Why Christianity?

[followerofjesus]

Being the only faith which the son of man performed miracles, rose from the dead after 3 days which was foretold,healed the sick w/ a touch, made the blind see... The only faith where God himself communicated to mankind. The covenant was always kept & never once was a promise made unkept.

[Ovedya]

Thanks for the responses so far, but I feel that I should define my question a little more. Why did Christianity make more sense than other religions? Did someone talk to you about it, did you read about it, did you know and decide to look into it more? Was there a particular event or moment which convinced you that you'd made the right decision? Thanks in advance

Yes.

[redeemed098]

Thanks for the responses so far, but I feel that I should define my question a little more. Why did Christianity make more sense than other religions? Did someone talk to you about it, did you read about it, did you know and decide to look into it more? Was there a particular event or moment which convinced you that you'd made the right decision? Thanks in advance

secondeve,

Yes, there was a moment which somehow managed to convince me....I had a dream one night and in that dream (I will spare you the details for the sake of Losing your interest.) somehow I woke with the impression deep inside of me, somewhere that couldnt be reached or touched by another person or any religion, that I didnt know God. More than that, that I NEEDED to. I was very emotional about what all of this meant, so I phoned my mother. She advised me to go to her Old church and speak to the pastor about my concerns. He suggested to me that God was trying to get my attention and that I should seek him. He introduced me to a course called the "Alpha Course". It is series of lessons where you can learn about Christianity.

While I was doing this course, I decided to say a prayer committing my life to Christ. I didnt receive any great revelation, I simply went home and carried on with my life as usual. Things however began to change in me. I didnt like being around people with coarse joking or swearing.. There was a deep conviction in me to give up smoking..( I had been smoking for 18 years.) There was something very real happening in my life that I could not explain. I had asked Jesus to come into my life and show me how to live a life that is right in the sight of God. I now knew that HE had honoured that request. It was HIM in ME that was bringing the conviction to change lifestyle, but even more than that, it was HIM who was bringing about the change. I can only ever change my circumstances, but I can never change my heart. Everything God was doing in my life was exactly according to what is written in his Word. He had taken out my heart of stone and given me a heart of flesh. He had given me HIMSELF... His spirit, the very essence of who God IS dwells IN you to bring about the change that you cannot bring about yourself. God changes even our thought lives.

"Search me O God, know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23,24)

Rather than search and judge your OWN heart secondeve, ask God to do it. You will be surprised what he reveals. Yet if you are to spend eternity with HIM, you must allow him to make you Holy..."For without Holiness, NO ONE will see the Lord." You cannot make yourSELF Holy secondeve. Trying to MAKE onesSELF Holy is called Religion. An effort on your own part to do what you are not able to do. You must let God reformat the hard drive and begin the Installation of the RIGHT operating system for the platform, so to speak. Until you allow God to reformat the hard drive secondeve, you will always be running the wrong operating system.

"No longer conform to the ways of this world but be transformed by the renewing of the mind. That you may be able to test what is Gods will, his good pleasing and perfect will."

Regards,

Ben.

Edited July 24, 2006 by redeemed098

[3in1]

that is a great question that im not sure anyone can fully answer. i say 'fully' meaning you wont fully understand nor will anyone be able to fully explain. many have tried but failed at completely relating God to another. i believe there are somethings one just knows. similar to how it would be near impossible for me to type why i love my wife and you fully understand, but i know i do as does my wife know that i do! words sometimes get in the way ya know?

[Leonard]

You know that cartoon character 'Tweety-Bird' and how Sylvester the cat is always trying to eat him? In some of the cartoons, Tweety has this gigantic bull-dog who protects him. And you've probably seen some where Sylvester manages through some ruse to K.O. the dog, so Tweety is desperately tring to wake him up, to no avail, but suddenly at the last second, he pulls down on the dog's eyelids and they 'roll up' with a flap and a flutter, like those old window blinds?

Well that's JUST HOW SALVATION CAME TO ME.

I had actually been going to this Pentecostal church for almost two years, for two reasons: 1. The people put on such a good show! They would hoot and holler, and jump and dance, and 'speak in tongues' and SHOUT 'PRAISE GOD' RIGHT IN CHURCH! And they were funny to watch for a fun loving 14 year old! 2. The old fellow at the pulpit, was the single most engaging and charismatic speaker I've ever heard to this day!

Then one day, just sitting there in the Sunday PM service, it was literally just like I had been unconscious all that time, and my EYELIDS ROLLED UP--just like that silly cartoon bull-dog--and I SAW! Intellectually I was stunned: "THAT'S ALL THIS GUY HAS BEEN SAYING FOR TWO YEARS!??! And I never comprehended it until now!!!!???"

I understand EXACTLY what the Apostle Paul was saying when he speaks of those who '...the god of this world... has blinded the eyes of their understanding...' I mean that is precisely what happened to me.

