Questions - Beginning Christian

[AFK]

Hello I am new and consider myself to be a christian but I do not know much about all of this and would like to learn from the bright and knowledgable members here so here are some of my questions:

• What was before god? If he was the only thingat the time what is his purpose for our purpose?
• Is there a certain religion or type of christianity I should connect myself with?
• How frequenetly should I go to church?
• What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?
• How was the Bible formed?
• How can I create a life for myself that is better and more right?

I hope these questions aren't to much to answer, but it will be appreciated to whomever answers them.

 

[NJA]

Hello I am new and consider myself to be a christian

Hello ...that doesn't mean you are a Christian and the fact that you have a lot of basics questions suggests you are not.
After the disciples became Christians (Acts 2:4, John 3:3-8, Romans 8:8-9) they began giving answers.

What was before god? If he was the only thingat the time what is his purpose for our purpose?

He created us in his image, saw that it was good but we used our free will to choose our own ways. God offers friendship/fellowship/sonship now through Jesus Christ, by receiving His Spirit ... Our purpose is to seek and find that and live it.

Some think it's “hello” when Jesus returns, it's not. It's “hello” now, then will be the separation according you how you responded to that offer of friendship.

Is there a certain religion or type of christianity I should connect myself with?

Yes, the original, as detailed above.

How frequenetly should I go to church?

God will give you the desire after you receive His Spirit

What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?

Your creator, the one who wants to fulfil your potential.
You were made to be his son or daughter.

Potential: having the capacity to develop into something. He have the same potential as Jesus. Potential energy achieves nothing, only moving (kenetic energy) does work & achieves. The object must be released.

How was the Bible formed?

Manuscripts were gathered together in the middle ages

How can I create a life for myself that is better and more right?

See above.

 

[1watchman]

It is nice to hear you are a seeker after God and His mind, AFK! Read your Bible daily and you will learn much --see a good overview in John 1; John 3; John 14, then ask God to teach you. After that you should begin daily reading the Gospels, then all of the New Testament. Then you can supplement that one day a week reading the Old Testament to see God's creation, something of His ways, and dealing with mankind. The OT pointed forward to the Lord Jesus Christ in the NT who came to be the promised Savior from the very beginning.

 

[paul1149]

• What was before god? If he was the only thingat the time what is his purpose for our purpose?

• Is there a certain religion or type of christianity I should connect myself with?

• How frequenetly should I go to church?

• What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?

• How was the Bible formed?

• How can I create a life for myself that is better and more right?

God is self-existent. He identifies Himself to Moses as "I am". There was nothing before Him. He is a person, not a mere force, and we are made in His image. A mere force could not make self-aware beings. We were made by someone greater than ourselves.

All that really matters is that you learn about and come to know personally Jesus Christ. What denomination you end up in, how often you go to church, are secondary issues. Seek and follow Jesus, and everything else will work itself out.

 

[talitha]

• What was before god? If he was the only thing at the time what is his purpose for our purpose?
  God always was and always will be; he is eternal. I think this is one question the Presbyterians answered best: The chief end of man is to know God and enjoy Him forever.
• Is there a certain religion or type of christianity I should connect myself with?
  Everyone will probably say you should agree with him or her. I guess I would too. Be a charismatic non-denominational Christian and worship to Housefires and United Pursuit! Seriously, follow the lead of the Holy Spirit.
• How frequenetly should I go to church? Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. If you are a new Christian, you should probably go to some kind of discipleship group in addition to regular weekly services.
• What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?
  Really? God is a person, but he was never a human. He is the ultimate higher power - the Creator of everything that exists. Don't worry too much about theology. As you form a relationship with God and learn about Him by reading the Bible, He will take care of that by teaching you and conforming your thoughts and beliefs to His own thoughts.
• How was the Bible formed?
  The Bible is a collection of writings, beginning with what is accepted by most faithful Jews as God's word - history, law, and prophets - and continuing with what came to be accepted by most faithful Christians as God's word - Gospel accounts and letters to early churches.
• How can I create a life for myself that is better and more right?
  Read your Bible, pray every day, form a relationship with God, obey Him, and avoid things that get in the way of that relationship. Love others.

 

[graceandpeace]

What was before god? If he was the only thingat the time what is his purpose for our purpose?

God has always existed, & there is nothing before Him. I can't offer an explanation because this is a mystery.

In general, Christians consider human beings to be made in God's image. I don't know why God created people, but most Christians do believe that God loves us.

Is there a certain religion or type of christianity I should connect myself with?

Christians disagree about many things, so you will receive different answers, depending on who you ask.

One thing you could do is take the time to research Christianity - church history, tradition, etc - and then research the different denominations & what they believe. I realize this could be overwhelming, but you could take it slow. Going through this process helped me narrow down churches to just a few options that I explored before settling on a choice (the Episcopal Church). I'd be happy to recommend my church or talk about it more, but again I do really think researching the faith is something beneficial you should do.

