I’m a Christian missionary, an agnostic researcher, and an athiest professor
I met a good friend yesterday while here in Milton Keynes, England.
He has been reading my blog for almost 4 years.
Although we have never met face to face.
When I first met him he was a single man who was a missionary in Japan.
He is now a PHD student who has removed the label Christian from himself and feels more comfortable labeled agnostic in some circles and atheist in others.
I think all 3 labels are just that.
Labels.
I would label him as a questioner. But that not might be good enough for some churches to let him in.
After I left our great conversation I actually found lots of him inside of me.
Questioner. Doubter. Disturber.
Wondering things like why we take our Bible so literally until something supernatural happens and then are told to have faith.
Wondering things like why Jennifer Knapp is now unable to label herself as a Christ follower by so many of my acquaintances.
Wondering why I have such a freaking hard time praying and reading my Bible if that is the basis of all I stand on.
One thing I don’t wonder about is my supernatural.
Because I have seen evil face to face and seen my life turn because of what I would consider the Holy Spirit.
But seeing my friend and talking with him yesterday got my mind spinning.
Which I think is a good thing.
If we are not questioning, doubting, searching, and finding, then we are just existing and not accelerating in our relationship with Christ.
This might be a scary question, which some might not feel comfortable answering, so answer anonymously if you must.
What about your faith do you question?
What does not make sense?
Where do you get stumped?
I think it’s good to talk about these things and talking about these things does NOT make you any less a Christ follower.
I mean on the way and on the cross our Savior questioned multiple times His Father.
It did not change the truth.
So I ask…
What about your faith do you question?
What does not make sense?
Where do you get stumped?
What do those around you question that you cannot answer?
Los
RAIN IT DOWN
I usually get stumped at the times when I fall back on old crappy sins, which I ‘hoped’ was erased from my being by the blood of Christ. It usually takes me a little time to get over that, and then He just comes and blows me out the water again with something new, like yesterday, and I love those times.
That is awesome.
Thought provoking post, Carlos. I fight with prayer about like Quentin Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans in the Octagon. There’s tons of hype, but when it comes time to get down to it, it’s falls short of expectations. It’s probably because I look at prayer as more monologue than dialogue, but what’s to be expected, I don’t tend to listen well- to God or to others. That’s one of my struggles!
Dear Lord. I hope you just didn’t ruin the fight for me. lol.
What’s worse is I can’t even spell my own last name right in the comment form. Young.
Great thoughts, Los. God is sooooo much bigger than any box we try to put Him in. I’ll never be able to wrap my mind around Him on this side of heaven. Undoubtedly, doubt is part of His process in my life.
Yes it is.
Good questions. I agree that there remain many questions in my mind even though I have been a Christian since childhood. When I was younger, I took the Bible much more literally than I do now, although I still believe it’s inspired by God. I just question the intentions and interpretations of those who wrote the books and letters within it. I’ve seen too much of how many claim divine knowledge of what certain passages mean and say, while each person has a different interpretation. Who can we trust? People are just that… people. No one is perfect, those who interpret it now… and those who wrote the original manuscripts.
I guess the only way to be is to go with what feels right within, the things that encourage harmony, compassion and love. At least, that’s how I’ve tried to deal with my questions…
There’s lots of things I can’t answer about my faith. But if the grace of Christ is the biggest mystery, and it supercedes all others, I’m comfortable with that. That’s truly the mystery that outsiders should see and wonder about – grace pouring through us.
Do you ever wonder about others mystery?
I have wondered about the mysteries of interpretations and understandings of the Bible that contradicted my own, but honestly, I’ve never met someone of another faith who spoke with enough passion and conviction about their faith to make me wonder more about there’s and thus doubt my own …
Worry. That’s where I struggle. The times when I know I shouldn’t worry but I do are the times when I cry out to Him in despair the most, when I kick myself the most, when I doubt the most. If I could “turn off” worry, I think my relationship with God would be exponentially better.
Amen.
I often question the very existance of God. If were not for his tangable spirit I would be an Athiest. I can not deny my experiances with a bigger than life, active, and personal spirit.
I agree with that 100%. That is exactly how it is for me, ever since I was a little kid I have been questioning the very existence of a higher power. If it wasn’t for my own personal experiences and the things that I have seen, I would have walked away years ago.
No doubt I am a Christ follower most days. Where it all falls apart is all around issues of my identity. My very being is so often at odds with what the church allows for me, and even at my most comfortable with Him I feel so lefg out I want to chuck it all. I am thoroughly convinced I didn’t convert to a sexuality that includes only my own gender…it was part of the package that is me, but the labels “gay” and “Christian” are like two positive pole facing magnets. I get tired and can’t bear that pysical force and it starts to break down. Good news is He is strong enough to make it work.
dude, i am right there with you. we may never get the final answers until we get to Heaven but there is one thing we can be sure of, God loves us, and sexuality is just another thing that the church needs to understand is a personal matter of acceptance and understanding between us and our Creator. whether God has allowed us to like dudes as a form of a test or it is a God-given natural variance, we must know that our Savior can redeem any situation. we just have to have complete trust. it’s hard when all sides have claimed to have found a true freedom and peace is the number of routes taken in response to their sexuality, but we have to-like all things-talk to God about it. and you are so right, God is strong enough to make all things work together for our good.
*** we have to-like all things-talk to God about it and follow where He leads us
I know it’s not on topic, but it’s frustrating when people who are simply trying to be faithful to God’s word are portrayed as not allowing others to worship. The issue with Jennifer Knapp is repentant vs unrepentant. I am a jacked up sinner that needs a savior. That’s what qualifies me to be in the church.
I position myself under the authority of God’s word. It condemns me as a sinner, and offers a savior. To position myself above God’s word and say that I only believe the parts that are comfortable to me means I am incapable of submitting to it.
Only people who submit to God being smarter than them are really worshipping. To show up at church and affirm that God is as progressive and tolerant as you are is the worst kind of idolatry.
Yeah, I’m uncomfortable when I read parts of the Bible. This side of heaven I’ll never understand why he commanded genocide at times. But it’s comforting to allow him to be the one in charge of justice.
So she can’t be a Christ follower?
An unrepentant Christ follower is at best a temporary condition. He’s either right and you follow him, or you are right and you follow you.
Repentance is the mark of a Christian.
