Why do you believe?

[Logan Phipps]

Hello everyone, I am a recent christian turned agnostic. (Please don't try to change my view points) but I would like to know why you believe what you believe? I personally let go of Christianity for many reasons, 1. because I am not intrested in following a god that has no business in helping me or trying to make me better, I have prayed,prayed, and prayed some more, but nothing not one speck of help from him. 2. I was happy when I was an unbeliever, and when I because a christian I was sad, depressed, anxiety ridden and ocd ridden all because if christianity, before this I was fine, but these past few months have been the worst of my life and after a year of faith, I am done. I have given up of the god of Christianity. 3. Too many rules, I have been troubled by soany rules in my life that I simply could not live without worrying about of I was sinning and I got sick of it ang gave it up. I still believe there could be a god, but that god is not knowable and not able to understand. I also do not believe in sin or salvation.

 

[dirtfarmer]

dirtfarmer here

I am a Christian because His Spirit witnesses to my spirit that I am a child of God, an heir and joint-heir with Christ his Son.

 

[Edward]

I believe because, even though I accepted the Lord when I was about 14 or so, I eventually grew up and got married so backslid for 26 years...then after she left, I was in a terrible auto accident and reached out to the Lord to save me...and He did. Then while in recovery for 4 months, I had plenty of time to reflect on what happened and conclude that the Lord was with me and saved my life. So I began getting serious about getting to know my Lord through reading His Word and praying.

This He rewarded me for with revelation and has since totally proven Himself to me. By speaking to me, answering my prayers, sending me dreams , Angels to help me, and allowing me to witness a few supernatural things, most of which I have posted testimonies about here in the testimony section. He takes care of me and teaches me. He came alive for me! It's awesome. He is an awesome God!

I didn't get to know Him on the mountain of prosperity. It was in the valley of the shadow of death.

Remember that. When you're in the valley of the shadow of death...cry out to Him for help... He'll come.

 

[turnorburn]

i believe Logan has left the building..

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Logan said: Hello everyone, I am a recent christian turned agnostic. (Please don't try to change my view points) but I would like to know why you believe what you believe? I personally let go of Christianity for many reasons, 1. because I am not intrested in following a god that has no business in helping me or trying to make me better, I have prayed,prayed, and prayed some more, but nothing not one speck of help from him. 2. I was happy when I was an unbeliever, and when I because a christian I was sad, depressed, anxiety ridden and ocd ridden all because if christianity, before this I was fine, but these past few months have been the worst of my life and after a year of faith, I am done. I have given up of the god of Christianity. 3. Too many rules, I have been troubled by soany rules in my life that I simply could not live without worrying about of I was sinning and I got sick of it ang gave it up. I still believe there could be a god, but that god is not knowable and not able to understand. I also do not believe in sin or salvation.

Walter and Debbie said: Just hopefully, and we will be in prayer, that Logan will return with his testimony later in life, we just wanted him to know that of the teachings that the bible offers with Christ unto the end. Matthew 24:12,13

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+24:12-13

 

[Jesus_Is_His_Name]

I believe because, even though I accepted the Lord when I was about 14 or so, I eventually grew up and got married so backslid for 26 years...then after she left, I was in a terrible auto accident and reached out to the Lord to save me...and He did. Then while in recovery for 4 months, I had plenty of time to reflect on what happened and conclude that the Lord was with me and saved my life. So I began getting serious about getting to know my Lord through reading His Word and praying.

This He rewarded me for with revelation and has since totally proven Himself to me. By speaking to me, answering my prayers, sending me dreams , Angels to help me, and allowing me to witness a few supernatural things, most of which I have posted testimonies about here in the testimony section. He takes care of me and teaches me. He came alive for me! It's awesome. He is an awesome God!

I didn't get to know Him on the mountain of prosperity. It was in the valley of the shadow of death.

Remember that. When you're in the valley of the shadow of death...cry out to Him for help... He'll come.

Amen and amen praise God

It is so much easier to take the easy way out, but the aftermath, is Destruction! No matter how intense the Red Sea becomes, that is where the true blessings lie!


Stay the course, and the Lord will see you through!
We are more than Conquerors through Christ Jesus!

 

[SHINY4UJESUS]

Brother, agnostic or not homie; we still love you! Man for me it's like the old verizon commercials, the ones with the guy in glasses asking: " Can you hear me now?" Well Father has given enough blatantly clear, "Can you hear me now?" moments. I am 35...wasn't Christian until 21. I spent years researching and trying everything out there; but none of them were more than an illusion to me. When God came into my life it was simply felt and known; things unexplained to the human mind occurred...literally miracles and confirmations unfolded before me. I would like to give you my full testimony brother; it explains some of these items in great detail. That testimony is a 4? 5? part series; incredibly detailed; in the testimony section. In any event..believing in God and having a sincere relationship are two different things. I think perhaps because I'm an "All in" kinda guy, the sincerity and passion I always send Father in waves of adoration have allowed a greater sensitivity to things of this nature. But I wasn't at this point all my life it took years of bad decisions, unhealthy lifestyles, and some suspect exes...LOL. Yet anyone can make claims; none of us are in position to grant immediate proof, or make up completely fabricated stories; but to believe or not to believe is still in your hands. The best evidence is something delivered directly from God. I pray in the name of Jesus, in like mind with every Christian witness everywhere, pray that Father would send you simply the warmth of His presence..if even for a moment. Even if you would never believe, I still pray that Father would break through the hurt...the damage done by pharisaic believers; all too quick with lofty glances and cold shoulders.Father, please simply let him see and know. In Jesus precious name I pray. AMEN!

