I've Been Doubting My Faith For A While Now..

[aiki]

I like what you said but. How does someone completely surrender to God? I've said the prayer many times as authentically as I can.

How does one surrender to God?

Consciously
Continuously
Completely
Confidently

Consciously - (Romans 12:1) When a military general surrenders on the battlefield, he must go out to the opposing general and submit himself and his army to the superior power that has defeated him. It is not enough for the defeated general to feel he ought to surrender; it is not enough for him to say to himself, "I must surrender." Until he goes out and waves the white flag and submits himself to the one who has defeated him, his soldiers will continue to fight and die.

The believer, too, must consciously yield himself to God. It is not enough for the believer to feel he ought to surrender, or even to say to himself, "I must surrender." At some point, the believer must turn to God in prayer and consciously, willfully submit to His superior power and authority.

Continuously - The surrender of five minutes ago may not have held. We can be so much in the habit of acting unilaterally, of making decisions about things, conferring only with our own interests and desires, that we can step out of a place of surrender to God without even realizing it. Old habits of thought and desire resist being replaced by God's will and way and so there may have to be a sometimes rapid and oft-repeated yielding to God. But as one persists in a moment-by-moment surrender to God, by faith trusting in Him to fill and transform one's self, the "old man" dies and the believer's new life in Christ flourishes.

Completely - (Luke 9:62) Half measures yield flawed results. The Christian who is not fully yielded to God, who thinks to maintain control over particular aspects of his living, will find the effect of his "surrender" superficial and short-lived. There is only room for one on the throne of one's heart. God rules totally or He does not really rule at all.

Confidently - (Philippians 1:6) God responds to our surrender in a very subtle and profound way. There are no zaps or zings, no golden glow as His power descends upon a person, no sudden explosion of freedom from all struggle. Instead, God works in such a way as to move us and transform us imperceptibly. We are changed and do not realize it. No agonizing struggle, no laborious effort, no torturous transformation. When God exerts His awesome power in response to our submission to Him, we don't have to add our own strength and work in order for Him to succeed in changing us. We simply surrender and, in faith, confidently wait on Him to do His divine alterations in us.

I've read and studied the Bible. I feel like I've done everything, and this is where I'm stuck.

But, you see, the Christian life isn't about you doing everything but about God making you godly, making you more like Christ.

Because this revelation has to come personally. I've been to many churches where you raise your hand and say a prayer if you want to surrender your life to God.

Well, no one surrenders to God until He has brought them to the place where they can surrender. From beginning to end, our walk with God is His doing, not ours. We merely receive and transmit God to the world as vessels, as branches in the Vine.

People pray over you and celebrate. Which is often times shortly lived. You have to stay in the word, pray daily. Surrender everything to him daily.

Yes. Amen. But I would suggest to you that surrender comes before prayer and Bible study.

What I realized is that there's no words you need to say, actions you need to do.

The entire New Testament disagrees with you. We are to work out what God has first worked into us. (Philippians 2:12-13) We are to obey the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). We are to evangelize and disciple others (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). We are to live holy lives in rich, joyful fellowship with God (Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 5:27; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3).

Such personal revelation can only come when God wants it to come.

God does not make puppets of us. We must choose to surrender. And we know to do so because God in His word has told us so. No personal revelation required.

You can imagine how bitter that can make a person who sees others with this revalation while seeking it to no avail.

The "revelation" of the principle of surrender is found in Scripture. What then, of "seeking it to no avail"? It may be found all throughout the New Testament. (Romans 6:13-18; Romans 12:1; James 4:7-10; 1 Peter 5:6, etc.)

Confidence. Love. Thankfulness. Joy. Unity. All of this comes from what you believe.

I suppose. But the way you've phrased it, the important thing seems to be your belief rather than the thing in which you've believed. That's a dangerous view to take.

All of this is always at your disposal. All it takes is a complete shift in perspective. A renewal of your mind. Which is entirely in your own control.

Again, the Bible doesn't agree with you here. No man can come to Christ except the Father draws him (John 6:44). No man can repent of his godless life if God does not enable him to do so (2 Timothy 2:25). No man can see his sin for what it truly is unless the Spirit convicts him (John 16:8). While God does not make puppets of us, we cannot come to faith in Christ without the work of God in us. And our deep dependency upon God continues after we are saved, too. So, I don't see how the renewal of your mind, a complete shift of perspective concerning the things of God is possible without Him.

Because of my Christian background I'm afraid that my philosophy is entering into self worship. But it's actually the opposite. I end up caring for others more because I'm finally free from bondage. From seeking approval, seeking contentment, seeking love. Instead of seeking I've entered into it.