Can you unrepentantly follow Christ?
I’m not suggesting we ostracize or marginalize or seek to label homosexuals. But I am suggesting we treat them like we would anyone who is unrepentant in the face of God’s clear word. We love them. We refuse to excuse their sin (or ours) and we point them to Jesus.
And, to be clear, I am not more interested in labeling her than loving her. I can’t imagine my sin being publicly discussed on a blog by people who’ve never met me.
I don’t know her.
I’ve spent more than 10 years now reading and studying the Bible, though. And while there are many places where God’s word is unclear, confusing, and offensive to me, I’ve yet to find a point at which the Bible is wrong and I am right. I am content to let God be right every time. I’ve also found no point at which the Bible urges me to point fingers and call names, or make other folks’ sin worse than my own. So that’s not my heart with homosexuality.
But I hate how the conversation is framed as nice, open, tolerant homosexual vs. mean-spirited, closed minded, bigoted Christian. It ought to be framed as homosexual who is exalting their (and their culture’s) opinions over the revealed word of God vs. Christian who refuses to insist that they know better than Jesus.
Sadly, though, we’ve got idiots like Fred Phelps helping to cast us in the bigot role.
Yes. Yes.
Absolutely agree.
Whether she can be a “Christ follower” is decidedly the wrong question. There will be many who follow Christ in the sense of associating with him, doing works in his name, etc., yet in the end will hear Jesus say, “Depart from me. I never knew you.”
The better question is how the church is to respond to those who claim to be Christ followers yet refuse to repent from sin. On that, the Bible is pretty clear. We’re to lovingly confront them about their sin, and if they still refuse to repent, we’re to break fellowship. We do so in the hope that they will come to their senses and turn from their sin. Indeed, we do so knowing that any true “Christ follower” (i.e., those with a saving faith in Jesus) eventually will turn and thereby prove that their faith is real.
I totally agree, Shawn. I’d clarify that what you mean by “break fellowship” isn’t “kick them out of the church.” It means not giving unrepentant homosexuals positions of leadership and authority, and treating them like an unbeliever. We treat unbelievers like we want them to come to repentance.
And there are a few more steps in Matthew 18 between “confront” and “break fellowship,” like taking a friend, and then taking an elder, and genuinely pleading with them to join you in repentance of sin. All of it is to be done with an attitude and desire of concern and love. There’s no finger-wagging and hellfire picketing.
I question many things in my faith these days. It’s one of the reasons I’m at such an awesome seminary where I get to explore my questions.
Your post comes at a good time — last night at Church I was naming my current biggest question of all: where does Jesus get off asking me to love my enemy? Because what He’s asking me to do is too difficult for words. He’s asking me to love the commenters in this thread, to stand with my brothers and sisters in Christ even though they deny me the same right.
I get the gospel being for the marginalized. It’s for my LGBTQIA brothers/sisters/others (and God have mercy when the church starts having the conversation about Transgender/Transsexualism and Intersex), it’s for the homeless community outside my door, for the prostitutes AND the johns in the no-tell motels up and down Aurora (I’m keeping it in the context of Seattle as a reminder to myself to love my immediate community, but it is for the marginalized throughout the world). I get that. It’s the gospel being for all people that I have a hard time with, it’s the gospel being for people who use the gospel to be exclusive – no matter how it is justified – that makes it hard for me to follow Christ. Following Him is hard when there’s a cost to the kind of love he calls me to.
My expectation is that this post will be met with defensiveness; more justification/exegesis/reasoning behind excluding homosexuality, even though good arguments have already been made here. I read them. I’ve read them all. My hope is that my brothers and sisters in Christ would want to hear and engage my story. Goodness knows I want to hear theirs — it’s why I still read blogs like yours Los and still peruse the comments. But I write this, knowing it probably won’t be received well, because I am following my savior who tells me that the Gospel is for all and that He knows my story and loves me. I’m pressing the ‘submit comment’ button to say I love every person in this thread and would take a bullet for them because they are a cherished child of God. You have a gay brother in Christ – you may not like how that sounds but it’s the truth. I love you.
You’re right in saying that I think the gospel isn’t for everybody. Where you are wrong is that I think it is exclusive based on gender/sexuality/gender identity. The only people the gospel – the free exchange of God’s righteousness for our sin – is not for are those who don’t think they need it. The gospel is exclusively for people who agree with God concerning their sin, and agree to submit to God and repent of sin.
This comment thread is not the place for it, Jonathan, but I’d love to discuss more in depth how you think I am denying you the right to stand with me. You are again reframing the conversation in light of me being exclusive, instead of in light of God and his word. Because painting me in broad strokes where I am denying you rights is easier. I am not denying you anything. I’m holding out grace and mercy to you in the name of Jesus Christ. You are clinging too tightly to your sin to take hold of what I am offering.
You are welcomed to stand with me. My platform is desperate sinner, in need of redemption, whose only hope is God and his word. All of it.
Yay – another person who agrees that comment threads are a horrid place for a lengthy discussion. I’ll send you an email
Ben, we need to have coffee again.
I got your back in every direction on this.
I get stumped on my heart. I don’t understand how in the depths of my heart all I am is evil… and yet the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit has regenerated my heart and I am a “new creation. Old things have passed away and all things have become new”. And yet with everything I do… even if it is a good “spiritual” thing… in the depths of my heart there is pride… religious hypocrisy etc…
Robbie, You’ve summed it up perfectly with my struggles on a day to day basis. I have often said that the only thing that I can truly ‘succeed’ in, or do right is grace- beause it is nothing of my own doing and is all for God’s glory and not mine.
Amen a million times over. My prayers for all who follow Christ is that the reality of what He says in John 15:5 would become more real to us with each passing day….”Apart from Me you can do NOTHING…”
It is only by the power of His Spirit alive inside of us that we are capable of doing anything that will last in His kingdom.
Let us take heart in 1 John 5:4-5…. “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
It is our faith that moves mountains, and how awesomely humbling to know that even that is something we could not have on our own. “It is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
The recognition of our incapability to do any good on our own can either be humiliating, or utterly liberating….humiliating if we choose to be prideful; liberating if we choose to embrace the joy of giving literally ALL the glory to HIM, every last ounce of it.