[sylvan3]

You know that cartoon character 'Tweety-Bird' and how Sylvester the cat is always trying to eat him? In some of the cartoons, Tweety has this gigantic bull-dog who protects him. And you've probably seen some where Sylvester manages through some ruse to K.O. the dog, so Tweety is desperately tring to wake him up, to no avail, but suddenly at the last second, he pulls down on the dog's eyelids and they 'roll up' with a flap and a flutter, like those old window blinds?

Well that's JUST HOW SALVATION CAME TO ME.

I had actually been going to this Pentecostal church for almost two years, for two reasons: 1. The people put on such a good show! They would hoot and holler, and jump and dance, and 'speak in tongues' and SHOUT 'PRAISE GOD' RIGHT IN CHURCH! And they were funny to watch for a fun loving 14 year old! 2. The old fellow at the pulpit, was the single most engaging and charismatic speaker I've ever heard to this day!

Then one day, just sitting there in the Sunday PM service, it was literally just like I had been unconscious all that time, and my EYELIDS ROLLED UP--just like that silly cartoon bull-dog--and I SAW! Intellectually I was stunned: "THAT'S ALL THIS GUY HAS BEEN SAYING FOR TWO YEARS!??! And I never comprehended it until now!!!!???"

I understand EXACTLY what the Apostle Paul was saying when he speaks of those who '...the god of this world... has blinded the eyes of their understanding...' I mean that is precisely what happened to me.

What happens if someone has the same sort of revelation, but for the opposite meaning?. In other words, let's say something that they believed to be true for the longest time gave them the epiphany that it wasn't true.

[vox]

This is just a question that's been raised in some other threads, so I thought I'd ask it directly.

Many people have said that the ordered, patterned nature of the world and the fabulous things in it are evidence enough that there is a God out there; other people have had strange or lucky experiences which have helped lead them to Christ. Still more have found that embracing a set moral code and finding a compassionate fellowship to help with their troubles has made all the difference in their lives. To my mind, though, while these are all powerful and valid conclusions and/or experiences which could point to the existence of a creator, they don't in and of themselves specify the Christian God. So my question is: what brought people here to Christianity, out of all the religions they might have embraced instead?

secondeve,

There is ever only one person whose sole purpose to come into this world is to die for us, and his death is the most beautiful death that ever took place and in accordance to the holy scriptures.

That person is Jesus Christ our Lord, the God incarnate.

He willing die for us sinners so that you and I can be saved. His love for us is unconditional, and I believe in Him, in God the Father, and the Son - Jesus the God incarnate and the Holy Spirit.

[peaches]

Thanks for the responses so far, but I feel that I should define my question a little more. Why did Christianity make more sense than other religions? Did someone talk to you about it, did you read about it, did you know and decide to look into it more? Was there a particular event or moment which convinced you that you'd made the right decision? Thanks in advance

i think for me it is almost the other way round compared to most people. i knew about Christ from the time i could remember. i vaguely remember going to church from the time i was probably 4yrs old. it wasnt until my cousins (whom we lived with at the time) started to become 'serious' about God. i was 14 at the time and they would do things that were unconventional in my house like read their bible at home for the sake of wanting to actually learn from it (and not to get points at sunday school). that struck me (and my sister). in no time we started doing bible studies together and, to make the long story short, i have been doing that since then. and its like, the more i learn about Christ, the more i realise that He is the real deal. very rarely (can only remember one time that i did so seriously) did i ever doubt the genuiness of God. but again, as i researched more, i found that He is true. as true as His word says He is. so yea...i started from small amount of God that just happened to be there when i was born and now i find myself at a point where my life would make absolutely no sense at all if God wasnt a part of my life.

Just to add to the question. What makes the spiritual experience in Christianity different from other religions?

i dont know the spiritual experiences of other religions so i cant answer this. but what i have had with Christ is more than spiritual experiences. its more like finding meaning. and more importantly finding peace. there is something about knowing that eventually, everything is gonna be ok, that God (the author of this world!) has your back.cos there are also those added bonuses that make Him sooooo obvious like this event i went to a little over a week ago.

that is a great question that im not sure anyone can fully answer. i say 'fully' meaning you wont fully understand nor will anyone be able to fully explain. many have tried but failed at completely relating God to another. i believe there are somethings one just knows. similar to how it would be near impossible for me to type why i love my wife and you fully understand, but i know i do as does my wife know that i do! words sometimes get in the way ya know?

[deist]

I haven't read the other replies, but here's my answer:

Like many Christians, I was taught this belief, almost brainwashed with it you might say and accepted it fully as a child. As an inquisitive adult, however, I often find my questioning leads me away from the belief.

So what is it then that draws me back?

Ever so often, I encounter those calling themselves Christian that just seem to "shine" with everything I see that Christ embodied. Although so often I just have to wade through so many Christians that are arrogant, sometimes hostile even, because they have mistaken the great commission as instruction to them to "beat" Christianity into other non-believers.

