A appreciate everyone's answers
I do feel a little overwhelmed about this journey and I'm yet to start with the Bible, apart from bits and stories read online
I'm a little conflicted but I guess it's just the part on the journey
Stumbling upon the video about mark of the beast really freaked me out im currently really set up on theories about that
God bless
I think end-times matters are important. There is a lot in the Bible about such things. The fact that there can be a lot of confusion about the end times says more about our abilities to complicate matters than about any confusion in the Bible.
The mark of the beast is not a trivial matter, but as someone who believes in the rapture of the church before the times of Israel's troubles will begin, it's not a matter that we who now believe need to worry much about, because we will be taken away before it becomes an issue for the world to deal with.
I do agree that becoming grounded in the basic doctrines of the Bible is important for someone who is new to the faith, or new to taking their faith seriously. Perhaps this passage in Romans would be a good place to start:
Romans 3
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for fall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
One of the most basic truths in the Bible is that we can't lift ourselves up to where God is. The things we do, the works we think are good works, are not good enough. But what we cannot earn by our own efforts, God offers to us as a gift, because of Christ's death for us. We have sinned and come short of God's glory, but Christ justifies us freely. Our sins are forgiven because of Christ, not because of any penance or suffering we might think we need to put ourselves through.
The big difference between Christianity and other religions in the world is this: in those other religions, man has to do some work to achieve whatever that religion considers good, but in Christianity, forgiveness of sins and eternal life are offered as gifts that cannot be earned by our own efforts.
Hope that helps.
