Hi Sara:
Sara >> Hey guys! I just joined the board recently, but have been reading the forums for a while now. I will admit there are alot of interesting topics and I am encouraged by these. I hope that I can get some assistance with issues I have been struggling with.I used to be a member of a church until i was about 6 or 7. My parents decided to stop going. Ever since, my faith has been wavering. I've never known what to believe and what not to believe. I used to think, which religion is the correct religion.
First of all, true Christianity is a ‘relationship’ between God and the believer through His Only Begotten Son (our Lord Jesus Christ = The Word) by the power of the Holy Spirit in our mortal bodies (1Corinthians 3:16, 6:19). The only true ‘religion’ given by God is Judaism for Israel of the flesh through Moses and the OT Prophets contained in the Old Testament. The term ‘religion’ is derived from the Latin word “religios” meaning “to bind back,” as Judaism contains many ‘works’ through which Israel binds themselves back to God by the keeping the Levitical Ordinances of Mosaic Law. However, those of us “IN Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6) are under grace and NOT under law (Romans 6:14), as we are commanded to walk by faith and not by sight (2Cor. 5:7) of mere shadows (Col. 2:16+17) with eyes focused on Christ at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1-3).
Sara >> For a past few months now, I have been attending my boyfriends' brethren gospel meetings. My parents aren't religious anymore and hate the idea of me going to these meetings or becoming a Christian. My sister is an antichrist and doesn't like or talk to Christians. She doesn't believe that the Bible is the truth and she believes that Christ never existed.
God calls His children to Himself through our Gospel (2Thessalonians 2:13-14) and in time perhaps He will call your parents and your sister through ‘your’ evangelist efforts.
Sara >> But ever since I started going to these meetings, I have become more and more religious. I honestly and truly believe Jesus died for our sins, and rose on the third day.
In that case, then you were called to God through our Gospel by responding to the ‘message of truth’ (Ephesians 1:13-14) from a ‘preacher’ (Romans 10:14) where you received the ‘faith of Jesus’ (Romans 3:26) by hearing with faith (Romans 10:17). That means you have been ‘sealed IN Him’ (Christ = Eph. 1:13) for the ‘day of redemption’ (Eph. 4:30) where your life is hidden with Christ “IN God” (Colossians 3:3).
Sara >> I have also been contemplating getting "saved" and baptised, and following the life our Lord wants us to live.
If you have heard and believed our Gospel, then you are ‘saved’ by God’s grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8+9) right this moment and have already experienced the “one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5) where you were “baptized into Christ” (Galatians 3:27) to become an active participant in His death, burial and resurrection. Adding a ‘water baptism’ to the Holy Spirit’s “one baptism” is a WORK that makes VOID (1Cor. 1:17) the power of the cross to save anyone! You are confusing the doctrinal precepts for the “Gospel of the Kingdom” (Matthew 4:23, 9:35, etc.) with the components of Paul’s “Word of the Cross” (1Corinthians 1:18) gospel message for today, when in truth water baptism has NOTHING whatsoever to do with your hearing and believing the Gospel. If you will read through all the ‘ones’ in Ephesians 4:4-6 again, then you will realize ‘all’ of them are unseen and very much SPIRITUAL; which includes the ‘one baptism’ into Christ having NOTHING to do with water at all. In short, Sara appears to be a person already saved, even though she does not realize that today. :0)
Sara >> But how do I do this without hurting the feelings of my parents or without having my whole family turn against me?
Even the Apostle Paul persecuted the Kingdom “Bride” (John 3:29) saved by the Gospel of the Kingdom, before he was called to God at his conversion in Acts 9:15. Surely you realize that Christ was spat upon and beaten, before He began the march with His destiny at Calvary. You are a member of “Christ’s Body” (1Corinthians 12:27) and we must suffer the same kind of persecution He suffered by the hands of men hiding the truth in their unrighteousness. Read from the Pauline Epistles every day and take careful note of the persecution he endured that typifies our own:
“Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.” 2Corinthains 11:23-28.
If you have answered God’s higher calling to a take a heavenly seat “IN Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7) from where you will sit in a position of authority and judge the world and the angels (1Corinthains 6:2-3), then expect the ‘god of this world’ (2Cor. 4:3+4) to subject you to the same kinds of trials and tribulations endured by our Lord Jesus Christ and His “chosen instrument of Mine” (Acts 9:15), as being a “Christian” means to be “Christ-like” in His glory AND the persecution from the ‘sons of disobedience’ (Eph. 2:2) serving their angel of light (2Cor. 11:14). Did you ever see “The Matrix” [ sorry, I cannot yet post links :0) ] where Morpheus gave Neo the option of taking the red or blue pill? Well, you have already taken the red pill by believing our Gospel and God is showing you how deep the rabbit hole goes. :0) Your next decision is whether to please God or the sons of men (Galatians 1:10), because the member of the ‘Body of Christ’ (Eph. 4:12 = that’s you) cannot possibly do both at the very same time . . .
Sara >> I had also thought about praying and asking God for forgiveness. But I wouldn't even know where to start. Any advice is good advice!
Praying to God for forgiveness? About what? :0) Sara is the member of her family answering God’s heavenly call to become a ‘new creature’ (2Corinthians 5:16-17) part of a 'new creation' (Galatians 6:15) that can very well include being persecuting every step of the way. A smarter avenue would be to pray for the salvation of your family members, so at least you all can share in the same trials and tribulations as members of Christ’s body. Become a good example in their presence and show yourself as a beacon of Light, so they will seek out the heavenly things above where Christ is at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1-3). A daughter with her nose in the Pauline Epistles is much better than one doing drugs and coming home late at night causing all kinds of problems for her parents. That might be a good point to make the next time dad and mom have problems with your Bible Study and your decision to serve God rather than earthly lusts common to many young people being destroyed in our once great nation. May The Almighty continually bless you through His Living Word, by the power of the Holy Spirit,In Christ Jesus,Terral