How frequenetly should I go to church?

Again, this will depend on who you ask. Most churches hope for or expect weekly attendance. Personally, I seek to attend every Sunday & at additional times for specific celebrations, such as for the upcoming observance of Epiphany.

What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?

God is an uncreated being. Christians believe God exists in a Trinity: Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. Christians believe that the Son took on human flesh (became incarnate) in the person of Jesus.

How was the Bible formed?

To make a long story short, the books of the Bible were compiled together & selected to be canonized. The early Church for example decided which early Christian writings were considered authoritative & selected them to be in the New Testament. This is a topic to be researched.

How can I create a life for myself that is better and more right?

I'm not sure what you have in mind. Most Christians would say following Jesus is a start.

 

[-57]

• What was before god? If he was the only thing at the time what is his purpose for our purpose?
  God always was and always will be; he is eternal. I think this is one question the Presbyterians answered best: The chief end of man is to know God and enjoy Him forever.
• Is there a certain religion or type of christianity I should connect myself with?
  Everyone will probably say you should agree with him or her. I guess I would too. Be a charismatic non-denominational Christian and worship to Housefires and United Pursuit! Seriously, follow the lead of the Holy Spirit.
• How frequenetly should I go to church? Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. If you are a new Christian, you should probably go to some kind of discipleship group in addition to regular weekly services.
• What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?
  Really? God is a person, but he was never a human. He is the ultimate higher power - the Creator of everything that exists. Don't worry too much about theology. As you form a relationship with God and learn about Him by reading the Bible, He will take care of that by teaching you and conforming your thoughts and beliefs to His own thoughts.
• How was the Bible formed?
  The Bible is a collection of writings, beginning with what is accepted by most faithful Jews as God's word - history, law, and prophets - and continuing with what came to be accepted by most faithful Christians as God's word - Gospel accounts and letters to early churches.
• How can I create a life for myself that is better and more right?
  Read your Bible, pray every day, form a relationship with God, obey Him, and avoid things that get in the way of that relationship. Love others.

What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?
talitha replied "Really? God is a person, but he was never a human. He is the ultimate higher power - the Creator of everything that exists. "

-57: Jesus is God...and Jesus was a person. Fully human and fully God.

 

[talitha]

What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?
talitha replied "Really? God is a person, but he was never a human. He is the ultimate higher power - the Creator of everything that exists. "

-57: Jesus is God...and Jesus was a person. Fully human and fully God.

You are right, of course. I understood the question as being something more like "Did God graduate from being a person into Godhood?" and the answer to that is no. I should have been more careful with my wording. Thanks for pointing this out.

 

[hedrick]

I would disagree, or at least potentially disagree with my esteemed colleague. I believe that anyone who has decided to follow Jesus is a Christian.

What was before god? If he was the only thingat the time what is his purpose for our purpose?

God is the creator of everything, so nothing can be before him. Indeed the question may not make any sense. Physics tells us that time is one dimension of the created universe. So time itself was created. Strictly speaking there was no “before” the universe existed, since “before” is a statement about relative times, and time didn’t exist.

However I think the most honest answer is that we don’t know much about anything outside our own universe. I think it’s safe to say that there’s nothing before God, or that the question is meaningless. But to go beyond that you’re getting into things we just don’t know.

Is there a certain religion or type of christianity I should connect myself with?

That depends upon you. There are lots of Christian groups. All follow Jesus, obviously. But some emphasize continuity with 2000 years of Christian history. Others have understandings that have changed to take into account modern approaches in thought. Some tend to be intellectual. Others emphasize religious experience, and in some cases spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues. I would say we’re all followers of Christ, but some people think it matters a lot to choose the right group.

How frequenetly should I go to church?

I’d say weekly. The weekly tradition goes back to Judaism, and follows one of the 10 commandments. Of course Jewish laws aren’t really binding on Christians. But still, the coming of Christ doesn’t change the fact that we need regular contact with God, so most of us continue the weekly approach.

What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?

That’s an interesting question. Most Christians will tell you that we don’t know what God is in himself. The creation story says we’re made in his image, and Jesus said that if you’ve seen him you’ve seen God. So clearly there some kind of analogy. Most people assume that means he’s intelligent. We know he loves. On the other hand, an entity that could create a universe and control it is pretty different than us. Most of us say that God is personal, in that he has personal relationships with people, but not that he is a person in the usual sense of a human being.

How was the Bible formed?

Now you’re getting into an area where Christians disagree. There are two parts. The oldest part is the holy book of the Jewish people. It covers a period from 1500 BC or so to a few hundred years before Christ. Traditionalists will tell you parts were written before 1000 BC. I don’t think so. But still, it was written at different times, hundreds of years before Jesus.

The Christian part was written in the latter part of the 1st Century, by a variety of people. Most of it was written by people who learned about Jesus from his disciples. But most wasn’t written by the disciples themselves. I’d tell you that you can see a number of different understandings of Jesus and his significance in the different documents, though conservatives will try to convince you that they all agree.