You've lost me here...

And until God himself comes into my life this is what I believe. That God is in me with everything that I do. So intertwined with me and with everything that nothing I can do or say can seperate me from him. Which means that everything in my life. Everything good that is to come relies completely on what I believe.

See above.

 

[nb408]

How does one surrender to God?

Consciously
Continuously
Completely
Confidently

Consciously - (Romans 12:1) When a military general surrenders on the battlefield, he must go out to the opposing general and submit himself and his army to the superior power that has defeated him. It is not enough for the defeated general to feel he ought to surrender; it is not enough for him to say to himself, "I must surrender." Until he goes out and waves the white flag and submits himself to the one who has defeated him, his soldiers will continue to fight and die.

The believer, too, must consciously yield himself to God. It is not enough for the believer to feel he ought to surrender, or even to say to himself, "I must surrender." At some point, the believer must turn to God in prayer and consciously, willfully submit to His superior power and authority.

Continuously - The surrender of five minutes ago may not have held. We can be so much in the habit of acting unilaterally, of making decisions about things, conferring only with our own interests and desires, that we can step out of a place of surrender to God without even realizing it. Old habits of thought and desire resist being replaced by God's will and way and so there may have to be a sometimes rapid and oft-repeated yielding to God. But as one persists in a moment-by-moment surrender to God, by faith trusting in Him to fill and transform one's self, the "old man" dies and the believer's new life in Christ flourishes.

Completely - (Luke 9:62) Half measures yield flawed results. The Christian who is not fully yielded to God, who thinks to maintain control over particular aspects of his living, will find the effect of his "surrender" superficial and short-lived. There is only room for one on the throne of one's heart. God rules totally or He does not really rule at all.

Confidently - (Philippians 1:6) God responds to our surrender in a very subtle and profound way. There are no zaps or zings, no golden glow as His power descends upon a person, no sudden explosion of freedom from all struggle. Instead, God works in such a way as to move us and transform us imperceptibly. We are changed and do not realize it. No agonizing struggle, no laborious effort, no torturous transformation. When God exerts His awesome power in response to our submission to Him, we don't have to add our own strength and work in order for Him to succeed in changing us. We simply surrender and, in faith, confidently wait on Him to do His divine alterations in us.



But, you see, the Christian life isn't about you doing everything but about God making you godly, making you more like Christ.



Well, no one surrenders to God until He has brought them to the place where they can surrender. From beginning to end, our walk with God is His doing, not ours. We merely receive and transmit God to the world as vessels, as branches in the Vine.



Yes. Amen. But I would suggest to you that surrender comes before prayer and Bible study.



The entire New Testament disagrees with you. We are to work out what God has first worked into us. (Philippians 2:12-13) We are to obey the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). We are to evangelize and disciple others (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). We are to live holy lives in rich, joyful fellowship with God (Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 5:27; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3).



God does not make puppets of us. We must choose to surrender. And we know to do so because God in His word has told us so. No personal revelation required.



The "revelation" of the principle of surrender is found in Scripture. What then, of "seeking it to no avail"? It may be found all throughout the New Testament. (Romans 6:13-18; Romans 12:1; James 4:7-10; 1 Peter 5:6, etc.)



I suppose. But the way you've phrased it, the important thing seems to be your belief rather than the thing in which you've believed. That's a dangerous view to take.



Again, the Bible doesn't agree with you here. No man can come to Christ except the Father draws him (John 6:44). No man can repent of his godless life if God does not enable him to do so (2 Timothy 2:25). No man can see his sin for what it truly is unless the Spirit convicts him (John 16:8). While God does not make puppets of us, we cannot come to faith in Christ without the work of God in us. And our deep dependency upon God continues after we are saved, too. So, I don't see how the renewal of your mind, a complete shift of perspective concerning the things of God is possible without Him.



You've lost me here...



See above.

Is it possible to have a personal relationship with God without reading the Bible? I'm completely open to submitting myself to God. Always have been, and I thought I already have many times. I've read the Bible twice and many books in the new testemant over 30+ times. I'm to emotionally exhausted now. Feels like I'm reading an English textbook from school. Even after praying for God to open up my heart to what I'm reading. I've cried to God many times. No answer. This past year has been so depressing. Ups and downs. Mostly downs.. Christians who I thought cared for me, I finally let go of. That's a mess right now. Just another thing in the back of my mind that has nothing to do with me and God. Seems like what I need is a change of heart.