Recently, I decided to go after my own relationship with God. I’ve been a believer most of my life. My beliefs however, were mostly what I was taught and told to believe. Which was fine initially, but when I started asking questions about the instructions and beliefs I had been taught, the answers of men didn’t satisfy the thirsting in my soul. I began my quest to find the answers for myself. I have to say its been hard, but mostly its been rewarding…more importantly I am learning things I had not known before. I am finding that the God of my religious upbringing isn’t just what I was taught. He is so much more than I ever knew or dreamed possible. In my search to find out who God really is, I found the relationship He had wanted with me all along.
We forget that our flesh wants one thing and our Spirit wants another. Our flesh wants to be free to lie, to free to kill with words, free to be lazy, free to judge, free to hook up with whom-ever, and most of all free from ALL authority and any notion of control.
The Spirit wants to be free from all of the above, and to be at peace. Sadly this will never happen (completely) on this side of eternity. The two are at war with each other.
This war is fueled by doubt, and is won by Trust..complete trust in Jesus Christ.
I have to remind myself of this often.
I just want to clarify that I understand that that as the truth… it just kind of baffles my mind how there can be these paradoxes in scripture. but here is the thing that confuses me. According to Romans 6 I am free from my bondage and slavery to sin. In fact, it says that I am a slave to righteousness. And then in chapter 7 it talks about our struggle with sin. I thank God for the promise in Romans 8 of our future glorification where we will no longer have this struggle within us!
Love the post. That sort of thought-stream is where I’ve been lately. It started with an amazing concert with two of my favorite artists, Jennifer Knapp and Derek Webb, as well as Amy Courts, who within one song had found her place in my heart as well. It was just such an eye-opening experience. Jennifer had not come out yet, but the crowd was just different from the other concerts I’ve been to, which is usually the more “Christianese” ones. And of course I knew Derek Webb’s songs would be very thought-provoking. I left that concert with new thoughts on the concept of grace and justice… and all that has led to where I am now… about to step out of my comfort zone in church and try to start a food ministry for the needy and homeless in my area.
What about your faith do you question?
Everything. Absolutely everything.
What does not make sense?
Just had this convo w/ my wife yesterday….
Nothing in makes sense to me right now.
Where do you get stumped?
Purpose. Why am I here? And if there is a “reason” – why does God seem to want to hide it from me?
I have SO MANY questions. doubts. wavering faith moments.
Every week, I go to one of the slums here in Costa Rica, and I play with kids. And every week, when they climb all over me, reeking of urine, and nursing burns and bruises from abuse and neglect, and I watch them eat like they’ve never eaten before (once I watched a girl eat a banana peel) and when they leave they have to hop over a stream of shit that runs down mainstreet past all the little tin shacks…
And every week I wonder about how God chooses. Or if he chooses at all. Who will be born into a life of privilege and who will be born into a life of desperate poverty. And Why?
And then I wonder why He continues to allow the Church to be such an embarrassing representation of the bride of Christ.
And I have A LOT of questions about the whole “Gay” debate. Since I have so many dear friends that would really love to be both in an intimate, loving relationship with God, and also another human being…
I just have trouble reconciling it all… and being satisfied with the answers…. I guess. *sigh*…..
And yes. I really am a missionary. :\
…and not the very worst one
<3 My heart resonates with my cry. I am so thankful for your presence, so thankful that you let children reeking of urine crawl over you. Keep struggling. Keep loving. Your love is beautiful.
*My heart resonates with YOUR cry.
That was a great post, have alot of the same frustrations right now.
My wife follows your blog, only reason i know who you are. Thank you for your heart and honesty, know that one person is being blessed because of it.
The question you asked was, What do those around you question that you cannot answer?
Just last week, “Why do drunken fathers beat their children? Why does a powerful God allow that? Why does He allow them to be fathers in the first place?”
Why do some mothers abandon their children?
If God is who He says He is, why does He allow so much suffering, especially among the youngest and most innocent?
I have (in most ways) just accepted that He is God; there will always be things we don’t understand…it will always be part of the mystery.
It would be less than honest, however, not to say that my heart breaks for the 15 year old boy who is, right now, in that situation…seriously beaten by his own father…and it’s not the first time…it would be less than honest if I didn’t admit that I did — just last week — ask the question of God my Father yet again…”why would You even let that guy be a father? why would You trust such a precious gift to someone who is going to spend his anger and his addiction to do so much damage to someone so innocent?”
These are the kind of conversations about faith that happen among people who grew up in the faith that I find surprising. The Bible is filled with people who wrestled, questioned, doubted, sinned, were on the wagon, off the wagon, sleeping around, etc. who are cast as having finished well. The paradox of my faith is that I never question it and always question it concurrently. My faith in this trinitarian Father, Son and Spirit is consistent – even when I am confused, betrayed, depressed, pissed off, etc. My faith in my own ability to understand what is written in the Bible and how it relates to my relationship with God, others and myself is questionable – which is why I know that I will spend the rest of my life working out my faith. By submitting to the process, getting comfortable with uncertainty and welcoming the journey into the unknown, I am not bothered by living in this tension. In fact, it can be pretty exciting…
God bless you. Thanks for sharing.
Well said. Risky Curiosity.
I believe that wrestling with doubt is a fundamental part of our humanity. Left to our own devices, we have a hard time trusting anyone or anything, much less someone that requires as much faith as God. One of the authors I teach from time to time writes about how faith has no purpose apart from doubt. There is a grain of truth in that, I suppose. But while I think a lack of belief and trust is basic to our human nature (even though we really want both!), to embrace doubt and ambiguity as the most authentic expressions of faith has its limits. The most difficult question for me to answer is ‘how do you know that Christ is the only way?’ The answer falls short for those who can’t believe it: I know only because of faith. How can you say that the Bible is authoritative and not just about a general sense of ‘love’? It must be faith. But I don’t mean this in a flippant way. Spurgeon writes about how every bit of our relationship with God is a grace…faith included. The truth is that I can’t talk myself into taking the leap to believe that Jesus is the Christ, God himself. That’s a work that God has to do in a person. Doubt is fine. But it’s also all right to believe more than you doubt. Who can be a Christ follower? I suppose that’s up to Christ himself. I’m a horrible judge of that. He takes us with all our junk. But I think it’s safe to say that one must follow to be a follower, which is more than embracing the general sense of human love that is inscribed in the golden rule. Here’s a great song from Red Mountain Music, “Decide this doubt for me”: http://www.redmountainchurch.org/rmm/b-sides/mp3/03_Decide_This_Doubt_For_Me_(281).mp3
my husband taught high-school this past year and encouraged doubt in his religion classes. It was not well-received. Instead of fostering an environment where doubt could lead to faith, the suggested resolution was to “edit scripture” so that the passages in question causing the doubt and struggle “would not be so offensive.” My husband is not teaching there next year thank GOD!
