Some questions

[angrySCORCH62]

Hi I have a few questions about Christianity and was wondering if anybody could answer them?

Ok, so I want to try and become a more active Christian (go to church and what not) after having a conversation about religion with two mates from university (one a Christian and the other a Muslim). I have believed in God and Jesus since I was younger and Identified as a Christian but I didn't lead a very Christian life.

Anyhow I have tried to do this several years earlier (become a more pro active Christian), I read the bible, came to these forums and went to church but it didn't last long and since then I have tried to follow the Christian faith more closely several more times but I have never succeeded and I am hoping this time will be different.

Anyhow my main questions about this are:

Presbyterian belief (as I understand it but I don't even have a basic grasp of it so I could easily be wrong) is that once you have been chosen by God you cannot resist, in this case what does it mean that I gave up church (my own fault and lack of trying) and now want to try again?

I am also curious about when my rebirth in Christ was? Was it when I was a child and started believing, was it when I first started going to church and it has just been a slow process or is it now?

I was baptised as I child (I assume and think), knowing that do I need to be or should I be baptised again?

About repentance, I'm sure this is a very common question but I don't think I can remember every sin I have every committed so I don't know if I can repent for every single one of them. Would a general repentance prayer be ok? I did this when I went to church years ago but maybe I should repeat it as I didn't stick to the lifestyle?



My final question is, when I wen to church years ago (Anglican think) they said a prayer and asked people not to say it unless they were willing to commit, anyhow I said it and obviously I didn't stick to it and I was wondering if anybody knows what prayer this is and if there is anything I should do about it?

Thank you anyone who reads the wall of text I appreciated it.

 

[Spunkn]

God's choosing us, and us being given choice are some concepts that will be pretty hard to understand until you get pretty deep into your faith. There are verses that support predestination, God choosing us, and knowing who would be His chosen before He even created us. However, it is also clear in the Bible that we were given a choice. God did not want slaves. He wants people to freely choose Him. Both are true. But I'm not sure that we can fully understand how it all works together as human beings.

Having said that...just because you give up church doesn't mean you lost your faith or belief in Jesus. It may just mean you went through a period of time where you were walking away from God (not always) or that you were just going through a rough patch or in some people's cases they just aren't able to go to church whether it be disability or whatever. Not going to church does not disqualify you from being a Christian. Trying again just means you are ready to follow God again and want to take some steps to do that. I think that's normal for every Christian.

No one can exactly tell you when you got saved in Christ. Only God can. However, if you were a child and think that you believed then I would say you are saved. But again, no one can 100% tell someone else if they are saved or not. Were you sincere when you asked Jesus to come into your life? That's between you and God. The moment you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior you are reborn through Christ. It's not a process to be reborn. You are reborn the moment you are saved. The process by which you develop a closer relationship with God and begin to fulfill His mission for you is sanctification. But you have already been justified and forgiven.

My personal beliefs about baptism, it is not required for you to be saved. However it is a strong commandment by God and is something you -should- do as a believer. You don't -need- to be baptized again, but I would think about it. As a child was it your decision to be baptized or was it your parents? If it was your parents, I would think about getting rebaptized so that it is -your- decision to make a public statement of faith. It is not required, but just something you might think about.

No one can remember every single sin that they've committed. That would be impossible. Jesus died for ALL sins. Past, present, future. Hwoever that does not give us liscence to "go out and sin like crazy" if we truly believe what Jesus did for us, as that would be a direct insult to the Cross and His work. It would basically prove that you really weren't sincere to begin with.

However, we are suppose to ask forgiveness regularly for our sins. This is God's way of reminding us that we are sinners and that we need to be humble and remember what He has done for us. Asking for forgiveness is not the same as asking for God to make you righteous again. You are already righteous. Admitting to God that you sinned is your way of bringing the issue to Him, and allowing Him to make you aware of what you are doing and why it is wrong. It is part of becoming closer to God and becoming a better Christian. Hopefully that made sense.

The prayer to accept Jesus into your life doesn't have to be a specific prayer. Something as simple as

"Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I know that without your payment for my sin on the Cross I would be lost. I believe in you, and I accept you as Lord and Savior into my life". But it has to be sincere and from the heart. Only you and God will know if you were truly sincere. You may not feel any different after saying that prayer. But if you truly believed and want to believe, then your life will begin to change.