Again the only times I've felt freedom was from acknowledging how I have everything that I need right now. Basically acknowledging that Christ is in me. Something that everyone is afraid to say. Christ is me, is you and every human being on this earth. The cross he nailed himself to was our flesh. And until we die to ourselves and raise with Christ none of that will make sense. By that I mean, die to seeking love, happiness and approval. And rise with Christ who is those things. Christ in you the hope of glory. This is the only thing that makes sense to me right now.

 

[aiki]

Is it possible to have a personal relationship with God without reading the Bible?

With God, all things are possible. But, God has so ordained things such that His revelation of His will, character and truth are made to us first and foremost in the Bible. Without Scripture, one's knowledge and understanding of God will be extremely limited.

I'm completely open to submitting myself to God. Always have been, and I thought I already have many times.

And this is normal. Surrender is not a once-for-all thing but a daily, even moment-by-moment, action.

I've read the Bible twice and many books in the new testemant over 30+ times. I'm to emotionally exhausted now. Feels like I'm reading an English textbook from school.

Well, this isn't the fault of the Bible, I think. My grandfather studied through the Bible some 700 times before his death. He never grew tired of God's word. Why have you?

Even after praying for God to open up my heart to what I'm reading.

God won't make a puppet out of you. The choice to have a heart open to God is yours to make.

I've cried to God many times. No answer.

And what sort of an answer were you expecting, exactly? How will you recognize God's answer?

This past year has been so depressing. Ups and downs. Mostly downs..

Imagine being the Creator of Everything, abused and killed by the creatures you made.

Seems like what I need is a change of heart.

We all do. It is what God works at all of our lives.

Again the only times I've felt freedom was from acknowledging how I have everything that I need right now.

In Christ, you do, yes.

Basically acknowledging that Christ is in me. Something that everyone is afraid to say.

??? It is what every born-again believer claims.

Christ is me, is you and every human being on this earth.

Um, no, this is not what the Bible says. The oxygen I breathe is all throughout my body but it remains distinct from me. I am not oxygen and oxygen is not me. So, too, with Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells within me, but this does not for a moment make me Christ, or God, or the Holy Spirit any more than breathing in oxygen and having it suffused throughout my body in my blood makes me an oxygen molecule.

Only those who are saved are Christ's. All others are lost, heading toward an eternity separated from God.

The cross he nailed himself to was our flesh.

Yikes! Where did you get this from?! It is certainly not something found in Scripture.

And until we die to ourselves and raise with Christ none of that will make sense.

Every born-again believer is already crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6). We die to ourselves in him, and only in him. Our crucifixion is all his doing, not ours.

 

[PKFox]

Is it possible to have a personal relationship with God without reading the Bible? I'm completely open to submitting myself to God. Always have been, and I thought I already have many times. I've read the Bible twice and many books in the new testemant over 30+ times. I'm to emotionally exhausted now. Feels like I'm reading an English textbook from school. Even after praying for God to open up my heart to what I'm reading. I've cried to God many times. No answer. This past year has been so depressing. Ups and downs. Mostly downs.. Christians who I thought cared for me, I finally let go of. That's a mess right now. Just another thing in the back of my mind that has nothing to do with me and God. Seems like what I need is a change of heart.

Again the only times I've felt freedom was from acknowledging how I have everything that I need right now. Basically acknowledging that Christ is in me. Something that everyone is afraid to say. Christ is me, is you and every human being on this earth. The cross he nailed himself to was our flesh. And until we die to ourselves and raise with Christ none of that will make sense. By that I mean, die to seeking love, happiness and approval. And rise with Christ who is those things. Christ in you the hope of glory. This is the only thing that makes sense to me right now.

First, if you figure out the answer to feeling exhausted by reading Scripture over and over, I'd love to hear it too... Whether through Scripture or other means, I believe God is still willing to answer, even if it's not the answers we like. In some of the hardest times of life, the answer God has given is, at least for me personally, "Be patient." While it's not the answer anyone wants to hear in the midst of challenges and messes, sometimes it's the answer regardless of whether we want to accept it or not. I'm sorry your life is so messy right now, but, as hard as it is, accepting that God could be working in your mess could be the key to moving forward and finding God on a deeper level again.

Acknowledging your need for Christ is vital to the peace you're seeking, but I'm kind of confused about your specific theology. Believing that Christ is you implies that you believe you are Christ as well. While believing Christ is living in you is a biblical philosophy, believing that Christ is you is another matter completely. Your idea of the cross, while intriguing, also confuses me, and I'd be interested to hear you elaborate on that idea. However, everything you said after that indicates a desire to live a holy life worthy of the calling given by Jesus. This shouldn't necessarily mean dying to seeking love (as humans still have an innate desire for love that God gave when he created them), but more like prioritizing giving love to others and accepting the love Jesus gives freely.