Why get up in the Morning?

[InChrist]

How does Faith in God work out to any kind of meaning?

I've never denied Christ and nor do I have any intent to, but really what does it mean?

For a Christian faith in God works out in this life by denying yourself and following Christ. You may say you do not deny Christ, but if you have not denied yourself you are denying Him. You are putting yourself first. Did Jesus have an easy, happy life while on earth? Is your life more difficult than the one He endured? The answer is no to both these questions, yet you seem to think you deserve better than the Son of God. This is a fallen world and Jesus immersed Himself in it to be a light and give hope to those lost in it. Christians are called to let the light and hope of Christ shine through their lives for others to see. Are you? As one who claims the name of Christ you are called to be an ambassador for Christ. Although this life holds many blessings, we are not here for our own bliss and comfort. We have eternity for that state.

From our conversation I've gathered you are an Evangelical, but doesn't it bother you how divided the body of Christ is? Even Evangelicals admit certain groups who say they are Christians don't follow Christ, which then is "good enough", am I good enough? What certainty or assurance do I have in Christ? Would it not have been better God simply to have never made me, that way I would experience eternal bliss with no risk(Ecc 4:3)

I am saddened and bothered by all the division, but i am not surprised by it. For one thing, I don't see all division as bad because some differences just reflect the unique differences and perspectives of people and where they are in their walk with the Lord. I have friends and always have since becoming a Christian from various denominations and backgrounds, but we all have Christ and the foundational truths of His word in common. Secondly, the scriptures clearly point out that divisions have been a part of the church since the beginning and will increase as the end of the age draws near. The main thing is to keep you eyes on Christ, not people.

You do not have to be good enough to have assurance. Your assurance is that Christ is good enough and He is your Savior, if you have trusted in Him and given Him your life.

As Milton put in the mouth of Adam, in Paradise Lost


If the only meaning of life is to worship and glorify Christ, then clearly it would be better if I was dead, then I would have all eternity to do so without the burdens of life

[/quote]


I would read the scriptures for truth over Milton. God has a purpose for each person on this earth and going through difficulties is a part of the refining process to conform us into Christ-likeness.

 

[lunamoth]

But how do we know we are not simply being naive

Thinking that that matters is just your pride getting the better of you.

 

[ForeverFaithful]

For a Christian faith in God works out in this life by denying yourself and following Christ. You may say you do not deny Christ, but if you have not denied yourself you are denying Him. You are putting yourself first. Did Jesus have an easy, happy life while on earth? Is your life more difficult than the one He endured? The answer is no to both these questions, yet you seem to think you deserve better than the Son of God. This is a fallen world and Jesus immersed Himself in it to be a light and give hope to those lost in it. Christians are called to let the light and hope of Christ shine through their lives for others to see. Are you? As one who claims the name of Christ you are called to be an ambassador for Christ. Although this life holds many blessings, we are not here for our own bliss and comfort. We have eternity for that state.

Jesus and the Apostles had lives of purpose, when one asked for a sign they received a sign, what is the meaning of life? It's not like from the moment I was "born again" I suddenly had so many things to do, I have just as much downtime as before, all of it wasted. I don't care for bliss or comfort I care only for purpose. It's great that we can say "Deny yourself and follow Christ" but if none of us can agree on what that means what's the point of saying it? I'm sure if you asked around your congregation on issues like alcohol, swearing or tobacco you'd get several responses. What does it mean to "Deny yourself"?

I am saddened and bothered by all the division, but i am not surprised by it. For one thing, I don't see all division as bad because some differences just reflect the unique differences and perspectives of people and where they are in their walk with the Lord. I have friends and always have since becoming a Christian from various denominations and backgrounds, but we all have Christ and the foundational truths of His word in common. Secondly, the scriptures clearly point out that divisions have been a part of the church since the beginning and will increase as the end of the age draws near. The main thing is to keep you eyes on Christ, not people.

You do not have to be good enough to have assurance. Your assurance is that Christ is good enough and He is your Savior, if you have trusted in Him and given Him your life.

What does it mean to trust in Jesus, not everyone who calls Lord Lord is saved (Matt 7:21) Do I need the right Christology to be saved? What if I'm an Arian or a modalist?
Does simply asserting that Christ will save me mean he will? Of the divisions in the church how can we turn a blind eye to them, you realize according to various churches you and I aren't even Christians, we've been denounced as heretics by Constantinople, Rome, Moscow, and Alexandria, does that not bother you? Are heretics still under grace? Where is assurance found?