 

[Radagast]

Hi I have a few questions about Christianity and was wondering if anybody could answer them?

Happy to do so.

I read the bible, came to these forums and went to church but it didn't last long and since then I have tried to follow the Christian faith more closely several more times but I have never succeeded and I am hoping this time will be different.

I hope so too. Reading the Bible and participating in church are the key things.

Presbyterian belief (as I understand it but I don't even have a basic grasp of it so I could easily be wrong) is that once you have been chosen by God you cannot resist, in this case what does it mean that I gave up church (my own fault and lack of trying) and now want to try again?

Calvinist belief (most Presbyterians are Calvinists) is that if you have been chosen by God, you will eventually be saved.

I am also curious about when my rebirth in Christ was? Was it when I was a child and started believing, was it when I first started going to church and it has just been a slow process or is it now?

This is something that will only make sense in hindsight. Many Christians have a series of ups and downs, making it hard to spot a single "rebirth" moment.

I was baptised as I child (I assume and think), knowing that do I need to be or should I be baptised again?

Well, (1) don't assume, and (2) ask the pstor of the church you join.

Would a general repentance prayer be ok?

Yes.

My final question is, when I wen to church years ago (Anglican think) they said a prayer and asked people not to say it unless they were willing to commit, anyhow I said it and obviously I didn't stick to it and I was wondering if anybody knows what prayer this is and if there is anything I should do about it?

I don't think the past matters now. I hope you stick to it this time.

I pray that out of his glorious riches the Father may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

 

[damascusroad]

Hi I have a few questions about Christianity and was wondering if anybody could answer them?

You might start by changing the name you use in these forums

Your answers are as follows:

John 14:6, John 3:16-17, John 3:3, John 5:24, Romans 10:8-13. Read those in that order. IF you are authentically born again, you'll simply agree with them. If not, you'll confess Jesus as Savior. Then take a look at Ephesians 2:8-9.

When you sin, go to 1 John 1:9. You don't have to remember every sin. After all, if you are born again, God has nailed your sins to the Cross and has put them as far as the east is from the west. Scripture says He will NEVER remember them.

Confessing 1 John 1:9 does not mean that you were unsaved again for a time due to sin. It does mean that you got out of fellowship with the One who died for you.

 

[hedrick]

Presbyterian belief

First, there are several bodies in the UK called Presbyterian. The historic Presbyterian church merged with other Reformed bodies, and is now the United Reformed Church. I would guess that some of its congregations might still call themselves Presbyterian. This appears to be the UK equivalent of the PCUSA, i.e. the largest US Presbyterian church. Based on its web site and constitution, it appears that it is a fairly liberal church. It does not appear to me to mandate agreement with the doctrine of election, and based on what I know of similar churches in other countries I would guess that many (most?) members don't accept it. Indeed one web pages says that the URC has modified the Westminster Confession so that it rejects one of the key traditional ideas associated with election. However the questions you ask don't touch that specific point, so the answers I give should apply to both the URC and even more conservative Reformed churches.

The Wikipedia article on Presbyterianism says that there a few newer and smaller Presbyterian denominations. i would guess that they are conservative. Based on your other postings I'd guess you would be interested in the URC, not the other denominations.

(as I understand it but I don't even have a basic grasp of it so I could easily be wrong) is that once you have been chosen by God you cannot resist, in this case what does it mean that I gave up church (my own fault and lack of trying) and now want to try again?

The idea here is that we are called by God. Christians throughout history has understood themselves as being saved by God, and as responding to his grace. Faith isn't something that they would have done on their own. While most Christians agree with this, the Reformed tradition (of which the Presbyterian churches are a part) has said that our situation without God is so hopeless that even if God offered us salvation we wouldn't take it. Before we can even respond to the Gospel, God has to start regenerating our hearts.

Be careful about the statement "we can't resist." It's not like God is holding a gun to our head or otherwise forcing us. But the process is initiated by God, by working in our hearts, and someone who has been regenerated in that way is going to respond. Not because they're compelled or forced, but because their motivations have been renewed.

