Wandering for too long?

[freeinnocentspirit]

Hi, Im a newbie here and i just want to start off with saying im not intending to offend anyone. I am currently at the very start of studying the bible so im about as new a newbie gets. i was born into a different Abrahamic Faith and now wanting to convert into Christianity.

I basically had a rough few years due to poor health and ultimatly it cost me my job (far too much time off with spending cuts too!) I wandered in Meditation then somehow into Buddhism and then to Christianity. Is it possible to convert from one Abrahamic Faith to another? (I never converted to Buddhism it was like a total u-turn for me)

Additional element - I just have the new found connection to Christianity and God I don't want to come across like some space age hippy but I just wanted to. Know about others experiences and obstacles they faced. I would love to have the courage to go and speak to a priest about this but I've bailed out twice so far! Would I be rejected?

 

[Harry3142]

Hi, Im a newbie here and i just want to start off with saying im not intending to offend anyone. I am currently at the very start of studying the bible so im about as new a newbie gets. i was born into a different Abrahamic Faith and now wanting to convert into Christianity.

I basically had a rough few years due to poor health and ultimatly it cost me my job (far too much time off with spending cuts too!) I wandered in Meditation then somehow into Buddhism and then to Christianity. Is it possible to convert from one Abrahamic Faith to another? (I never converted to Buddhism it was like a total u-turn for me)

thanks for any replies I get I hope I havent posted this in the wrong place (sorry if I have!)

First, your message might be moved to another location on this site, but you're okay for now.

Some Scripture passages which you should read are:

1. Deuteronomy 7:12-15. This passage explains what the original promise was between God and the Hebrews. If they obeyed his laws and commandments, then he would bless them with an abundance of crops, ever-increasing herds of cattle and flocks of sheep, progeny to carry on their name, and freedom from disease. But there is no mention of eternal life, because the laws and commandments were societal in nature, intended to enable them to form a cohesive society where everyone felt safe living beside the others, and all would join forces to defend their society against attack.

2. Leviticus 16:1-22. This is the ceremony which had to be done every year. Through the sacrifice of the bull and the goat, the transfer of the community's sins to the other goat that was still alive, and the driving of that goat into the wilderness, the community was able to separate itself from the sins which they had committed during that year.

3. Matthew 19:16-26. In this passage Jesus pointed out to his disciples that our salvation is possible only through what God is able to do, rather than through our own efforts. He had just spoken to the young man who asked him concerning how to obtain eternal life. Obeying the laws and commandments wasn't enough; in order to be perfect much more was needed if it depended on our own efforts. In fact, it was so much more that we are all incapable of reaching that height.

4. Luke 17:7-10. In this passage Jesus told those who thought that if they obeyed the laws and commandments they would be rewarded with eternal life. He corrected them by saying that their attitude should be one of obeying the laws and commandments for no other reason than that they are to be obeyed. There was to be no desire for any reward other than seeing the work they have done successfully concluded. Our faith is to be childlike, but our attitude toward what we are able to accomplish must never be childish.

5. Romans 3:19 to 5:10. Not only does the law not save us, but it actually condemns us, not because the law itself is evil, but because it educates us concerning what sin is. The righteousness required for salvation can never come through the obeying of laws and commandments by us. Instead, it has come through God's own work successfully accomplished through his Son, Jesus Christ. Through him the perfect sacrifice was made for the sins of all those who are willing to permit his sacrifice to cleanse them of their sins. Our assurance of salvation is not rooted in what we are capable of doing, but rather in our putting our trust and confidence in what God has already done on our behalf.

6. Romans 10:5-13. This passage tells us exactly what we are to have faith in. It is Jesus Christ's having suffered and died in order to cleanse us of our sinfulness, and then his rising again victorious over the consequences of sin. It is faith in that actually having occurred that enables us to be saved.

7. Romans 7:14-25. This passage indentifies why we can never keep the law as God would require it if our salvation were through the law. What St. Paul describes in this passage is now called 'paradoxical intention', and is such a part of our psyche that psychologists recognize its power over what we do.

8. Galatians 5:16-26. God knows about this quirk in our nature, namely, the one that guarantees that the harder we try to accomplish something, the faster we will utterly fail. So instead of our conquering our sinful nature, he does it himself through his Spirit. In this passage note how many of 'the acts of the sinful nature' aren't actions, but instead are the emotions which culminate in the commission of sinful acts if left unchecked. It is for this reason, as well as for the reason that the Spirit instills in us a new nature (the fruit of the Spirit) that we need his direct intervention. What we can't do, the Spirit can.