I question sometimes, how to love my dad and his partner of 32 years better. My dad has a lot of doubt. When he doubts, it causes him to search. How do I – as a Christ follower – walk with him through those questions? How do I explain repentance and salvation (re: BenandJacq above)? Does my dad know Christ in God? And if God is God… and God’s way is perfect (ps 18.30)… then having a gay dad is part of the plan… but the church doesn’t seem to think so, so how do I work all this stuff out?
hmmm… thinking outloud
I love your questioning and your desire to love your dad well. Blessings to you in the journey
I question His interest in me at all.
When we are fully consumed by our circumstances that can happen–mentally, emotionally, physically. I used to be there. Thankfully, I’m no longer there. Keep talkin’ to Him. He hears you.
I get confused on why relationships and friendships seem so important in Christianity but every single one of my friends has left me all my life. Why would God give me such a strong desire to be with people and to have friendships and to share love but leave me friendless and alone? I’ve made some big decisions and followed God where he has lead me, but I’ve never felt so alone in my entire life. It doesn’t make sense. My prayer is to find complete joy in Christ but I just don’t have that same desire in my heart to seek him after everything.
Hmm, good thought provoker Los.
I know the one thing I do not doubt is God’s existence. I see so much “coincidence” in the theory of evolution & the Big Bang, just kinda hard for me to ignore. However, I do doubt sometimes the literal interpretation of Genesis, where God literally made out of dirt n’ such. Not sure if its supposed to be a metaphor, or some sort of hybrid between the two theories. I dunno.
Another thing, a lot of the Old Testament stuff, like God having people killed, and seemingly rejecting sinner somewhat contradicts the New Testament, where Jesus reaches out and sympathizes with sinners. God is supposed to be constant, but this part just confuses me.
And lastly, just who God is. It seems like I only have a partial concept of Him, like I can’t really grasp Him fully. But day by day, He continues to reveal Himself to me, so I’m thankful for that.
You should come take the Old Testament class here: http://www.mhgs.edu
well, the longer i label myself as ‘a christian’ the more doubts i have. and my biggest question (besides the personal ones) is about the gospel- why did it all even happen? god created us and the whole world, he knew everything so he knew we would sin, but he wanted to be a hero and save us. i dunno, maybe it’s just me, but even in law an arsonist that puts out a fire is still an arsonist, not a hero…
and the other thing i struggle with is jesus. what people say about him kind of doesnt go together with the bible. what;s the relationship between the father and the son? like jesus prayed, and it is written thet even the son does not know when the world is going to end, yet jesus claimed unity of him and the father. the whole trinity thing is just far beyond my understanding.
maybe it doesnt make any sense to anyone else, but it’s been a really long time since i’ve prayed to understand, or at least not to care about these things that much. i’ve never heard any preacher teach about that stuff.
one more thing i’ve forgotten to mention. if god is really enough and even more then we could ever ask for, then why is it so hard to accept it? preachers first teach to nonbelievers that you cannot have true peace and happiness without christ, then believers are blamed if god doesn’t seem to be enough for them and they search furter. so how is it really? if his grace is enough, then why does it work only as long as you make yourself believe that? how is it different then any other way of pursuit of happiness?
Gisele,
My amazing pastor Mike Erre just did an entire sermon on understanding the trinity. It is part of our “God Is…” series. Sunday’s message was “God Is Trinity”. I would also highly recommend the “God Is Angry” and “God Is Creator” messages. Super good.
Here is the link if you want to take a listen
http://rockharbor.org/resources/messages/index.php?series=God+Is...
It’s a hard topic to wrap the head around, but I do feel I grasp it better now.
Okay, I don’t know if that link is working right, so I am attaching the message archives link. You will just have to click on the “God Is…” series and then to the individual messages.
http://www.rockharbor.org/resources/messages/
thank you jessica
Hey, it was good to meet up last night: enjoyed the conversation too.
Although I agree that all these things are just labels, I think we use the labels to help the people we’re talking to understand us. I agree with the label of questioner, but as someone who doesn’t believe in God, a god, or gods, I think the label ‘atheist’ is okay for now, provided that it is understood by the person hearing it.
I appreciate the conversation around the questions and any honest attempt to solve the problem. I think we are all trying to do that, in different ways.
Hey Stephen
Really interesting to read your post at your blog on the same meet up.
J
something that i wrestle with and just don’t understand is, Malachi 1:2-3, ‘I have loved you,’” says the LORD. But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ ‘Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ the LORD says. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated,
why did the Lord hate Esau? why did the Lord love Jacob?
I am a Christian, by the grace of God, but Christianity is so hard for me and when I think about it too much it makes my mind spin and makes me not want to question ever again.
Biggest problem right now…
How is ETERNITY in hell a fair punishment? I don’t like it when preachers say “we deserve the full wrath of God because He is holy…” honestly, I’m having a real tough time wrapping my mind around the idea that we deserve eternal punishment for our sins committed on this earth…
Just don’t get it.
I was thinking about this yesterday. How Jesus calls us to love unconditionally, to turn the other cheek, but that doesn’t seme to be how God treats his enemies.
I have a hard time with “God is love” only if you fall in line.
I wish there were another word for someone who believes in Jesus besides “Christian”. That word means something that I’m tired of defending.
……no, I don’t hate gay people.
……no, I don’t hate immigrants.
……no, I don’t want to “take my country back” to
the 1950′s and Jim Crow laws.
“Christians” as a whole have really jacked up the world around them for centuries….I prefer to think of myself as a Christ Follower…trying every day to follow him, follow his example, follow his grace and compassion for those around him. Most days I don’t even come close to where I want to be, but every morning I get another chance to get it right….
Why, if I truly believe Jesus is the only way to be saved from an eternity in hell, do I shy away from sharing Him with others? Why is my fear of rejection and ridicule so big?
