Why Do You Believe?

[JohnDB]

I'm not saying that anybody doesn't...

But various aspects of the Stories mean more to some than others.

So Why?
What makes you believe in God?
What gives you faith?

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

I believe in God because He's been there for me. When I had called out to Him in self-sorrow, He gave me comfort. When I've prayed for something, many times He came through and answered the prayer. I believe in the bible to be from God, and part of His message because while reading the bible for the first time and many times after, it felt like the same kind of comfort and presence that God gave me when He helped me in some sorrow. As if at least some those times He was reading it with me, trying to help me grasp and understand His words. From that I believe in God and trust the bible.

 

[Wrg1405]

I first beleived when I watched the film Jesus of Nazereth. Not even sure why it was on because my mum was bought up a Muslim.

I asked her if I could go to Sunday School and surprisingly she said yes.

We moved a lot and it always happened that I got into another Sunday school/youth group. When I left home to go to college I was thrown out by the family that I was renting a room from after only being in there for a few weeks (father thought I fancied his daughter even though I didn't) they gave me 3 days notice. I had nowhere to go. Cut long story short I was given the address by the student union of a family that used to rent out rooms.

I knocked on the door and the husband asked if I could come back later to speak to his wife. When I did she said sorry but we are no longer renting the room. As she went to close the door she opened it again and asked if I would like a cup of tea to which I accepted.

After 5 minutes she said "God has told me to take you in" Turns out they went to a baptist church and the husband was a lead elder.

Seems to me when I beleived God has always been for me, even when I have wandered of the path he somehow restores this dumb sheep.

 

[reba]

I was raised knowing God... knowing He is real Knowing He cares about each of us etc..

Odd maybe but i still get goose bumps when reading/hearing folks talk of His personal care..

 

[Wrg1405]

I was raised knowing God... knowing He is real Knowing He cares about each of us etc..

Odd maybe but i still get goose bumps when reading/hearing folks talk of His personal care..

It makes my heart jump with joy when I hear what God has done in people's lives.
That's why I love baptisms.

 

[for_his_glory]

I believe because He saved me from myself when I was contemplating suicide years ago. I had what I like to call a Damascus road experience when I fell to the ground, literally, and poured my heart and soul out to Him. While I laid there I saw dark storm clouds flooding over me, engulfing me. All of a sudden the clouds were parted and the most beautiful brilliant warm comforting light came shinging through them and for the first time I literally heard the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to me. I knew then that God is very real and what He showed me as His plan for my life.

 

[LovethroughDove]

I heard/felt the words "He is my Son"........in that still small voice that people have talked about.

 

[Wrg1405]

I believe because He saved me from myself when I was contemplating suicide years ago. I had what I like to call a Damascus road experience when I fell to the ground, literally, and poured my heart and soul out to Him. While I laid there I saw dark storm clouds flooding over me, engulfing me. All of a sudden the clouds were parted and the most beautiful brilliant warm comforting light came shinging through them and for the first time I literally heard the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to me. I knew then that God is very real and what He showed me as His plan for my life.

Thank you Father.

 

[Born Again 2004]

I'm not saying that anybody doesn't...

But various aspects of the Stories mean more to some than others.

So Why?
What makes you believe in God?
What gives you faith?

I had everything but was empty. I told God what I was missing must be Christ and asked him to take charge of my life....He knocked, I opened and he came in...I have had faith ever since!

 

[Kidron]

-
Because i know how people really are..
And when i REALIZED Jesus..= there is no one like him, so, that was a part of how i came to trust Him.
After all, who will die for their enemies, while completely innocent of any crime, when they can be in Heaven instead having the host of heaven worship Them?
What kind of DIVINE LOVE gives all that up for me?????
What kind of divine love is it, that sends a Son, an only Son, to DIE ON A CROSS for the very worst of us all = EVEN if there was only ONE person left and this ONE person was the worst who ever was born on this earth?
So, i had to have that LOVE....i HAD TO HAVE THAT KIND OF LOVE, AS YOU CANT FIND THAT ON THIS EARTH, as it does not EXIST.
YOU HAVE TO GET IT FROM HEAVEN, because that is only where Divine Love like THAT, originates.

