New Christian

Hi Megan,

Welcome to Christian Forum and welcome to the family of Christ. Getting yourself into a Bible Teaching, God fearing church could be a Blessing to your life. When Jesus takes control of your life than these hateful feelings should leave your mind and heart and peace should fill the void. I am adding a link for you to take a look at and hopefully it will add some light to what it means to be a True Christian. My prayers are with you.
Daily Bible Study - A Life In Christ

MeganJ0310 said:

Hi. I'm Megan and new to these threads and new to being a Christian. I have always known about Christ thanks to my blessed grandmother who was for as long as I can remember a devoted christian. I have went down a very hard road though and have overcome a lot of obstacles along the way. I'm the only one on my side of the family who is a professed christian. I've done a lot of things that I am not proud of but am trusting in our savior to save me. I've been praying in earnest for a new heart and for new feelings because I do still have problems controlling anger and giving into to self will. Does anyone have any advice for me? I know that in order to be a christian you should repent and believe that you are saved by grace (Jesus's blood) and I know I'm a sinner and have come short of the glory of god. But what else? How do I know what god has planned for me? I know that some of you will say that I should pray and ask for god to show me what he has planned for me. But how will I know what his answer is? How do I over come these hateful feelings I get at times. I really want to live like Christ did and do right and be a light among people. But how? Can someone please help?

Click to expand...

Hi Megan,

Welcome to the family, sister! The easy answer to your questions is that you can't do any of these things. You won't ever be able to control your temper, but God can help you control it. You won't be able to discern what God wants from you, but God will help you discern it. You won't be able to overcome your selfish desires, but God will help you overcome them. This is a good scripture to remember in your battle with our fallen human nature and self-will:

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

The thing to remember is that now that you are born again you have a new, redeemed nature that is made in the likeness of Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

If the new has come, our old self has been put to death:

Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Romans 6:6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
Romans 6:7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Romans 6:8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

To that end we consider ourselves dead to sin:

Romans 6:11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

So the battle is already over, yet that doesn't mean temptations won't come. Though our spirit has been redeemed, the flesh is weak and our minds are usually all too willing to justify its desires. That's why we have to bring every thought captive to obey Christ:

2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

We fight a daily battle with our carnal desires to please ourselves and live as we please, but God will give us the strength to overcome them if we submit our problems to Him. We have to give up the drivers seat to Christ and allow Him to take over so He can cleanse us and change us more and more into the person He created us to be.

This is a process and it will not happen overnight. Don't get frustrated if some aspects of your life don't immediately reflect your desire to serve Christ with all of your heart. That the desire is there is in some sense even more important because God can use that. If the desire of your heart is to serve Him and make Him first, He can make that happen for you. He will guide you step by step if you let Him.

Be patient also and trust that He is in control. Remember that you have an enemy who is trying to destroy you. He will throw everything and the kitchen sink at you to see what will stick. As you are offended, and hurt, and pushed around by these attacks, remember to forgive, bless, and love those who the devil has used unknowingly to harm you. You win the battle not by reacting from offense but forgiving every offense and sharing His love even with those who hate you.

Ephesians 6 will tell you more about battle and that it is not against flesh and blood but against all the powers of the kingdom of darkness which has great power in this world and through people who don't serve the Lord. Our God is greater, however. He got us the victory at Calvary, which means when you are in Christ, you are also victorious. He gave us authority over *all* the power of the enemy:

Luke 10:19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
Luke 10:20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Never the less, the important thing is that our names are in the book of life. Remember that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you. You carry that everywhere you go and you are an ambassador of that Kingdom. This is the hope of the whole earth, that they could know Jesus and enter His Kingdom so they could be forgiven of their sins and live forever. The world doesn't know it, but that is what every single person was created to be part of. It is an awesome responsibility to carry that truth with us where ever we go.

There will be many other questions..remember the Holy Spirit lives within you and He will guide you into all truth:

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Pray and ask God to direct you to a good church and to bring godly people into your life to disciple you. Join a bible study in your area and get involved in what Christians are doing in your community. I have found that in serving God, He opens many doors and brings in many blessings.

Most importantly in your walk, read the bible every day. It is our spiritual bread and without it we starve. God will use His word to speak to you so be diligent to study and show yourself approved. Also, pray as much as you can. Pray about everything on your heart. It is communion with God, and part of how our relationship with Him develops. Be proactive and make time for God, because the world has no time for Him.