It is great to ask these questions – without them we live in denial and self-deception. By voicing the question it starts the search for a resolution. Praying that God will reveal truth to everyone here as we work things through.
At this time, the only thing I feel sure of here is non judgemental love. And actually, showing that grace is the easiest, most natural thing in the world. I love gays with all my heart, and I wish I had more of them as friends.
I just hope I’m never running a church when a really hard working, God focused, and thoroughly lovely gay person wants to join the leadership team.
Playfully: I hope you are running a church when that gay person wants to join leadership! It’ll stretch your faith and ability as a leader in ways unimaginable. You’ll be able to say, “I worked out my salvation with fear and trembling” because it will not be easy.
Blessings to you.
I am a quarter Japanese. My dad is half and his mother (my grandmother) was 100% Japanese. She met my grandfather during WW II.
She grew up never hearing about Christ. She was a devoted Buddhist. When I reflect back on her life, I see more devotion to prayer, loyalty, kindness, generosity, love, patience…..then I will ever display in my own life as a Christ follower (talk about a nice Monday morning self reflection).
For a really long time I felt like I had “missed my chance” to “evangelize” her. But honestly, the more I think about it, I can’t help but wonder if she was the one evangelizing me….
Today I struggle with “no one comes to the Father except through me.” What happens to her?
Gooooooood one!!! Yeah- I don’t understand why WE are the ones that have been plucked out of the masses. I am GRATEFUL- but WHY ME? Why not Aaron’s grandmother? Why not Pocahontas?
Pocohontas = comes from a stream of thought I had yesterday where I was thinking about the Native Americans and how they worshiped the trees…nature. I can’t help but think that they were experiencing the majesty of God in the same overwhelming way I do when I look at creation. (You know – when everything has a rainbow around it and you can’t do anything but stand in awe and joyfully praise our Creator).
So I was thinking that they must have been experiencing the God as well – but they never had the chance to learn about the Good News and that it was by Jesus’ death that the Holy Spirit was made available to live in them.
Anyway- I feel like it’s not fair and I keep trying to figure out if there is somewhere in the Bible where people who never heard will be given a chance.
(And to compound this- why was I given MANY chances and they get none (or like people in other religions- they may HEAR of Christ- but they aren’t given the opportunity to KNOW Him.)
It just doesn’t seem fair.
Romans 1:20 – “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”
How the process works of Native Americans, or anyone that hasn’t heard the gospel, coming to know God through nature is probably not a question that can be answered. Whether or not the Native Americans realized the beauty of creation was God and whether they were worshiping God or a “nature” god (i.e. the trees) is also not answerable.
I do feel however that this verse makes it clear that God and His divinity are made evident in things such as nature, so they might know him.
Thanks Danny!
It took God completely jerking my entire life I thought I had built up away for me to get it…that He loves me and all of these things that have happened to me in the past were in preparation to build the person He wanted me to be. I still struggle because I go through a question cycle. Bad things happen and I ask Why. I worry. I struggle with faith. Then time passes and God opens my eyes and I understand. I see how it’s all connected and used for His purpose and not mine. Sometimes it takes just a few days to understand, other times it has taken many years. But, then something else will happen again and I fall right back into it. Instead of remembering how faithful He has been to me and all of the lessons I’ve learned through the trials, I fall back into worry and trying to control it myself. The hardest thing about Christianity to me is to completely lose control and fall into it.
Yesterday at church, my pastor presented the gospel as a reminder to us believers. One of his main points was that everything in the Bible points to Jesus Christ. I started wondering, “How do we know that the Bible is God’s word?” And what about people who don’t believe in the Bible who were at that service? Wouldn’t the whole message be a moot point to them?
I question the inerrancy of scripture. I question if God could really send people to the “hell” that I hear people tell me about. I question if it is ok to question these things.
For what it’s worth, I think it’s okay – in fact, good – to question these things! =D
I agree with Jonathan. Totally OK to question. Read some good books. I’d recommend the book Inerrancy edited by Norman Geisler. It’s a real heady book, but it presents a compelling case for inerrancy.
So many folks walk away from inerrancy before they even understand it. It’s a difficult doctrine, but the other option is a God who can’t authoritatively speak into your life. That’s a tougher pill to swallow.
Mm, since we’re recommending, check out How Can The Bible Be Authoritative by N.T. Wright. A compelling read. I would say in response to Ben that it offers another option that is refreshing and has given me a lot of meaning and hope.
Sorry forgot the link: http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Bible_Authoritative.htm
i question why i’m called to love a Church that says that i don’t belong, that i cannot be a follower of Christ. i question why my love has destroyed my relationship with my brother and caused my family to divide. how someone in seminary can be so full of hate that they would cut themselves off from anyone who disagrees with what they believe. i question why anyone would translate the Bible to condemn one person over another for no reason. i question why we overlook the real sins of Sodom and Gomorrah or the presence of eunuchs (and how they were trusted). i question the gender roles displayed throughout the Chruch’s history and if we haven’t interpreted the word to reinforce those and other beliefs. i question why the Church has become so political and so willing to remove other’s rights because they don’t fit into their morals but should we remove the Church’s rights that don’t fit into the secular morals everyone would throw a hissy fit.
I don’t question my faith. I have a strong and living faith. I know God is real. I live to worship him, everyday. What I doubt is people who talk like prosecuting attorneys, judges or juries of others. Who are we are we to decide whose a Christ follower or not? And Jesus talked about it with John or Peter. One or both were ready to destroy an entire village “for Jesus” because the village didn’t believe. “Do you want us to call down fire and brimstone, Lord?) and Jesus is like, “Ummm, No Pete, I didn’t come to do that, man.” Don’t you just love Jesus? He’s so cool. So, I’m questioning the use of bible verses as weapons. Yikes. It took me a long time to come to my senses. I was soooo lost. If I had met the “repent NOW, RIGHT NOW” guy, it wouldn’t have made any difference. Love saved me. Not hate.
“Loved saved me. Not hate.” AMEN
I doubt what God really wants me to do in my community. I feel like my church is an over glorified country club and people are more worried about a budget, rather than trying to find lost souls in poor town. I worry about how the church has turned into the church that Jesus did not want to be a part of. It frustrates the heck out of me that people can use God’s name for their personal agenda. I am in no way shape or form perfect, but Gods grace must be so amazing that He would let all of of that happen. Damn I am confused! Does this make sense to anybody else?
