believe in god.

 

[bling]

Your logic makes a lot of sense, but I'm still confused as to why God could not show humans proof of his existence. Wouldn't that make more people believe in and worship him?

It is more complicated than you might think:

First off: God does not need people to acknowledge His existence and do nothing about it or do something because they feel “required” to do it. That might be harder on God than just continuing not knowing He exists.

Secondly: God does not need people to worship Him or really do anything for Him, God is wanting to give to people and needs nothing from people.

If you go back to the Old Testament you will find God making Himself very obvious to people, but that does not result in them “Loving” God or accepting of God’s Love as pure charity and operating out of gratitude.

People need humility to accept pure charity and knowledge does not result in humility and can actually “puff the person up”, while the little faith it takes to believe in a benevolent creator (something the lowliest person on earth can do) is a humbling activity.

 

[AvgJoe]

Is there a God? I want to believe in God. I used to believe when I was a child. But now I am not so sure. What proof is there that God is looking over us? Why do you believe? How could a loving God not show us humans proof that he is here when life is so hard and the world is so terrible?