More recently, I have seen Christ through an army of volunteers. I live in the Katrina zone. Much of the region looks like it did the day after the storm. I know many that wouldn't have survived had they depended on the government to help them. They have survived because of the many ordinary people that have come to help. And you know what? I've never seen groups of Hindus, Buddists, Muslims, scientologists, atheists, etc. volunteering their time here for the cause. The common bond I've witnessed among the thousands of volunteers is that they all have a belief in Christ.

[Jorge S]

Thanks for the responses so far, but I feel that I should define my question a little more. Why did Christianity make more sense than other religions? Did someone talk to you about it, did you read about it, did you know and decide to look into it more? Was there a particular event or moment which convinced you that you'd made the right decision? Thanks in advance

Hi, Secondeve,

Every person has a unique conversion story and that to me was a positive sign. Christ suits everybody, everywere, anytime. It doesn't matter whether you are illiterate or a scientist, rich or poor, man or woman, powerful or powerless, we are humbled by Him and live through Him. His theology was simple and He supported it with the life He lived and the death He accepted. He owned nothing on earth, He spoke with clarity and authority, He performed miracles, He endured torments He did not deserve. But He rose form the dead and gave us the kind of hope that only God could give. In exchange for His physical Pressence He sent us the Holy Sprit to abide with all who believe in Him.

All of that understanding came later. I was raised as an atheist with the philosophic backbone of dialectic materialism. Only the here and now mattered. There was no other life after this one and both the natural and social dynamics of history were easily explainable by the tenets of evolution. God was man's self-invented excuse for his intrinsic weakness, fear and ignorance. Religion was like opium for people's minds. Life inequalities were the result of people's greed, particular that of the brutal imperialist capitalism. Mankind could do better if we'd just choose to share and distribute wealth, knowledge and technology. We were to create a better mankind through education, science and social justice. Political willingness was the only requirement to effect that change.

Everything seemed clear and rational until... real life woke me up! A string of events inside and around me brought my previous worldview to a point of critical questionning. It wasn't believable anymore because it did not suffice to explain many basic questions coming to my mind in an avalanche. I even discovered there was indeed a spiritual world I was not aware of. I started searching, asking, reading, witnessing. I had read the Bible before for cultural and critical purposes. Now I read it again. I could understand the need for God but the necessity for Jesus escaped my understanding. Why did it have to be through Him only? A close friend became a Christian and started to talk to me about God and Jesus. I wrestled and rebelled and coiled within rationalistic and humanistic arguments. The more questions I tried to answer outside the Bible the more unanswered questions returned. It was madness. You see, I was searching for 'the truth' and not just any but the 'ultimate truth.' I was a man of faith without a central object for it, therefore I wanted to rationalize whatever I was supposed to commit to.

The exhaustion of wandering in vain through philosophy, occultism, history of religions, etc. for 8 years brought me down on my knees. I prayed God, whoever He was, to give me a clear path by which He wanted me to worship and serve Him. I couldn't find Him on my own so I asked Him to reveal Himself to me. As a sign that He heard my prayer and would answer I asked for three signs. Three weeks after that I got my first answer. A Christian sister was praying for another person and suddenly the Spirit of the Lord took me. Wow! THAT was something. And not only that, I spent about a week under the influence of the Spirit. It was a constant praising, a profound happiness, a perfect peace, a sudden realization of who I was and what was my mission in life, no more confussion or doubt, only the certainty that from that moment on my quest was over, I could even die right then with a sense of accomplishment. I was adopted into God's Family and nothing else mattered.

I devoured the Bible in few days, it made sense now like never before. I was talking to God in my spirit all the time. A number of miraculous events occurred in response to my prayers (particularly in the area of illness healing) and the physical sensation I experienced the first time recurred everytime I was involved in prayers with Christians or alone.

I received confirmation after confirmation. One of the most striking occurred when I visited a friend who is an 'advanced' medium. She wanted me to become a medium also and has practised spiritism for most of her life. She often 'prophecised' things to me which really occurred as predicted. I wanted to share with her my newly discovered faith and, eventually, lead her to receive Christ. Upon my arguing with her about Jesus and quoting the Bible, she felt something 'great and powerful' around me which prevented her from connecting with her guiding spirits. I was truly amazed!

My remaining initial petitions to God were answered in the span of 4 months. The rest is history. Praise the Lord! I continued studying the Bible, some Christian literature came my way (particularly the apologetic books written by Josh McDowell), I accepted Jesus as My Lord and Saviour, and was baptized into the Body of Christ 3 years after my conversion.

Becoming a Christian has been the best decision I have ever made. Nothing in my life compares to that. And I feel the urge to minister to atheists like you because I was there. The purpose of this long testimony is to simply tell you: If I could... you CAN! You will not regret it.

Blessings.