I question whether we have narrowed down the true message of Jesus to fit our needs. To truly follow Christ requires much more of each of us than what many of us do. Truly following him to the extent that we should in many cases may require us to do things that may seem crazy by society’s standards. We seem to pick what is comforatable to us instead of stretching ourselves to find him. What a wonderful and fulfilling life it would be to look at his message as a whole and try to live every bit of his message.
The only book besides the Bible to literally change my life: “Searching for God Knows What” by Donald Miller
I have questions: but I believe the questions keep me from the intimacy that Christ desires. Just like a husband who doesn’t trust his wife cannot experience true intimacy with her, so do I believe that questioning (not trusting) Christ keeps us from intimacy with Him. There are things about God that we may never understand…dwelling on them will only build a wall between us and Christ. We must acknowledge that questions exist, but say “OK God, I don’t get it! But I trust that you know what you’re doing and I will follow you.”
We spend so much time trying to get God into our box. We have a picture of what we want Him to be…and our society tells us to question everything and that we are responsible only to ourselves. But God tells us that we will one day answer for the way we have lived. He is a loving and perfect father, and that means He is just. That sucks because I am not perfect, but I can’t change God to justify my sin. People only want the loving God…it doesn’t work that way…the just God is part of the package, it’s WHO HE IS!!
Many people want God, but they want Him on their terms. I struggle with following Him day in and day out, but what good does it do to spend my time constantly focused on questions I do not know the answers to? I’m not a theologian, I’m not a philosopher, I’m not a scholar… I am never going to be able to answer some of the questions I have, but I do not think God desires that from us. He desires for us to “take up [our] cross and follow [Him]“.
I agree with what you’re saying but then, I do have questions and I keep getting this song in my head by Carmen, “Come now, and let us reason together, come now, we can talk it over….” I’m thinkin’ God’s not frazzled by our questions and doubts and so we shouldn’t be either. I do believe that there’s mystery in faith, but still…I like reasoning together with my Heavenly Father. I also believe and read that Jesus taught his disciples, which means that he wasn’t like a dictator who demanded compliance without understanding.
Sue, thank you for your comment. I do think there is great value in seeking to understand and to gain knowledge, but not if it interferes with our relationship with Christ. My biggest question: why do so many people try to make a relationship with Christ much more dificult than it needs to be? There is no secret formula to be figured out. God does not command or ask us to spend our days figuring it all out…he wants us to love Him back.
I found myself recently asking God to prove Himself wrong. To either strike me dead or not be the God I have learned Him to be. I wondered how I could pray a prayer for 17 years that lines up with the will of God, the Word of God and have things go the complete opposite. How could God do this? How could he allow this to happen? He says we can ask in His name? I found myself sitting alone one day asking God to not be who He says He is because if He is not who that is then I could move on and explain my life’s circumstances through another way or god or whatever. Fortuneatly I have too much of a road travelled with Him to not believe but I question He ways, His timing, His calendar. Why am I now at the age of 35 going to be a grandmother? I prayed for 17 years that my son would not have sex before marriage, remain pure, to have a heart for God and the things of God… So lately I have questioned my faith and the part of it that makes no sence at all.
Questioning is good because answers bring peace, understanding and a deeper relationship with my Saviour.
I question why the church is not fighting back against the pressure for pastors & leaders in the church to be “perfect”. I question why only the IDEA of authenticity is embraced, while the actual practice of it is discouraged at best.
One of the things I question alot is healing. Not that it happens, but why it doesn’t happen more now, which really is kind of questioning the way faith works at times. It’s something I’ve been thinking about alot… But I’ve come to terms with the fact that God is a mysterious God and I’m not going to and I’m not supposed to understand everything about the ways in which He works.
I am currently a missionary in Latin America, and I can totally see how a missionary could question, wrestle with, even leave the faith.
Being a disciple of Christ is hard, but, at least for more, I thought once I hit the field God and I would be uber tight. I just knew he would bless me up and down for choosing Him above all else. Truth is, these last 3 years have been the hardest of my life.
I have found myself screaming at God sometimes. I mean he made me leave my family, my career, my country to live in the emerging world. He is the one that allowed them to steal every single thing I brought to the field. He was the one that has allowed my entire family to be pissed at me every holiday, birthday, or whenever they feel like thinking about me being away. He is the one that caused all this stress that has tested my marriage almost to the point of failure.
Following God, really following God, never gets easy, it gets harder. Jesus tried to warn us that it would absolutely suck, but once we realize that, once we can really turn to Him, you can grow so close to Him in the midst of all the shit around you.
Coincidentally I am currently in Japan for the summer doing mission work. It is a country that is less than 1% Christian. It hit me standing in a crowd of hundreds of people during rush hour one day that most likely every single one of them is going to hell. Most because they have simply never heard the gospel.
I understand that there is a separation between God and man: sin. But things like that bring me to my knees and doubt my faith more than anything else. There’s nothing special about me that should allow me to be saved. how could God exist if there are so few who will go to heaven? I can’t even look at the people who have hurt me the most and wish them to hell.
I’m not saying it’s made me turn from God, if anything it inspires me more to reach them. But the existence of God at all is something I struggle with. And I say this knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m saved.
Matt, for many, many years this question has bothered me: Why did God create the human race if He knew that most of them would end up eternally damned in hell?
i wonder if others feel the same way i do about our father. i doubt the bible because of my friends and some of them say it couldnt be real. i guess its good for me to have to question it every now and then. i will never be able to rap my mind all the way about heven or the bible or how anything came to be. i wonder why he created me and if im going trough this crazy concept of life correctly.when i pray i always doubt if i wo it right or if he hears and listens to me. all i have to say is that oour hevanly fauther is amazing.
heaven* do* heavenly* father*
I queston many things, if the bible is wholy true then why is every translation differnt? & why do so many interprit it so differntly? what if God dosen’t like intersexed people? what if he’s discusted with me becuse not only am I intersexed but I also am simi pro abortion, a x satintist, & think animals out rank humens on the eveloutionery scale? am I evil becuse eventhough I really want him to be my “Daddy” now I am still very weary of trusting him. am I unredeemabile becuse out of ever religion, denomination, & 56 differn’t churchs I have yet to find a place that can tolerate me more then a couple of years? why can’t I go “home” & rest? & many many more! thanks carlos for admiting you have questions too & giving a out let for mine.
