Not quite a Christian yet...

[sabre7]

Hi everyone. My name is Simon and find myself at the crossroads in my life.

Now, I don't consider myslef a Christian yet because though I was baptised once, and through my own choice, nothing in my life up until recently has reflected that commitment.

I am in a really unpleasant situation where I absolutely believe that the Lord is my only way to eternal salvation and absolute happiness, but I have not lived my life with such a belief and as a result little in my life reflects my newfound Christian values and beliefs.

None of my friends are Christian and few of them would be accepting or supportive of my 'seeing the light.' I can not bring myself to tell them of my new found beliefs because I am too afraid of what they will think of me (I even had to minimise this message as my flatmate came to see me). Selfish, i know, but these friends are everything I have known for so long that to suddenly alienate myself from them is going to be hard. Not that I am not going to do it.

I am leaving my home in Australia for a career in Japan next year and I am looking to find a Christian community in which I can find new friends and family. In fact, while it began as a move for a career, I find that the only thing I care about is establishing a proper relationship with God and that has become my reason for moving.

I have always alienated myself from my friends and I recently have concluded that the reason why is, despite my decent in to Sin over the years, God was guiding me away from them because they were not my people, or their actions did not reflect the people that I should be and be with. And although I was exceptionally reluctant and blind, I am grateful that I now see my failings. Recently I have had a great desire to attempt to convert them and bring them with me on to God's Path, but these people are stubborn and strong willed and their values are far from Christian.

Admittedly, I'm pretty certain that I will be telling them I have been born again via email, with no faces to look down on me, though I know that God is the only path in life and I should not heed their disapproval, for what does it matter if I gain God's favour, yet once again I am foolish. I want to sever contact and start again, leaving all the old ways and temptations behind.

I will not consider myself a Christian until I am once again baptised and commited to the Lord, though I am peice by piece cutting out the bad things in my life, albeit slowly. I know this is stupid and that I should go out right now and do, for if I was to die now I know that I would not be going anywhere nice for the rest of eternity.

This leads me to a question; Has anyone else been in such a situation? Have they succeeded where I am failing?

Finally, only in the last day have I had the vision to come online, a place I spend so much time, to find the support of the Christian family. I thank God for that and I thank you for hearing my rant. God Bless.

 

[Faithful Son]

Hi sabre7, welcome to TalkJesus

I have been in your situation for the past year and a half of my life. I commit sin, I am not proud of it, I am not perfect, I fall, I stand up. If my brother walks into the room, I minimize TJ aswell. I do not sin like I used to, but I commit enough sin to know it's wrong and is not expected of me.

Have I failed or succeeded? Am I fooling myself or trying to fool God?

Neither

I am a Christian, I believe in Jesus and profess that I am a Chrisitan, there is a time and place for everything. You don't have to stand on a rooftop and proclaim to the world that you are a Christian, that's not how it works. You don't have to tell your friends or even your family, but you have to try and live it. Profess it when you feel it's the correct time, via email, via a postcard, just the way you want to. There's nothing wrong with it.

I'm 22 this year. I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe He is alive, I believe He will come for me one day, I believe in the Bible and the Trinity.

I am a Chrisitian. I don't have to list my sins, they could be small to you or big to me, it doesn't matter. The fact remains that you are a son of God sabre7. Like you said he is taking you away from those friends.

God has given me an unheard fear, fear for Him, fear of evil, fear of the wrong and unjust. I fear commiting sin, and when I do, I feel ashamed, I pray to Him to remove my shame, to make me blameless, to keep me and shape me and form me.

Don't worry about what you are doing, or the way you're doing it, except the sin. I would rather reflect being a Christian, so that people can hear it in my voice, see it in my eys, that's also a means of profession. Showing them that through your lifestyle you are a Chrisitian. Don't fall for the tempations. Don't be lured into the lust, the lust for that pleasure, whatever it may be.

Stay strong. Ask your God to help you and lead you. Ask Him what you really want to ask Him, most importantly, love Him. He loves you more than you could ever know. He wants the best for you.