Remember also that when you sin, you can confess your sins to God and He will forgive your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness because of the blood of Christ. (1 John 1:9). There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus so don't let the devil drown you in guilt when you mess up. Remember to be strong and of good courage, because God is with you. He didn't give you a spirit of fear, but of power love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) Don't fear man, fear God..and by that I mean a reverential awe and respect because He is God, and He is holy. Love God as well, with all of your heart, mind soul and strength. Well I hope this helps. Praying for you. God bless.

You can't really do it all on your own. Of course, you are human like the rest of us and must rely on God's love, mercy, and the strength you receive from Him. But there are surely good things you can begin doing on a daily basis to help you receive all of the above.

1. Pray to seek guidance. You'll receive it from reading the scriptures in their entirety. But this takes time as you grow accustomed and familiar with them. Best place to start is with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John so to acquaint yourself more and more with the life of Jesus and His messages on how to live. And, if possible, join a bible study group.

2. Meanwhile you'll need mentoring and guidance from mature Christians who can help you along your journey, especially since you say you do not have them among family members. You can get help and advice as well as guidance from pastors, youth ministers, and Christian friends. God uses them to bring truth into your life and to give you needed support.

3. You need to be part of Christian fellowship, that is, a body of believers who gather together to worship God, pray, learn, and serve others. The more loving the group the better. If you are young a youth group would help you in this; but also you need a church community. Like the saying goes, "It takes a village" and in your situation it takes a church.

4. Chose carefully your friends and try not to hang out with non-believers especially those who scorn and ridicule Christians. You would have a tough time not being influenced by them as they can be very dynamic and popular people who are welcoming, friendly, despite their unbelief. Of course, we need to share Christ with them but should not get unequally yoked with them.

5. Go easy on yourself and trust God in all things. We all make mistakes even though we have been Christians for a long time. Sometimes we let sin into our lives. But we ask forgiveness and pick ourselves up and go on believing that we'll do better and making amend to others when necessary.

6. Pray every day for an increase in the gift of faith. Actually talk to God. He will hear you even when you don't think you are hearing Him and He seems far away. He is there living in your heart.

7. And if and when someone hurts you forgive them right away even when they are very wrong. Don't let hurtful remarks made by insensitive people eat at you. In the end unforgiveness just brings harm to you as well as others. Endeavor to walk in peace with God and others.

Proverbs 3: 5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

MeganJ0310-

Welcome to the forum! As you can probably already tell, we have Christians here from all over the spectrum, so feel free to ask us anything that concerns you.

As Christians we see our actions as conforming to God's will if the underlying motivations for those actions also conform to God's will. For us doing the right thing requires that we have the right motivations as their impetus. Fortunately, Scripture itself tells us which motivations we are to see as the old nature's trying to assert its authority over us, as well as which motivations we are to see as the Spirit's directing our actions:

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:16-26,NIV)

Note in the paragraph where 'the acts of the sinful nature' are listed that many of the 'acts' are more accurately identified as the motivations which lead to the commission of sinful acts. Hatred, jealousy, and selfish ambition are just three of those motivations which can only lead to sinful acts. We can safely say that this list contains both the actions (such as sexual immorality and drunkenness) and the motivations which culminate in the commission of all sinful acts.

Likewise, where 'the fruit of the Spirit' is listed, it is those motivations which are necessary in order for our actions to truly conform to God's will. Just as the motivations listed as 'the acts of the sinful nature' can be identified as the root cause of all sinful acts, the motivations listed as 'the fruit of the Spirit' can be identified as the root cause of all acts of righteousness. Their importance is emphasized by the words which immediately follow their listing: "Against such things there is no law."

And how do we get 'the fruit of the Spirit'? We get it through our accepting God's gift of salvation. God himself implants these motivations inside us as the spiritual equivalent of a heart transplant. You already have these 'fruit' within you as a result of your accepting Jesus Christ. Now it is simply a matter of having faith in God that he will have his Spirit make these motivations an increasingly stronger influence over what you say and do.

Welcome! Thanks for sharing. We all still struggle with some areas of sin, no matter how long we've been a Christian. It's a long road, so we can't expect everything to change overnight.

God does have a plan, but it doesn't mean there is only one path or choice in every situation. Even if we face challenges and struggles, it doesn't mean the wrong choice was made! Sometimes a challenge is exactly what we needed at the time.