It is almost unfathomable to me that people who have never heard the name of Christ go to hell. It’s probably because I believe it’s my fault. I am charged with making sure they know. So for God to send people to hell because i never even gave them a chance at redemption bothers me. A lot.
I’m questioning a LOT right now about my faith. One of the bigger questions is : Why do so many people put so much weight in the Bible and practically no weight in the Holy Spirit? Jesus said that he would send us the Holy Spirit to help us and convict us. He never said He would send a book made up of 66 other books with tons of different translations and contradictions to do those things. We also are taught of a Trinity made up of Father, Son and Holy Spirit…. not a quadrinity made up of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and Bible. Why have so many people raised the Bible to equality with God? Why do so many people place more weight on an ancient book than on the living and active Holy Spirit that Jesus said He would send us? I just don’t understand…it makes no sense at all when you bring that book into the perspective of a living and active relationship with a living God. And just for the record – I do think the Bible is a great book and I do believe it is foundational to our faith. I do believe it is the story of those who have gone before us and I do believe it shows us a TON about the God we serve and what we can expect from Him….but why do so many people turn it into an idol and then preach that we should not have idols but fail to see that they are, indeed, idolaters in the most accepted form (there is no acceptable way to call out someone who a bibliolater in the church because the church itself has raised it to a place equal with God). Does that make sense? It doesn’t line up with what JESUS said… I just….don’t….get it…
I will try to address some of your questions as why the bible is important.
To start with:
* Jesus IS the Word incarnate:
John 1:1, 14 NIV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
*Secondly:
Do a word search on an online bible study sight for “my word”. You will see the emphasis God places on “His word” There’s even a scripture about how He (God) exalts His word, but I can’t remember where it is or enough of how its worded to find it with a concordance (sorry) If anyone else knows, please comment!
Thirdly, God tells us right up front His thoughts and ways are NOT our thoughts and ways, but that His Word accomplishes what He says it will.
Isaiah 55:8-10 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
*Next:
*The Bible IS the building material from which we build our Christian faith. You cannot come know God – His thoughts and ways – without His Word. If you do not read (no, STUDY) the Bible, you become weak and susceptable to deception.
Acts 17:11 NIV
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 NIV
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Its usually His Word that Holy Spirit uses to speak to us in matters.
1 John2:27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in him.
Think of it this way. Say you meet a new friend.
Do you instantly, supernaturally become intimately acquainted with them; knowing who they are, what they think, what they like or dislike, what they approve or disapprove of, how much they love you, or even how to love them back? Absolutely not.
The Holy Spirit USES the Word of God/Bible to speak TRUTH to us.
Romans 12:2 NIV
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
*Its normal to experience doubt, its natural (in our carnal mind) to question and want to understand, so its OK to ask God about stuff. However, we get off track when we entertain the “serpent” saying “Did God REALLY say?”
*All believers need to become students of the Bible, with the Holy Spirit as our Teacher. ALL believers are called to be a disciple (a learner under discipline)
*God doesn’t want us to be ignorant.
Heb 5:11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
I hope this helps.
Sorry, I’m tired and didn’t finish this earlier thought:
Think of it this way. Say you meet a new friend.
Do you instantly, supernaturally become intimately acquainted with them; knowing who they are, what they think, what they like or dislike, what they approve or disapprove of, how much they love you, or even how to love them back? Absolutely not.
How DO you get to know them? (God?)
You spend time with them (“alone” time)
You listen to what they have to say (Scripture)
You converse with them (talk & pray)
Your love for them grows, as does your desire to please them (live a righteous & holy life)
Zamar – I get all of that because that is what I was raised hearing in a church that puts the Bible as high as God. I’ve heard all of that, read all of that, understood all of that, and bought into that for a long time, but why don’t Christians claim to believe in four forms of God if the Bible is perfect, inerrant, infallible, and the literal word of God? I believe that most Christians make the Bible an idol when they should only worship God. The way our Bible was put together is questionable all in itself. Find another book of “authority” that says the Bible is the ONLY written word of God. Honestly, I believe that the Bible is from God, but I believe that with translation, it has been altered. I believe it is full of timeless truths (that I teach about all the time), but I do not believe that it is without error. Humans are involved in it which makes it flawed. There is no way around that….and I don’t believe that my God is flawed….
So let me ask….is there any other way to validate the “authority” of scripture other than quoting from it? I’m not trying to be disrespectful or facetious, but taking scripture to validate scripture is like taking Hitlers words to validate Hitler. You know what I mean?
Again, let me be clear….I believe in scripture and that it is from God and that it is a guide and that it is a basis of our faith. I teach scripture. However, the Bible is NOT God…but people use it and exalt it as if it is God….and that doesn’t make sense to me.
Oh…for those that think I was being disrespectful in the Hitler comment, I wasn’t trying to compare God or the Bible to Hitler. I was just using Hitler as the example of what I was saying. =) Didn’t want to confuse anyone on that. =)
look at it differently. we are just human beings, our perception is limited. for us, generally, there is no objective truth- everything is relative. but that also means that that itself is just subjective. but if god exists, he is an objective being, a truth. we ourselves are not capable to figure that out on our own. if the bible was given to us by him, it is completely the way he meant it to be, it contains objective truths, but still our perception of it is limited and subjective. so yes, people would read it differently, but that does not mean all those meanings are equal, because logically- if the scripture contains objectivity, then some must be right and others must be missing it.
i do agree with you in a way, because so many times people tried to use a verse for their own purposes, but that often happens when people first find their truth and then look for its validation in the bible, instead of searching through the scripture for the truth. bible is not a god, it’s just a tool given to us to be able to cross our limits of perception by faith.
I do question myself….I just posted a blog how I am confused and disheartened by the current state of the church and Christianity….