I'll pray for you sabre7, I'll pray that you cease your sinning, that you stop the wrong things, and strive to live like Jesus.

Please return the favor and pray for the same for me.

I love you.
God bless
teraside

 

[stephen]

I am leaving my home in Australia for a career in Japan next year and I am looking to find a Christian community in which I can find new friends and family. In fact, while it began as a move for a career, I find that the only thing I care about is establishing a proper relationship with God and that has become my reason for moving.

I am optimistic reading this para. Simon you are aware that you need to make the break. The first step is to accept Jesus as your Saviour. If you do this, and pray to Him every day, He will lead you. Who can tell..........

God Bless You

 

[Fellowservant]

Hi Welcome to Talk Jesus...stay in prayer brother and remain faithfull to God, he will give you the power to confess his name among men:star: The love and faith he can give will cast out all fear.

God bless

 

[sabre7]

Thank you Terraside. I will pray for you and me both, so that we might make it together.

Thank you stephen. I will continue to pray for the strength Jesus gives me.

Thank you Fellowservant. I believe that God will remove my fears.

Thank you all for your responces, they fill me with hope and joy!

 

[I_love_Jesus]

Theres nothing better than having a christian family because than everyone is your brother and sister and we all love eachother.

 

[Chad]

Welcome to the forum brother Simon. I've been in your situation and I think just about every believer is in a similiar situation eventually.

GOD too pruned bad friends from my life and I see that very clearly, bless Him for blessing me too. He guided me away from the ones that hurt me, used me and were in a sinful life, but I chose Jesus and that is why GOD led me out of that crowd.

Please also understand that if you believe and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are saved and born again. You are a Christian. You cannot expect to wait on your timing and satisfaction to start calling yourself a believer/Christian. You preach by GOD's grace for we are all sinners believers or non-believers. But we believers are just that, believers and we chose Jesus. Therefore, we are Christians.

God bless you

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Re: Not Yet A Christian

Simon, welcome to Talk Jesus. I agree with Chad; if you were sincerely seeking a relationship with the Lord Jesus when you got baptized, you are a Christian in the eyes of God.

Some years ago, I heard a teaching on the subject "Fishers of Men" that has been a bulwark in my Christian faith. It goes something like this: God is the Master Fisherman. When a believer asks Jesus to come into his life as Lord and Savior, he is, in effect, responding to a longing that God has put into his heart; taking the bait thrown out by the Master Fisherman, if you will.

Like all fish, when we take the bait, instead of submitting to the Fisherman right away, the things of this world set in and we take off in the opposite direction. And, with the bait still in our mouth, we run and run and run back in the direction from whence we came.

However, like all wise fishermen, our Master Fisherman is patient. He allows us to run and run and run............until we get tired and we let the line go slack. Knowing the the time has come, he pulls back on his rod, sets the hook in our mouth, and begins to reel us in toward Himself.

For we fish, being reeled in is rough going. We get tangled in the seaweed of temptation, we are threatened by the other fish who want to attack us, we are dragged over the rocks of guilt, and we get hit by the flotsam and jetsam of confusion and fear of change.

But our Master Fisherman is too skillful and crafty. The line he is using (His Word) is unbreakable and the hook is firmly set in our jaw. We are His and "no man can snatch them (us) out of my (his) hand." (John 10:28c).


SLE

 

[beccasmom]

Welcome Simon...I can not say more than what these dear ppl did but I do want to let you know that I am glad to have you here and I will be praying for you. Have a blessed day in the Lord!

 

[johnpaul]

It sounds to me that you ARE a Christian albeit new. Let His love and Spirit take control of your life. You'll be more sure then.

 

[sabre7]

Good News Everybody

I'd like to thank God for giving me the strength to tell my athiest friends that I have found Jesus.

Well, two out of six friends that matter.

Thanks to everyone here for your support.

 

[Faithful Son]

That's wonderful news Simon, I am so happy, I've been praying for you my friend.

Have faith always.

love
teraside