After lots of thinking and blogging and a little bit of talking about sitting on the fence and following God, I have concluded that I am off the fence, and not following God. If I can't be totally devoted/committed to him, I cannot in good faith call myself a Christian. Revelations says be either hot or cold, not luke warm. I have chosen cold. For quite a while I have been walking on the fence, not willing to commit to either side. By my choice, this is where I have decided to be. I guess when I think about it, I am in the same position as when I was luke warm. At least now, we all know where I stand. Honestly, I can pretend to be a Christian behind my mask, but what the heck for. All in or all out. I am tired of living up to what people expect me to be rather than who I am. This is me. This is where I choose to be at this time.
Mike
8 comments:
Aren't most of us Christians like that ?? I know I am .....
When things are going our way and life is wonderful, we forget the basics of reading the Word, praying and thanking God for the good He is doing in our lives.....
But when things are bad, we are quick to ask God "Why ??" and then we remember the basics and we pray non stop, we read the bible to find answers and we pray some more.
Maybe if we all got "off the fence" and stopped being "luke warm Christians", we wouldn't have to face half the problems we do ??
During a really bad time, I was told God never sends you more trials than He knows you can handle ....very true and something we should all remember !!!
Yeah there are some Christians like that. I guess for me I need to be all in or all out. I have been on the fence too long. Christianity is not like the buffet restaurant where you can pick the things that you like (desserts) and leave the things youdon't like (veggies, salads, liver). It is not a good place to be, but it is where I am.
Thanks for the comment.
wow, i'm very impressed with your honesty and your fortitude.... to do this takes guts....... i hope you find the answer you are seeking... i am not saying which side you have taken is right or wrong...only you can do that...i'm saying good on you for jumping off that wall....if only we could all take the plunge !!!
Thanks for your comments as well. Does not make it any easier being off the fence...I guess it just lets other know where I am....and probably where I knew I was a while ago.
It is interesting that you base your decision on a book you no longer follow. The great John calvin struggled with free will and God's soveriegnty. He believed God is soveriegn and we only come to Christ because God wills it. That is great comfort for wondering if we measure up to people or God. Yet the struggle Calvin had was what responsibility do we then have if Christ,s work completely saves. Why do anything? Yet the book you have chosen to abide by and reject its claims and theology calls us to action. Here in is the tension. Is Christianity about doing or believing. Is it about recieving or giving?
Thanks for the comments.
Yes I can understand that we would only come to know God because it is in God's will, and also that he first sought us. I do believe that Christianity is not only about believing and receiving but it is just as much about doing and giving. One cannot (in my opinion) receive through believing, the gift of salvation without in turn doing and giving. Belief requires action (hence giving and doing). One cannot sit idle and call themself a Christian. Too many people (myself included - at least before my decision not to follow) sit at home, while life goes by. The chrstian life is much more than going to church, or saying prayer/devotions. If you are not acting on the faith that you have, you are no better off than where I am. My decision to not follow is a choice I have made at this time. Do I still believe there is a God. Sure, but even demons believe as much. Christ said you cannot serve two masters, therefore I need to step away because that is exactly what I was doing. I realise the place I am at is not a good place to be, but it is where I have chosen to be for reasons I am not ready to get into yet on here.
I read reed recently that understanding is all about presuppositions. What is at the core of our heart or belief system shapes how we interpret all that goes on around us. Two people coming to opposite conclusions even though they may have the same facts. The mind is an interesting pit of deceipt and missunderstandings. Is there objective truth? Is there an anchor that holds in the storms of ideas and pain? Is life a sharade or a dance to music we can not hear? If there is a God why do some struggle and others cruise? I believe the book of Proverbs and Ecclessiastes say similar things.
Most of your questions raise more questions. Obviously I don't have answers for them. Why, at times, can we go along in our "christian walk" and seemingly things go so well, then at some point decide, nope, this is not for me. Do I really believe what I spent years studying about? I am not sure. Would I rather just enjoy the temporal things in this life? For a time, yes.
"Everything is permissible for me", but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me", but I will not be mastered by anything.
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