I would read the scriptures for truth over Milton. God has a purpose for each person on this earth and going through difficulties is a part of the refining process to conform us into Christ-likeness.

Do you believe in purgatory? Do aborted fetuses never get a chance at getting to heaven? What purpose could God possibly have for me, or the south-east Asian farmer who doesn't even know his name? Where in the Bible does it say what the meaning of life is, because I must have missed it.

 

[LegionOnomaMoi]

Seriously. How can you not see the beauty in the world?

"How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely."
Act I Scene II

"...this goodly frame, the
earth, seems to me a sterile promontory, this most
excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave
o'erhanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted
with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to
me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."
Act II Scene II
-Hamlet

 

[Kathryn]

You could try taking your focus off yourself. Maybe spend time volunteering or helping others who are less fortunate than you. Ask the Lord to show you neighbors who could use some help... maybe a widow or kids without a dad.

Right on.

"Ask not what the world can give you. Ask instead, what you can give the world."

 

[ForeverFaithful]

Right on.

"Ask not what the world can give you. Ask instead, what you can give the world."

For what purpose?

 

[Kathryn]

For what purpose?

To the glory of God. To be a conduit of His grace on this earth. Because we are to be obedient to God in this life.

 

[ForeverFaithful]

To the glory of God. To be a conduit of His grace on this earth. Because we are to be obedient to God in this life.

So why then did God create people who will never hear the gospel?

To add to that, what makes me so certain I'm under grace

 

[InChrist]

So why then did God create people who will never hear the gospel?

To add to that, what makes me so certain I'm under grace

God desires that none should perish, but that all repent and come to eternal life. God is faithful and He will make sure anyone who is truly seeking Him hears the gospel and finds Him. That is not your worry.

If you are so unsure of your relationship with the Lord or that you are under grace maybe now is the time to repent and give your life wholly to Him.

 

[Kathryn]

So why then did God create people who will never hear the gospel?

To add to that, what makes me so certain I'm under grace

I don't know why God created people who will never hear the Gospel. I am not in charge of determining whether or not they will go to heaven or hell - that's between them and God.

As for whether or not you are under God's grace, the same thing applies - I don't know and it's not my place to judge. That's between you and God.

He tells us, "Be still and know that I am God." Quiet your heart before the Lord and know that He is in charge - He is omnipotent and all powerful and completely holy and we most certainly are not.

 

[LegionOnomaMoi]

1) Decide to see the world as a fundamentally awful place and be a miserable cynic all the time because of this belief.
2) Decide to see the world as a fundamentally beautiful place and be happy or content all the time because of this belief.

[sarcasm]Oh, such a difficult choice![/sarcasm]

I'm reminded of Puddleglum:
"Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world."

 

[ForeverFaithful]

God desires that none should perish, but that all repent and come to eternal life. God is faithful and He will make sure anyone who is truly seeking Him hears the gospel and finds Him. That is not your worry.

If you are so unsure of your relationship with the Lord or that you are under grace maybe now is the time to repent and give your life wholly to Him.

But that doesn't happen! I can't naively believe that all who seek find truth, People die and they never hear about Jesus, Why did God bother to make them? It is more blessed for anyone to die as an infant then to live

I used to pray to God for knowledge (James 1:5) but I got nothing, my prayers were not answered and still haven't been, so I simply stopped praying, now God has one less field to disappoint me in. I stopped Bible study too because I felt the OT was all about this righteousness that was unrealistic and the NT was too naive. God would not keep his promises when it came to prayer so what promise do I have as far as heaven?

What salvation did I ever have to begin with, the soul that sineth dies, to dust shall you return, I find a lot of comfort their, but of course I have to strive for an immpossible goal of getting in heaven, This is why I WISH and If I had just one wish this would be it, that I was never born.

 

[Kathryn]

God is not a vending machine. His timing is not dictated by our desires. But I have not experienced what you have. When I ask God for wisdom, He eventually leads me to it.

"Thy Kingdom come, THY will be done."

 

[The Sum of Awe]

There is no meaning to, I just want to