 

[JPPT1974]

People will love you no matter what. That is what we do in the Christian community. As really did not really become a believer for real until 19. After thinking I was saved but was doing it to make my parents proud twice. At 10 and 16. But really at 19 felt saved. And really think that you need faith in Christ. To get you through the day. Really know the feeling of decisions. Not just believing but reading the Bible and praying and going to church!

 

[Edward]

People will love you no matter what. That is what we do in the Christian community. As really did not really become a believer for real until 19. After thinking I was saved but was doing it to make my parents proud twice. At 10 and 16. But really at 19 felt saved. And really think that you need faith in Christ. To get you through the day. Really know the feeling of decisions. Not just believing but reading the Bible and praying and going to church!

Amen, Brother :yes

 

[brother Paul]

Think about this...

Consider a person who lives life believing in and placing their hope in God. They live a life of purpose and joyful expectancy, with an assurance and security that exceeds the norm we can count on if we can only rely on self. They have joy and inner peace and their existence has significance. When they die in this body, let us imagine that they discovered there was no God. Well at least they lived with fullness and purpose and blessing here in this life. But alas, if they instead discover there indeed is a God they are now eternally blessed beyond their ability to imagine.

On the other hand, if they lived here choosing to never know God or believe in Him, then they consider themselves a random chemical coincidence then life really has no purpose. You being subject only to circumstance much of which is beyond your control, you have no hope. There is no actual security and right and wrong are merely agreed to assigned designations that can be broken according to the selfish whims of others because there is no actual meaningful consequence. Joy is only in receiving of pleasure. So this insignificant accidental occurrence of self, lives their life without real purpose, with no reliable hope, chasing pleasure, with no security outside of one’s ability to be the strongest or in some cases the meanest (lie your atheistic Hitlers and Stalins) and then dies and finds out there is no God. Then fine your puny life here was without purpose and hope and now forever there is darkness, but what if this one found themselves at the feet of a disappointed God? Then not only was life here most miserable and meaningless in an existentialist perspective but eternity is now doubly cursed.

So you see it is without doubt most advantageous to seek to know God, because knowing God allows you every possible gain with nothing to lose, whereas to not know Him you gain nothing and may possibly lose everything.

 

[Douglas Summers]

Think about this...

Consider a person who lives life believing in and placing their hope in God. They live a life of purpose and joyful expectancy, with an assurance and security that exceeds the norm we can count on if we can only rely on self. They have joy and inner peace and their existence has significance. When they die in this body, let us imagine that they discovered there was no God. Well at least they lived with fullness and purpose and blessing here in this life. But alas, if they instead discover there indeed is a God they are now eternally blessed beyond their ability to imagine.

On the other hand, if they lived here choosing to never know God or believe in Him, then they consider themselves a random chemical coincidence then life really has no purpose. You being subject only to circumstance much of which is beyond your control, you have no hope. There is no actual security and right and wrong are merely agreed to assigned designations that can be broken according to the selfish whims of others because there is no actual meaningful consequence. Joy is only in receiving of pleasure. So this insignificant accidental occurrence of self, lives their life without real purpose, with no reliable hope, chasing pleasure, with no security outside of one’s ability to be the strongest or in some cases the meanest (lie your atheistic Hitlers and Stalins) and then dies and finds out there is no God. Then fine your puny life here was without purpose and hope and now forever there is darkness, but what if this one found themselves at the feet of a disappointed God? Then not only was life here most miserable and meaningless in an existentialist perspective but eternity is now doubly cursed.

So you see it is without doubt most advantageous to seek to know God, because knowing God allows you every possible gain with nothing to lose, whereas to not know Him you gain nothing and may possibly lose everything.

Hi Paul, This is what you call the "just in case christian". They swear there ain't no heaven and pray there ain't no hell. But a born again believer is just that, Born Again! There is no doubt or hoping there is a God, but we walk in the assurance of His Spirit. The only thing that confuses a born again believer is, why others do not believe in God? With the witness of creation and it's wonderment as proof of His existence, that is purposely explained away by theories by the enemies of God.

 

[daninthelionsden]

For me it's real simple. As I witness the roaring river of life, I see so many being swept away in their sin. I see so very few clinging to the Rock. It would be so easy to just let go and be swept over the waterfall like the vast majority. Satan tells me to go ahead and let go and it'll be all right. I dare not.

 

[AGustOfWind]

Life's confusing. It's dark, and it's hard. I believe because I've had significant evidence presented before me, and seen enough to believe in a god. We all doubt God sometimes. It is human.
For me, God has helped me through a tough time, and is helping me through it now.