9. Matthew 25:31-46. This is one of the strictest passages in the entire New Testament. It is also the 'litmus test' as to whether we have truly accepted his gift of salvation. And it does not involve ritualism, legalism, traditionalism, pietism, elitism, or judgementalism. It involves instead practical compassion for those who are in need. Where there is hunger, thirst, nakedness, illness, or persecution, our hearts are to go out to those in need, and we are to satisfy that need to whatever extent possible. Jesus demonstrated his compassion for the suffering of those around him by alleviating that suffering. If we are truly his followers, then we will want to imitate him.

I hope this helps you. God bless-

 

[1watchman]

Hello friend. First, let me caution you against relating Christianity to the Israelite religion. The latter was done away at the cross --fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Christianity is not an extension of the Old Testament religion, and is a NEW TESTAMENT in Christ about the hope for the Bride of Christ.

I suggest you read John 3 and John 14 for starters, and pray earnestly for God to teach you and lead you into truth, and keep you from going astray. After one is saved they can learn the Word of God for Christians in the Epistles. Look up always!

 

[Bible2]

freeinnocentspirit said in post #1:

Is it possible to convert from one Abrahamic Faith to another?

If by "one Abrahamic Faith" you mean Judaism, of course a Jew can convert to Christianity. Even a Jew who has persecuted Christianity can do so, just like the apostle Paul did (Philippians 3:5-14). He came to know how perfectly the Old Testament foretold the death of Jesus Christ for our sins and Christ's rising from the dead on the third day (Acts 26:22-23, 1 Corinthians 15:1-5, Luke 24:44-47).

Christ's death for our sins was foretold in Isaiah 53 (cf. Acts 8:32-35, 1 Peter 2:24). Christ's crucifixion experience was foretold in Psalms 22 (cf. Matthew 27:46, Matthew 27:35). Christ not remaining dead was foretold in Psalms 16:10 (cf. Acts 2:31). Christ rising from the dead on the third day was foretold in Hosea 6:2 (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:4, Luke 24:46, Colossians 2:12). That Christ's New Covenant gospel (Matthew 26:28) would go forth to save both Jews and Gentiles was foretold in Isaiah 49:6 and Isaiah 42:6 (cf. Acts 26:23b, Luke 24:47).

And Christians can know how perfectly the Old Testament shows the deity of Christ. Christ being uncreated, his having existed forever, from everlasting, is shown in Micah 5:2c (cf. John 8:58, Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:1,14). Christ being YHWH the Holy One, from everlasting, is shown in Habakkuk 1:12a (cf. Acts 3:14, Micah 5:2c). Christ being the human/divine Son of God due to his virgin birth is shown in Isaiah 7:14 (cf. Matthew 1:22-25, Luke 1:34-35). Christ being the mighty God is shown in Isaiah 9:6 (cf. Titus 2:13). Christ being YHWH the good shepherd is shown in Psalms 23:1 (cf. John 10:11, Mark 10:18). Christ being YHWH who will set his feet on the Mount of Olives at his return is shown in Zechariah 14:3-4 (cf. Acts 1:11-12). Christ being YHWH the Redeemer who is the first and the last is shown in Isaiah 44:6 (cf. Revelation 2:8, Titus 2:13-14). Christ being YHWH the great I AM is shown in Exodus 3:14 (cf. John 8:58). Christ being one God with God the Father, equal in divinity with God the Father, is shown in Isaiah 45:5-6 and Isaiah 43:10b (cf. John 10:30, John 20:28, Philippians 2:6), for they show that YHWH is the only God, and that he has always been and forever will be the only God.

For some other examples of how Jesus Christ fulfilled Old Testament scriptures at his first coming: Moses foretold of Jesus Christ in Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19 (cf. Acts 3:22-24, Luke 24:44). Jesus fulfilled Zechariah 9:9 in Matthew 21:4-5. Psalms 118:22 was fulfilled at Jesus Christ's first coming (Acts 4:11). Isaiah 9:1-2 was fulfilled in Matthew 4:12-16. Psalms 110:4 is fulfilled by Jesus Christ's high priesthood (Hebrews 6:20). Zechariah 6:11-12 and Zechariah 3:8-9 meant by type that the Christ would be a high priest named "Joshua"/"Jesus" ("Jesus" is simply the Greek form of the Hebrew name "Joshua"); "The Branch" is a title of the Christ (Isaiah 4:2-6, Jeremiah 33:14-17); and where it says "upon one stone shall be seven eyes" (Zechariah 3:9), even this is fulfilled by Jesus, the stone (cf. 1 Peter 2:7), who is at one point symbolically shown as having seven "eyes" (Revelation 5:6).