However everyone understands that Christians are far from perfect people. We may be regenerated, and then fall back, and be renewed again. Reformed theology talks about "perseverance of the saints," that someone who God has chosen, he will make sure that they persevere to the end. But we can't tell who is chosen. This is something only God knows. We can sometimes see his working in our lives in retrospect. But there are plenty of people that God has called who have fallen away and returned. From God's point of view, he knows that these people are his, and the falls are just temporary setbacks. But we don't have his point of view, so we can't tell whether when someone falls back, whether it's temporary or not. So basically, your experience is quite common. It does not argue against you being genuinely called by God.

I am also curious about when my rebirth in Christ was? Was it when I was a child and started believing, was it when I first started going to church and it has just been a slow process or is it now?

This is quite appropriate. Reformed doctrine does not emphasize the "decision for Christ," i.e. that people have one particular moment when they make a decision to become Christian. In our tradition, God is the initiator, and he often works through others such as parents. This quite often happens slowly. Your experience is quite typical. Our tradition would not to try to force-fit a "decision for Christ" concept on your life, and identify one specific moment. In our view, the critical thing isn't when you chose God, but that God chose you.

I was baptised as I child (I assume and think), knowing that do I need to be or should I be baptised again?

No. And a traditional Reformed church wouldn't allow you to be rebaptized (though some URC churches might). Many Christians see baptism as symbolizing our "decision for Christ." Reformed churches see baptism the sign and seal of God's call to us. if you like, it symbolizes Christ's decision for us. God chose us before we were even born. So it is perfectly appropriate to baptize infants. God's choice doesn't expire, even if you lost your way for a while.

About repentance, I'm sure this is a very common question but I don't think I can remember every sin I have every committed so I don't know if I can repent for every single one of them. Would a general repentance prayer be ok? I did this when I went to church years ago but maybe I should repeat it as I didn't stick to the lifestyle?

Repentance is a key element of the Christian life. But it is not a matter of legalism. You should repent of everything you understand to be sin, but forgetting something is certainly not going to get you in trouble with God. God isn't out to get you. Repentance is an ongoing thing. You'll do it every time you pray. Unless you're a lot different from the rest of us, you'll fall short repeatedly. Repentance is part of the process of being accountable to God, and of changing. But salvation is based on Christ's death for us, not on us repenting every sin.

My final question is, when I wen to church years ago (Anglican think) they said a prayer and asked people not to say it unless they were willing to commit, anyhow I said it and obviously I didn't stick to it and I was wondering if anybody knows what prayer this is and if there is anything I should do about it?

No, you don't have to. However you still may want to do something to formalize your return, and to help you gain confidence. Most congregations will do a reaffirmation of baptismal vows. You might want to talk with the minister about that. But if you decide to join the church, they will ask you to take vows as part of that. That may be enough, or you might ask your minister to add a reaffirmation of baptism to that.

 

[hedrick]

I'd like to make one qualification to the previous posting. I noted that Reformed Christians feel that God is responsible for their salvation, and it's not something they could or would have done on their own.

Traditional Reformed theology pushes this pretty far. It says that we can't be saved unless God saves us, and if he chooses us, he *will* save us. So what about those who aren't? It must be that God didn't choose them. So traditional Presbyterian doctrine says that from the foundation of the universe, God intended to save a particular set of people, and reject the rest.

I would guess that most members of the PCUSA don't quite go that far, and I get the sense that it's the same for the URC. Most of us aren't quite prepared to say that God set out to damn a specific set of people. More conservative Presbyterian churches generally do accept that God chose a specific set of people to save and not save.

 

[Radagast]

First, there are several bodies in the UK called Presbyterian. The historic Presbyterian church merged with other Reformed bodies, and is now the United Reformed Church.

That may be true for England, not for the UK as a whole. The (historic) Presbyterian churches of Scotland still exist, and in fact have congregations in England, as do other conservative Reformed bodies.