I’ve questioned things in the Bible my whole life. Like how could there be free will and predestination? Those are two completely conflicting ideas and no pastor, Sunday school teacher, or Religion teacher in 10 years of attending a Christian school has ever been able to explain to me. The other thing is that I don’t believe people who aren’t Christians are going to hell automatically. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” and to me, that means that Jesus has the final say, not churches or human beings. I actually got kicked out of a Christian school and two churches for voicing my opinion over this and have been labeled as a “blasphemer” because I refuse to go around condemning people to hell who don’t believe the same things I do. Also, I’m pro choice 100% because no one has any idea how hard that decision is to make until you are stuck in a situation that calls for it. It’s never made lightly either. I honestly dislike going to church because of all the judging that goes on once you are part of a congregation. I prefer watching church in my jammies eating a bowl of Cheerios on the couch. I question if these things make God unhappy with me.
I’m with you on a lot of that Autumn! I do think we need to be a part of the Body of Christ (church), though. It’s sad that the church has to be full of people, isn’t it? =) It’s very hard to be a part of sometimes, but I do think that it makes God happy when we are a part of the movement. =) I disagree with a lot that happens in the church and I struggle with a lot of the judgment and condemnation as well, but I only have a right to complain about it if I am a part of it. You know, It’s like the “you can’t call my mom fat, but I can” kinda thing. I am trying to cultivate change in the church and without people like you and me, those changes will never happen. BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE CHURCH and WORLD! =) Don’t back away….press in!
Lots of comments here… I struggle with understanding how someone who’s experienced the love of Christ can just up and walk away from Him (my neighbor).
I had a conversation with my neighbor the other day. He’s an ex-worship Pastor who’s now an agnostic much like your friend. He said that he’s so far away from the Christian life that it would be impossible for him to get back. It’s almost like God shut the switch off. Did he really forget what being in His presence was like… or maybe he never was, or..??? How does that happen?
Romans 1:28??? That scares the crap out of me!
After what God has done in my life I don’t think I could ever question His existence unless I were to forget about what He’s done…
Regardless of the mysteries that go unanswered, my experiences with Him solidify my faith.
I’ve had a puzzling experience like that too. I figure that in some cases, such as your neighbor’s, he may not be as far away from Christ as meets our eyes. More importantly, he may not be as far away from Christ as he thinks. Evidently there’s a war going on in him and it needs sorting out. One thing my pastor tells our congregation repeatedly is of God’s word about knowledge of Him, or the lack thereof (Hosea 4:6). The common diagnosis among many Christians is we don’t spend enough time with God’s word to fend off confusion and failure, so that when confusion and failure comes, whether by our own hands or otherwise, we can overcome. I’m speaking from experience as I was once like your neighbor. I’m not saying this is THE answer, just one common denominator among many causes for a predicament like the one you described. :/
Very interesting points to ponder! And I agree that if you aren’t questioning and seeking answers then you arent growing. Cheers!
Wow what a good point. I am like this all the time.
It is good to question things. That is how we get closer to God.
And denominations are just labels. My friend and I have been talking about this same thing for months now. What separates us is the “rules”. What’s most important is that we understand that God loves us and he died for our sins, and we have eternal life in Him if we accept this.
Thank you for writing this. I’m going to save this entry so i can share it with my friend.
I’ll read it again a month later and it’ll get me thinking again.
One of the tough questions I have been asked about Jesus and the Bible is: How are you to believe that the Bible (the word) is true? It was written so long after the actual events and there are so many versions.
I’m just gonna jump in the end here- Barbara, the Bible was written by eyewitnesses to the events and was written within the lifetimes of other eyewitnesses. Matthew was written in around 50 AD, so that’s only 16-17 years- not a long time at all. And do you mean versions or translations?
No one ends up in hell because there were opportunities missed to preach to them- they end up in hell because of their sin. It would be better to study God’s attributes and biblical anthropology than to continue reasoning outside of the Word.
Questioning is great- and the Bible contains all of the answers! You don’t want to be guilty of unbelief (like the Jews in the desert) simply because you don’t like the answers that God gives.
My faith was shaken a little over eleven years ago by Mormon missionaries while I was in college. It took me three years to understand my beliefs, the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and then those of other people. I lived, worked and went to church with them during those three years and almost became a Mormon. That journey so long ago drove me to something I had never heard of, which was Christian apologetics. In fact I stumbled upon websites and books of people like Lee Strobel, Ravi Zacharias, Josh McDowell, Normal Geisler and Matt Slick. What I learned exploded and expanded my knowledge and understanding of God and His word like nothing I’d ever experienced. I’d even go as far to say the real weapons of mass destruction is actually God’s word because it cuts, tears down, pierces and burns away the garbage with which this world system clouds our minds. Sadly there was great truth made very clear by that experience: I was astonished by what I didn’t know!
The reason I was shaken so badly was because I didn’t know the fundamental doctrines of Christianity to have even attempted to convince myself of my own faith and salvation–let alone know what salvation meant in regards to Christ and His purpose for his death and resurrection.
Today, do I question my faith? Daily! I am constantly made aware of Christ’s words and actions, therefore I question my actions a lot too. But somehow I think this natural assessing of my faith is healthy. I think it’s a byproduct of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within each Christian. If one isn’t moved or bothered to question one’s behavior in relation to Christ–the standard–I think something is very amiss!
So suffice it to say, yes Carlos, I believe that it is okay to question one’s faith, even at the risk of getting lost for a time along the way because I think God can handle it. Otherwise I think a person is truly lost if they’re not searching for answers at all, as we’re in an age and realm with a ticking clock that is technically counting down to a regime change of eternal and supernatural proportions. However, this leads me to say that while I don’t mean to come across as smug when I said, “God can handle it”. By that I mean that helping of the lost is done through the corporate work (witnessing) by believers as the Body of Christ. If the Church does nothing, people will be lost. Redemption was step one, but we were given authority as co-heirs through Christ. Therefore what we do or don’t do has eternal ramifications for everyone!
When we learn of someone who is lost or is getting lost there is work to be done to share the message, and I think you demonstrated that based on what you said in your blog post.
As an aside, I enjoy reading your blog and you have a beautiful family. When and if I get married, I want to have children of my own of course, but I have felt drawn toward adoption too. But listen at me, I don’t even have a girlfriend. LOL!
David
@Barbara I’d like to point you in the direction of a book I read, and probably should re-read for myself called “The Case for Faith: A journalist investigates the toughest objections to Christianty.” by Lee Strobel. It’s a compelling and easy read. If I recall correctly I shot through it in three days on a full-time college student schedule. lol
David