So it can be known with certainty that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (cf. John 20:31), because he perfectly fulfilled the Old Testament scriptures regarding Christ's first coming (Luke 24:44-48). And yet non-Christian Judaism still continues to deny all of this, just as it continues to deny the Trinity, because it lacks understanding of the Old Testament's teachings regarding Christ (2 Corinthians 3:14); just as before Christ came, no one at all could understood these teachings, because they were kept secret by God, hidden from everyone (Romans 16:25-26, cf. Luke 18:34). They were first revealed to the apostles by Christ himself after his resurrection (Luke 24:44-47, Galatians 1:12), and were then recorded in the New Testament.

---

If by "one Abrahamic Faith" you mean Islam, of course a Muslim can convert to Christianity, once he or she realizes that Islam is actually an anti-gospel religion, because, even though it affirms that Jesus is the Christ (e.g. Koran 4:157, Koran 5:17, Koran 5:75), it denies that Jesus Christ is the human/divine Son of God (Koran 9:30, Koran 4:171, Koran 5:72), and it denies that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins (Koran 4:157) and rose from the dead on the third day. In order to be saved, people have to believe the gospel that Jesus Christ is the human/divine Son of God (John 3:16,36, 1 John 2:23), and that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Luke 24:46-47, Matthew 20:19, Matthew 26:28).

The reason why it's necessary to believe these things in order to be saved is because it was only as the human/divine Son of God that Jesus Christ's suffering during his Passion could satisfy God the Father's justice (Isaiah 53:11), which requires an infinite amount of human suffering for sin (Matthew 25:46).

Jesus' suffering during his Passion was sufficient to forgive the sins of everyone (1 John 2:2) because Jesus isn't just a human, but also God (John 1:1,14, John 10:30, John 20:28): his soul is infinite, and so the suffering of his soul (Isaiah 53:11) was infinite in amount (even though it wasn't infinite in duration), and so his suffering could satisfy God the Father's justice (Isaiah 53:11).

Because humans who aren't God have finite souls, for them to suffer an infinite amount for their sins they must suffer over an infinite duration of time (Matthew 25:46, Revelation 14:10-11, Mark 9:46). Every human has sinned (Romans 3:23) except Jesus (Hebrews 4:15b, 2 Corinthians 5:21). But because Jesus suffered for sins (1 Peter 3:18, Isaiah 53:11b) an infinite amount, when the elect believe in Jesus' human/divine sacrifice they can have their past sins forgiven (Romans 3:25-26, Matthew 26:28) while God the Father's justice remains fully satisfied by Jesus' suffering for their sins (Isaiah 53:11).

One thing that can help Muslims understand how Jesus Christ can be God, from everlasting, is for them to consider the Muslim belief regarding the Koran. For Islam says that there was no time when the Koran didn't exist in a spiritual form in heaven, that it has always co-existed with Allah as his word. So all a Muslim needs to do is realize that the Bible says that before Jesus Christ's incarnation, there was no time when he didn't exist in a spiritual form in heaven; he has always co-existed with God the Father as God the Word (John 1:1,14).

 

[freeinnocentspirit]

Honestly i think my family are agnostic. The whole what religion am I very interesting to be since my uncle died in 2008 and then I ended up very sick in hospital (in 2010, thats where I was introduced to meditation and then Buddhism). I just felt back then that there was this desperate need to learn more about what I do believe in. I have wandering in to Buddhism and that was the quickest u-turn i've ever made

Thanks for the advice - I've read the Gospels but will do a second read, Im currently looking for a small bible study group. I did two visits to a church recently and found the whole experience really full on.

 

[1watchman]

As a good starter Bible study, I recommend WOTS -Word Of Truth Study, which is especially for new believers --an overview of the Bible. You can find it at BibleCounsel.homestead. com

 

[freeinnocentspirit]

As a good starter Bible study, I recommend WOTS -Word Of Truth Study, which is especially for new believers --an overview of the Bible. You can find it at BibleCounsel.homestead. com

thanks for the link - I cant Pm you for some reason (I was just going to thank you anyway!)

 

[parsley]

2Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is longsuffering towards us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.