How can I create a life for myself that is better and more right?

Find a church and/or Christian friends, and ask for help. Christianity wasn’t intended to be practiced by people in isolation. Jesus created a community of followers around him, and they created new communities around the world. Most churches have ways of mentoring new Christians.

You should also read at least parts of the Bible. Start with one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John — I’d recommend Matthew), Acts, and maybe 1 Corinthians. But you’ll want to understand the historical context of Paul’s letters (1 Corinthians is one of them), or they may not make much sense. One way is to use a study Bible. They will have introductions to each book, and footnotes, all of which help you understand what’s going on.

 

[com7fy8]

What was before god?

God always has been; nothing has ever been before Him. And now nothing and no one is greater or better than God and His love >

"Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
.My lips shall praise You." (Psalm 63:3)

If he was the only thingat the time what is his purpose for our purpose?

Remember that God is the Father and His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Before creation, I understand, our Heavenly Father and His Son were in such wonderful love and sharing with one another. Our Father is so pleased with His Son Jesus, that He has predestined that He will have many children who are like Jesus, pleasing to Him like His own Son Jesus is because they are "conformed to the image of His Son" >

"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

Is there a certain religion or type of christianity I should connect myself with?

I understand the Biblical Christianity includes how "we" "first trusted in Christ" (Ephesians 1:12) > we have trusted Jesus to get us forgiven and to get us reconciled with God; plus we have given ourselves to Him so we are more and more submitting to God and how He has us be and live > Philippians 2:13; we are all "called in one body" to obey how our Heavenly Father rules us in His own peace > Colossians 3:15. And we discover how He corrects us (Hebrews 12:4-11) to submit to Him, be pleasing to Him, and learn how to relate with one another Christians as family. So, you need to discover people who are into this and help you with this. Trust God to connect you with people He knows you belong with; God knows their hearts and yours So, He knows who you belong with.

How frequenetly should I go to church?

Any time you are sharing with ones who love you and are good examples to help you get real with God and loving . . . you are in church But find a group who helps you; it is good to share as family with individuals but also as church groups. Then see when you meet, the schedule for those who are good for you. Also, you can visit with other people who help you, who are not in your church.

What exactly is "God"? Was he a person or?

"God is love" (in 1 John 4:8&16), and our Heavenly Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit are Persons of this one really right and good love. God in us is the love which corrects us to become all-loving (Matthew 5:46); this love makes us gentle and quiet in our spirit > 1 Peter 3:4; and Jesus in this love gives us "rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-30); and in God's love in us we have God personally guiding us according to all He knows, in His peace > Colossians 3:15.

So, do not trust any thinking and decisions and ways of seeing things, if these come in worry or hurry or unforgiveness or bitterness or nasty anger or hurts. But be ruled in His peace with compassion and readiness to forgive. And with God creative you can take advantage of any situation . . . no matter how bad, plus you can make better use of even nice times, than what humans try to make with them. So, it is not about your own ability to create! But we share with God in His creativity in His love.

How was the Bible formed?

Ones understand that first God personally inspired people to write His word for the Bible. And then ones have prayed and trusted God to direct them about which books belong in the Bible and how to translate them. And you can now trust God to personally direct you; there is no status about this > any human can be honest with God and discover how God personally shares with you and guides you in His love. Most of all, I would say, is being corrected (Hebrews 12:4-11) and directed (Isaiah 58:11, 2 Thessalonians 3:5) to be living in God's own love. Only God in you can do this.

How can I create a life for myself that is better and more right?

God is our Creator of our life in Jesus; so we depend purely on Him. But He uses His word to give us His message about how He wants us to love and share with Him and be family with one another in His love which is all-loving and family love. So, be blessed to discover how God creates this with you . . . all He means by His word . . . better than we can think up, but He has us discovering

 

[ToBeLoved]

God is self-existent. He identifies Himself to Moses as "I am". There was nothing before Him. He is a person, not a mere force, and we are made in His image. A mere force could not make self-aware beings. We were made by someone greater than ourselves.

All that really matters is that you learn about and come to know personally Jesus Christ. What denomination you end up in, how often you go to church, are secondary issues. Seek and follow Jesus, and everything else will work itself out.

I agree with this.

Try not to get yourself involved in what "you should do"

form a relationship WITH God.

In the Garden of Eden BEFORE sin, Adam & Eve were in full communion with God, because there was no sin at that time.

What Jesus death on the cross and His shed blood gives us is that full communion once again with God. Jesus forgives sin and with our sin forgiven, sin is once again a barrier which is removed, so we are once again reconciled back to God.

So pray, worship in song, learn through His Word, edify your heart and mind and WALK WITH God, do not walk for God. Jesus died to reconcile YOU BACK TO GOD.

This is where the real Christianity lies. In relationship with Him. Not doing things by our own strength, but in His strength.

God bless you.