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi Angry, there's not a lot to add to all of this great advice you've been given. The only thing I would say is that before you start diving into the finer points of the faith, that you a) make sure that you are born again and are therefore, truly in the faith, and b) spend time with the Lord, sitting at His feet (so to speak), learning as much as you can about Him, His Word, His people and His Kingdom, so that you truly come to understand how much you were saved from, and how utterly loved you are by your Savior . Only when you are TRULY secure in your faith, in your knowledge of Him and in His love for you, should you venture out further.

I would highly recommend three things for you at this point.

1) Go to church (you cannot, especially as someone new to the faith, survive apart from it).
2) Join a small group Bible study and prayer group (most churches have them)
3) Ask someone who is more mature in the faith to mentor and watch over you (this could be someone you respect at your church). That way you will have someone who you can ask anything of, admit anything/everything to, and help get you back on track if you sin or simply become confused or overwhelmed by things in the world (or even in the faith).
​

Yours and His,
David

 

[hedrick]

That may be true for England, not for the UK as a whole. The (historic) Presbyterian churches of Scotland still exist, and in fact have congregations in England, as do other conservative Reformed bodies.

According to his "about me" he lives in England. I apologize for using UK inappropriately.

 

[angrySCORCH62]

Thanks everyone you have given me a wealth of information and I really appreciate it.

 

[Alive_Again]

You must begin to recognize the things that influence your life for the better or the worse. Who your friends are; what you watch on TV or at the movies; or what you listen to on the radio. The things that come out of your mouth can help or hinder you.

If you fellowship with the world you fellowship with the "spirit of the world". It's opposed to the move of the Spirit of God. You need the leaven of the Spirit of God.

As far as your repentance goes, you want to turn to the Lord with your life. You can make a conscious decision to receive the Lord based on who He is, that He rose from the dead for the justification of those who will believe and receive Him as Lord, and that you want Him to be Lord of your life. This is more than just going to church of course. The choices you made as a child (if you did), do not carrry you for the rest of your life. To make Jesus your Lord, He receives you as you are with your heart turned toward Him. You have a readiness to walk in love by the grace He provides. You are accountable to do just that. He said if you love Him, you'll keep His word, so you'll need to learn of His ways and do them.

It's very important to separate yourself away from the defiling things of the world. Ask for His grace. If you were baptized as an infant (no choice of yours, but rather made for you), I would get baptized as a believer. If not, just go with what your heart tells you. We're not saved by water, but we do want to fulfill righteousness every way we can.

 

[Bible2]

angrySCORCH62 said in post 1:

About repentance, I'm sure this is a very common question but I don't think I can remember every sin I have every committed so I don't know if I can repent for every single one of them.

Believers' ability (though not their choosing) to repent from & confess to God every sin they might commit is assured, for if they do commit a sin, even if they're unaware of it, Jesus will send them warning & chastisement to make sure they know they've sinned & need to repent (Rev. 3:19, Heb. 12:6-7, cf. Jer. 31:18-19), & he will give them time to repent (Rev. 2:21a). It's only if they wrongly employ their free will to waste the time they're given & ignore the warning & chastisement, & refuse to repent (Rev. 2:21-23, cf. Deut. 21:18-21) until death (1 Jn. 5:16b) or Jesus' return (Lk. 12:45-46), that they will in the end lose their salvation because of unrepentant sin (Heb. 10:26-29, 1 Cor. 9:27, Gal. 5:19-21). If saved people become unsure whether they've ignored Jesus' warning & refused to repent from a sin, they need to pray & ask him to reveal to them if there's any unrepentant sin in their hearts (Ps. 139:23-24), & they need to be reading the Bible, every word of it (Mt. 4:4, 2 Tim. 3:16), over & over again, for it will expose to them every unrepentant sin which may still exist within their hearts (Heb. 4:12, 2 Tim. 3:16), so they can repent from it & confess it to God & be perfect before God (2 Tim. 3:17, 1 Jn. 1:9, 2 Cor. 7:1).

 

[Bible2]

Alive_Again said in post 11:

You need the leaven of the Spirit of God.

Amen.