Also, i looked around and i saw that every year at the same time, it got cold, then it got SPRING, then it got Hot, then it got cold again, and i thought, hummm,..... "that just happens by accident, all this ORDER IN THE UNIVERSE"""????
And then i noticed all the pretty multicolored flowers, and i admired all the twinkling stars hanging above, and i looked at all the neon blue oceans and the purple mountain ranges and my heart was moved to JOY by this extreme beauty, and i realized...that only a human can even notice BEAUTY, as no dog or cat or lizard or rat has this "God Like" ABILITY to perceive beauty.
So, i looked in my bible and it told me that the One who created the universe and all the beauty in the universe, the one who did all this with color and light and sound had created me in "HIS Image" so that i could enjoy His beauty....and i thought...Thats the God for me., as the God for me wanted me to love and appreciate all the beauty He had created that is beautiful to Him, so he created me with the ability to "know" BEAUTY as He knows it.
So, that God is my kinda God, He is a living artist who paints the colors of life onto the canvas of the universe He "painted"... and then He created US in Him Image so that just like Him we are able to perceive all the beauty and wonder of His "Divine Art".



<K><

 

[Wrg1405]

I heard/felt the words "He is my Son"........in that still small voice that people have talked about.

John 17:23
I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

 

[Corn Pop]

I believe what I have not seen and the Gospel of Christ because it makes more sense than anything else this world has to say and the poison that comes out of peoples mouths. Its stable and sober.

 

[OzSpen]

I'm not saying that anybody doesn't...

But various aspects of the Stories mean more to some than others.

So Why?
What makes you believe in God?
What gives you faith?

I believe in God because of the evidence in creation and through revelation. However, the relational aspect is not accepted by my secular Aussie friends, so I have to begin with Rom 1:18-32 (ESV) and creation.

What gives me faith? God does through salvation (Eph 2:8-9 ESV; Rom 10:17 ESV).

Oz

 

[MSchultz]

I believe in God to experience the journey to Heaven.
There is written evidence within the Bible of God's existence that cannot be denied.
As a non-believer for many years, it is comforting in the knowledge that a piece of the jigsaw puzzle has been filled in.

 

[OzSpen]

I believe in God to experience the journey to Heaven.
There is written evidence within the Bible of God's existence that cannot be denied.
As a non-believer for many years, it is comforting in the knowledge that a piece of the jigsaw puzzle has been filled in.

To that some will say: You can't trust the Bible; it's a bunch of unreliable information and even contains fairy tales!

Therefore, in sharing the faith and beginning with the existence of God, I would not begin with the Bible in my secular society.

Oz

 

[Born Again 2004]

1 Corinthians 1:18
The power of God is found in his word!

 

[Wrg1405]

To that some will say: You can't trust the Bible; it's a bunch of unreliable information and even contains fairy tales!

Therefore, in sharing the faith and beginning with the existence of God, I would not begin with the Bible in my secular society.

Oz

Would be interested to know your approach

 

[Christ_empowered]

I think I mostly belive because of how Jesus changes individuals, from the inside out. I believe because of His work in my own life and because of the testimonies of other believers, plus everything else.

 

[OzSpen]

Would be interested to know your approach

I begin with one of the Brisbane newspapers, The Courier-Mail. How do we know that what the journalist wrote is correct about any contemporary event? Here I deal with: (1) Comments of eyewitnesses; (2) How to determine whether the eyewitness is telling the truth (this is what a judge tries to discern in court evidence).

However, the Bible is an ancient historical document. How does one determine the veracity or otherwise of any document from history? Amy Orr-Ewing, who is an apologist for RZIM (Ravi Zacharias Ministries) in the UK, has short videos on YouTube that cover some of this material from youth conferences called REBOOT. Listen to her presentation on 'Can You Trust the Bible?' See also, 'Can You Trust the Bible? Open Forum'.

Years before I knew of Amy's work, I was using this kind of material for the T.I.E.S. Test for biblical fidelity. See my brief articles:

Can you trust the Bible? Part 1
Can you trust the Bible? Part 2
Can you trust the Bible? Part 3
Can you trust the Bible? Part 4

However, my key to interaction is to listen to the objections of the person with whom I'm discussing the faith. Some are hard-headed atheists or sceptics and it's nigh impossible to crack them, hence the need of the 'S' of the TIES test.

I met an atheist on another forum with whom I had to deal with this issue, so this article grew out of that encounter: The Bible: fairy tale or history?

An Australian online journal currently is interested in my writing an article on this topic so I'll use some of this material.

I hope that gives you a starter to my approach.

Oz

 

[OzSpen]

I think I mostly belive because of how Jesus changes individuals, from the inside out. I believe because of His work in my own life and because of the testimonies of other believers, plus everything else.

CE,

The problem with subjective experience is that somebody else with a different subjective experience can proclaim a changed life, e.g. Islam changed my life; my encounter with the occult changed my life; etc.

I find it better to use subjective experience as the cream on the cake. Establishing the content of the cake is the better starting point. This includes establishing the existence of God (Heb 11:6 ESV), the trustworthiness of Scripture, the content and proclamation of the Gospel, and the receipt of the Gospel by faith (cream on the cake).

Oz