At a more general level, if we live our lives with a goal of loving others, we usually make choices according to God's will. Showing kindness, patience, forgiveness, and generosity towards others is also a way of showing our love of God.

be patient MeganJ0310 and keep faith in Christ. God will work in you.

Sure, firstly you are saved because God chose you. Second the word repent means to have a change of mind. Who did you think Christ was, repent or change your mind and accept Him as God the Son - repentance in the context of saving faith is a synonym for faith.

Find a church that teaches the Bible verse by verse one book at a time.

Use a bible that's written in paragraph form and not one that starts a new paragraph with each verse. That way you'll read the context.

Get a bible survey and a bible dictionary to help you study the Word.

Realize that Jesus bought you out of slavery to sin but He doesn't force you to be a servant to Him, you must choose this. He has given you at least one spiritual gift that you are supposed to use to live fruitfully for Him with. Make it your goal to discover that gift and then ask where you can use it at your local fellowship.

Realize that God is not up there saying to himself "I can't believe she did it again!"
He foreknew every sin and struggle you and I were going to do and struggle with way before we were ever born or even thought of and God said - I don't care, I'm going to choose her, I want her anyway.

You've been given a special gift and when you find out what it is and you begin to use it to bless others you will experience true joy and true happiness.

Yes, I took study courses from her a few years ago. Very good site.

Dear MeganJ0310. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. The second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself."
God wants our Love, freely given and No conditions made. Jesus will give us His Love and Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower us with His Love, also. God is Love, and God wants loving children/sons and daughters. What do we do? ( Matthew 7: 7-8 We ask God for Love and Joy, then thank God and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: i.e.all we know and all we meet,
friends and not-friends. God will see our sincere efforts, and God will bless us.
We keep asking God and thanking God, then share all Love and Joy with our neighbour. God is Love, and God wants loving children/sons and daughters.
We might stumble and forget at times, but then we ask God to forgive us, and carry on loving and caring.
People around us will notice, and then treat us as we treat people.
A Christian`s great weapon is Love, with love we will overcome all enmity
and wrong behaviour. People will know that we represent God, and we may be Sign-posts to God. Love is very catching and Love will change us into the men and women which God wants us to be.
The Bible tells us to " Repent," to change our selfishness to Love for God, and love for our neighbour, we will be " Born Again." Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us: JESUS IS THE WAY. I say this with love, MeganJ 0310.
Greetings from Emmy, your sistere in Christ.

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif'] [/FONT][FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Hi I am a new Christian and as a person , i can say that I've been there, I've done that .
I experienced so many trials and sufferings , but all of those i have successfully overcome , thanks to our Lord Jesus .

I am a technical person and was in front of the computer a lot .
This friend of mine sent me a link and said that i should visit it .
From that moment on , my life changed . That is the first time I have read the Word of God .

Just so you know , this is the link : [/FONT]
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif'][FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']Propheciesfordummies.com

[/FONT]This is so interesting. I never realized that learning prophecies is something important especially if you are a believer. Thank God I found this. )
[/FONT]

welcome to this holy place megan, you would definitly get joy and happiness on this place here

Welcome to family of the Christ, Good luck on the forum and on your life, God bless you.

Dear Megan. You wish to become a light among people, Jesus has good advice. In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tells a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Start treating all you know and all you meet, treat them as you would love to be treated:
always the same, friendly and kind attitude. Jesus will give you His Love and His Joy, and the Holy Spirit will empower you with His Love, also. Jesus told us to
" ask and ye shall receive," ( Matthew 7: 7-8) then thank God and share all Love and Joy with your neighbour: all you know and all you meet. Keep asking God and thanking God, then share all Love and Joy with your neighbour. God will see your efforts, and God will approve and bless you.
People around you will treat you the same as you will treat people, Love is very catching. People around you will soon know whom you represent: God our Heavenly Father, who is all Love and Compassion.
You might stumble or forget, but then ask God to forgive you, and carry on becoming a light to many people, also a sign-post to God. Jesus our Saviour will help and guide you, and God our Heavenly Father will guide you a way that you wish to go. Keep thanking God and praising God, and you will soon be a light among people. Let God know your wishes.
I say this with love, Megan. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

Ask Jesus to help you discern the root causes and as for his grace and mercy in overcoming them