Some people might object to the idea of the Spirit of God being compared to leaven, because leaven can represent corruption. For Jesus referred to the false doctrine and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which had corrupted how the Jews understood and practiced their religion, as being like leaven (Mt. 16:12, Lk. 12:1b). And Paul referred to malice and wickedness, which can corrupt church congregations, as being like leaven (1 Cor. 5:8). He also referred to the false, Pharisaical doctrine that believers have to be physically circumcised and keep the letter of the Old Covenant Mosaic law in order to be saved (cf. Acts 15:1,5), which doctrine can corrupt church congregations, as being like leaven (Gal. 5:4-14).

But the leaven in Mt. 13:33, Lk. 13:20-21 can't represent corruption, for the kingdom of heaven/God isn't like corruption, but is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). The fact that Lev. 23:16-17 says that the two loaves of the feast of Pentecost had to be leavened suggests that the leaven in Lev. 23:16-17, Mt. 13:33, Lk. 13:20-21 could represent the Holy Spirit, who came upon the church during a feast of Pentecost in the first century AD (Acts 2). The two leavened loaves of Pentecost (Lev. 23:16-17) could have typified how the Holy Spirit would eventually come upon both Jewish and Gentile believers (Acts 10:45). And in Mt. 13:33, Lk. 13:20-21, the woman could represent the church spreading the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17, 19:6). The three measures of meal through which the Holy Spirit is spread (Mt. 13:33) could represent the (roughly) three millennia from the time of the Pentecost in Acts 2 (in the first century AD) until the end of the coming millennium (Rev. 20:4-6).

Also, the three measures of meal through which the Holy Spirit is spread (Mt. 13:33) could represent the three main groups the Jews divided humanity into at the time of Jesus' first coming: Israelites, Samaritans (Gentiles who had a quasi-Jewish religion), and Gentiles (Mt. 10:5-6). Israelites were the first to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), then Samaritans (Acts 8:14-17), then Gentiles (Acts 10:45-46).

Alive_Again said in post 11:

If you were baptized as an infant (no choice of yours, but rather made for you), I would get baptized as a believer.

Amen.

Infant baptism isn't valid, for baptism is useless for salvation (& isn't even allowed) unless the one being baptized is already a believer with all his heart (Acts 8:36-38, Mk. 16:16). Also, believers need to be not just sprinkled (as is often done with infant baptism), but water-immersion (burial) baptized (Rom. 6:3-11, Col. 2:12) in order to be ultimately saved (Mk. 16:16, 1 Pet. 3:21, Gal. 3:27, Acts 2:38, 22:16).

Alive_Again said in post 11:

We're not saved by water, but we do want to fulfill righteousness every way we can.

Amen.

While the water itself isn't what saves us, in order to be saved ultimately, believers do have to get water-immersion (burial) baptized into Jesus' death for our sins (Mk. 16:16, 1 Pet. 3:21, Rom. 6:3-11, Col. 2:12, Gal. 3:27, Acts 2:38, 22:16). If people believe with all their heart Jesus Christ is the human/divine Son of God (Acts 8:37), they can get baptized anywhere there's water (Acts 8:36) into which they can be fully-immersed (buried) (Rom. 6:3-11, Col. 2:12). They need to make sure to be baptized in the name of God the Father; & of the Son, Jesus Christ; & of the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19, Acts 2:38). Believers can get water-immersion baptized at, e.g., a Baptist church. Besides getting water baptized, believers can also get Holy Spirit baptized (Acts 11:15-16, 10:44-46). They usually have to ask to receive the Holy Spirit (Lk. 11:13b) baptism, for it isn't usually automatically given to them the moment they become believers; that's why Paul asked some believers: "Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?" (Acts 19:2).

Believers usually receive Holy Spirit baptism through prayer accompanied by the laying on of hands, subsequent to water baptism (Acts 8:15-17, 19:5-6). Holy Spirit baptism won't result in speaking in tongues for everyone (1 Cor. 12:30), but for almost everyone, as tongues are one of the Spirit's lesser gifts (1 Cor. 12:8-11,28, 14:5). Many believers haven't yet experienced Holy Spirit baptism simply because they haven't yet asked for it, under the principle of "ye have not, because ye ask not" (Jas. 4:2b). Many believers haven't yet asked for it because they've come under the influence of mistaken teachings which say it's no longer in effect. Believers can get hands laid on them to receive Holy Spirit baptism at, e.g., a Pentecostal-type or charismatic-type congregation.