Why Are You A Christian?

[Lambano]

Besides, as another member posted, John Calvin himself was a 4-pointer, believing in an unlimited atonement.

So there.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

The question is not "Why did you become a Christian," but "Why are you a Christian?"

Same answer. Why would you think anything would change, except for the process in Rom 8:28,29.

 

[quietthinker]

Why do i want to be a christian? Simple, i dont wanna goto hell.

There are far far better reasons Ll_s
.....knowing Jesus has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with admiration......for reasons the fearful know nothing of.

 

[Lifelong_sinner]

There are far far better reasons Ll_s
.....knowing Jesus has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with admiration......for reasons the fearful know nothing of.

can you elaborate on those reasons?

 

[quietthinker]

can you elaborate on those reasons?

For those who have seen it is like the shepherds on Bethlehems hills....you couldn't have held them back with a dozer from proclaiming what they saw. They saw and heard a proclamation which trumped anything they ever saw or heard.

Knowing is the result of an intimate connection......a connection all are invited into......but few take advantage of.

John 10:27-30
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

 

[Lifelong_sinner]

Well clearly i dont have that connection. God to me is fear.

 

[quietthinker]

Well clearly i dont have that connection. God to me is fear.

...and so you are called to a better understanding!

 

[Lifelong_sinner]

In all my research, my understanding seems to me, to be in order. God said believe or end up in hell. Dont have a lot of choices but to believe.

 

[Johann]

Hi Barney!
Sorry, did not vote as the real reason for my seeking God is not there.
Simply just wanted TRUTH! He has been such an enigma since I was a very young girl. A lifetime of wondering which is the TRUE God brought me into really seeking, reading, comparing different faiths and, Christianity simply screamed truth to me :)

Powerfully stated
Aleithia/truth is only to be found in Jesus and His written word, sealed with the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom AND the ability to understand what we read plus obedience.
Blessings
J.

“There are no crown-bearers in heaven
that were not cross-bearers here below.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon

 

[Nancy]

Powerfully stated
Aleithia/truth is only to be found in Jesus and His written word, sealed with the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom AND the ability to understand what we read plus obedience.
Blessings
J.

“There are no crown-bearers in heaven
that were not cross-bearers here below.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon

Yes! And, will we cast those crowns at Christ's feet when we enter into "eternity"
Obedience is so key.

 

[Raccoon1010]

Well clearly i dont have that connection. God to me is fear.

We fear God because he is almighty powerful. There's nothing wrong with that. I love God because he is an awesome person, much admiration for God.

 

[Johann]

Yes! And, will we cast those crowns at Christ's feet when we enter into "eternity"
Obedience is so key.

Lol!
Amen and amen
Blessings
J.

 

[Lifelong_sinner]

We fear God because he is almighty powerful. There's nothing wrong with that. I love God because he is an awesome person, much admiration for God.

i think the word that keeps popping up and confusing me is “admiration.” I dont think i would use that word to describe how i thought about God.
I would use words like, scary, terrifying, just, powerful, stern, or phrases like, dont look at Him, keep your distance, dont say anything.

 

[Raccoon1010]

i think the word that keeps popping up and confusing me is “admiration.” I dont think i would use that word to describe how i thought about God.
I would use words like, scary, terrifying, just, powerful, stern, or phrases like, dont look at Him, keep your distance, dont say anything.

The bible has many encounters with God and Angels. They often are very terrified. But the Angel or God always tells them not to fear. Not sure if that helps. But I still fear God but I also love him too.

 

[Lambano]

i think the word that keeps popping up and confusing me is “admiration.” I dont think i would use that word to describe how i thought about God.
I would use words like, scary, terrifying, just, powerful, stern, or phrases like, dont look at Him, keep your distance, dont say anything.

Would “Awe” and “Wonder” work better?

 

[BarneyFife]

i havent given Him reason to save me. You cant live a life of decadence and expect salvation just because you want Him to. Thats now how this thing works.

I'm really sure that is not how this thing works. He will save you for the very reason you think He won't. No one has ever been good enough to give Jesus a reason to save them. If you do not cast yourself at His feet and acknowledge that you are completely helpless and dependent upon Him to provide you with every jot and tittle of righteousness necessary to gain Heaven, His Sacrifice for you will have been in vain to you, but that's not gonna happen.

Majority of mankind will end up in hell, im just another number of those going there.

Never gonna happen, LS. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. If you've got plans to go to hell, you better hope I forget you 'cause I'm not havin' it. Neither is God. I've been knowin' Him. And I know people who are in the habit of getting prayers answered.

well, technically His death was only for the elect, otherwise if He had actually died for everyone, then no one would goto hell.
I agree that Him dying while we were still sinners showed His love for His elect. But if a person doesnt change after believing, then the Holy Spirit didnt take the wheel so to speak. Just because one asks Jesus to save them doesnt mean He actually did.

There's a difference between predestination and predetermination. Do you think God actually predetermined Lucifer to become proud and stir up all this mess we're in now? No way, Jose! Love has to be voluntary, otherwise it's tyranny. There's an amazingly intricate plan to eventually make the universe secure from the possibility of a 2nd rebellion. Jesus died for the unsaved as well as the saved. Otherwise, everyone who's destined to be lost would just expire at the very moment of their first selfish thought. Calvary is the Centerpiece of time, space, and matter. There's way more going on there than we can imagine. The God you perceive is just too small to save to the uttermost, like the one in the Bible.

If you've ever left your soul in Christ's keeping, He will keep you alive and keep knocking on the door of your heart until you are completely uninterested in Him, and even then He may still see a spark in you.

I could go on forever (and I probably will), but I've got to stop and see what I've missed while typing this and taking my wife to the doctor. So I'm gonna blast this off, but don't you go anywhere.

 

[Lifelong_sinner]

Would “Awe” and “Wonder” work better?

i like “Awe” yea, i like that because the fact that Jesus was on this planet for 30 some years, and despite satans best attempts, Jesus never sinned. That is amazing. I’d be happy if i could go an hour without sinning.

 

[Lambano]

In all my research, my understanding seems to me, to be in order. God said believe or end up in hell. Dont have a lot of choices but to believe.

I prefer to use “trust” rather than “believe” in defining “faith” in order to differentiate it from intellectual assent.

 

[quietthinker]

In all my research, my understanding seems to me, to be in order. God said believe or end up in hell. Dont have a lot of choices but to believe.

If you hold to the view that there is nothing better than how you currently see, it will be like that for you and you won't see even if it was handed to you on a plate.

 

[BarneyFife]

I prefer to use “trust” rather than “believe” in defining “faith” in order to differentiate it from intellectual assent.

Yeah, the devil has really done a number on our language over the last 100 or so years.

:)