Not to mention, there are so many paths to take, so many different religions. Political ideologies, ideas, things to try, things to do. But if you can just push that all aside, the religious aspects, everything else. The petty stuff. You can see that Jesus is there waiting.

 

[Edward]

Hi Paul, This is what you call the "just in case christian". They swear there ain't no heaven and pray there ain't no hell. But a born again believer is just that, Born Again! There is no doubt or hoping there is a God, but we walk in the assurance of His Spirit. The only thing that confuses a born again believer is, why others do not believe in God? With the witness of creation and it's wonderment as proof of His existence, that is purposely explained away by theories by the enemies of God.

Well yeah, that's that, tree of the knowledge of good & evil speaking. Intellectualizing it, figgern' it out, lol!

 

[OzSpen]

Hello everyone, I am a recent christian turned agnostic. (Please don't try to change my view points) but I would like to know why you believe what you believe? I personally let go of Christianity for many reasons, 1. because I am not intrested in following a god that has no business in helping me or trying to make me better, I have prayed,prayed, and prayed some more, but nothing not one speck of help from him. 2. I was happy when I was an unbeliever, and when I because a christian I was sad, depressed, anxiety ridden and ocd ridden all because if christianity, before this I was fine, but these past few months have been the worst of my life and after a year of faith, I am done. I have given up of the god of Christianity. 3. Too many rules, I have been troubled by soany rules in my life that I simply could not live without worrying about of I was sinning and I got sick of it ang gave it up. I still believe there could be a god, but that god is not knowable and not able to understand. I also do not believe in sin or salvation.

Logan Phipps,

You ask: 'I would like to know why you believe what you believe'. To put it in basic terms, I was heading down the highway of life making my own decisions about god, sex and rock 'n roll. My world and life view was to do what I wanted when I wanted and it led me up many blind alleys of disappointment and disaster. When I followed Frank Sinatra's hit song, 'I did it my way', this is what happened:



By truth, I mean that which conforms with reality. Right and wrong were gone for me and I didn't know which way to turn for meaning in life. I needed some kind of foundation that was better than my fickle human reason.

Someone dared to share with me the truth about what would bring ultimate meaning to my life. Therefore, I entered this zone:



That truth ahead was in John 3:16 (ESV), 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life'. My life has never been the same again. My world and life view is based on the truth of God, his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit's ministry. That person adopted this theme:



As a result, I no longer have enough faith to be an atheist or agnostic. The evidence for the truth of God and Jesus is so extensive that I would be a fool to reject it.

My new world and life view enables me to understand:

• Why human beings do the awful things they do to one another;
• Why God allows pain and suffering (I have had 5 open-heart, valve replacement surgeries; I'm not immune from intense suffering);
• The content of God's good news;
• The framework for defending the faith in a hostile environment;
• Learning God's goals for my life and why he says, 'No', to some of my requests in prayer. The omnibenevolent, sovereign God of all wisdom knows what is best for me.
  
• An end is coming to this world's misery and existence at Jesus' second coming.

John 14:6 (ESV) confirms that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. I know that from experience.

Oz

 

[OzSpen]

Yes but why do you believe that?

Logan,

You haven't been seen on CFnet since 22 May. Where have you gone?

Oz

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Logan,

You haven't been seen on CFnet since 22 May. Where have you gone?

Oz

He's a troll
He came here to stir up doubt for the rest of the church, and that's all he had intended to do.

 

[Butch5]

Hello everyone, I am a recent christian turned agnostic. (Please don't try to change my view points) but I would like to know why you believe what you believe? I personally let go of Christianity for many reasons, 1. because I am not intrested in following a god that has no business in helping me or trying to make me better, I have prayed,prayed, and prayed some more, but nothing not one speck of help from him. 2. I was happy when I was an unbeliever, and when I because a christian I was sad, depressed, anxiety ridden and ocd ridden all because if christianity, before this I was fine, but these past few months have been the worst of my life and after a year of faith, I am done. I have given up of the god of Christianity. 3. Too many rules, I have been troubled by soany rules in my life that I simply could not live without worrying about of I was sinning and I got sick of it ang gave it up. I still believe there could be a god, but that god is not knowable and not able to understand. I also do not believe in sin or salvation.

Because of Prophecy. No human can predict the future. God, in the Scriptures, told of things He would do in the future and those things came about, sometimes hundreds of years later. Many of these things can be verified from secular history. One example is Cyrus. God foretold of Cyrus' coming and what he would do. What God said happened and can be verified from history.

 

[SeekTheTruth]

i believe Logan has left the building..

It does seem that way now.

 

[GodsGrace]

It does seem that way now.

It's still a great thread.

 

[SeekTheTruth]

It's still a great thread.

Feel bad for the OP.

There is no answer to the "why" in the normal sense people ask that. I've only skimmed through the posts, but people definitely appear to have touched upon the truth here. The truth is simply that election is true. That's a very terse way of putting it, but of course the implications are staggering and sobering.