My Agnostic friend asks: "Does anyone believe in God before they 'need' him?"

[St. SteVen]

Interesting question. How would you answer?

I'll tell you how I responded when we get to page two of this topic.

If I can wait until then. - LOL

 

[marks]

Interesting question. How would you answer?

I'll tell you how I responded when we get to page two of this topic.

If I can wait until then. - LOL

Yes, I did. I didn't have any "felt needs" concerning God, I was perfectly happy without Him. Just the same, when I was confronted with the truth, it didn't matter what I did or didn't feel.

Much love!

 

[Michiah-Imla]

Before I was saved I never really thought much about God.

But I never denied that there was a God.

 

[St. SteVen]

Yes, I did. I didn't have any "felt needs" concerning God, I was perfectly happy without Him. Just the same, when I was confronted with the truth, it didn't matter what I did or didn't feel.

Much love!

Thanks for weighing in on this topic.
What were the circumstances, if you don't mind sharing.

 

[St. SteVen]

Before I was saved I never really thought much about God.

But I never denied that there was a God.

Thanks for your reply.
What were the circumstances, if you don't mind sharing.

 

[Michiah-Imla]

Thanks for your reply.
What were the circumstances, if you don't mind sharing.

Circumstances?

That lead me to faith in God?

 

[St. SteVen]

Circumstances?

That lead me to faith in God?

Yes.
How old were you?
Were you raised in the church?
Or, who introduced you to God, or the gospel?

 

[Michiah-Imla]

How old were you?

34

Were you raised in the church?

No.

who introduced you to God, or the gospel?

I had seen Bible movies here and there, attended church here and there, but my life was comfortable and there was no need to really get serious about being a church person.

What introduced me to God and the gospel was reading a Holy Bible I purchased during a very bad time in my life. I felt that was the last thing to try since nothing else I experienced in life provided peace (even attending churches or listening to radio/TV preachers).

 

[St. SteVen]

I had seen Bible movies here and there, attended church here and there, but my life was comfortable and there was no need to really get serious about being a church person.

What introduced me to God and the gospel was reading a Holy Bible I purchased during a very bad time in my life. I felt that was the last thing to try since nothing else I experienced in life provided peace (even attending churches or listening to radio/TV preachers).

Very good, thanks.
Let me see if I understand you.

You already believed in God before the "very bad time" in your life. (the need)
That "need" in your life led you to read the Bible.
Reading the Bible led you to a decision to have a personal relationship with God/Jesus
and become involved/committed to the church.

Is that fair to say?

 

[Pearl]

My Agnostic friend asks: "Does anyone believe in God before they 'need' him?"​

Iv'e always believed in God but I haven't always been a Christian.

 

[Michiah-Imla]

committed to the church.

Except the church part.

Too many are too corrupted.

 

[St. SteVen]

Iv'e always believed in God but I haven't always been a Christian.

Tell us more, thanks.
Why have you always believed in God?
When did you become a Christian, and why? Thanks.

 

[St. SteVen]

Except the church part.

Too many are too corrupted.

Do you not attend church now?
If not, why? Too corrupted? (as you say)

By not attending, is a person a part of the solution, or part of the problem?

 

[mailmandan]

My Agnostic friend asks: "Does anyone believe in God before they 'need' him?"​

Iv'e always believed in God but I haven't always been a Christian.

As far back as I can remember, I always believed in God as well, but have not always been a Christian. Growing up in the RCC, I was what you would call, "religious, but not right with God." We need to believe in God before we can realize we need Him.

In regards to salvation: Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

 

[Pearl]

Tell us more, thanks.
Why have you always believed in God?
When did you become a Christian, and why? Thanks.

I met with Jesus in 1977 after I was given a copy of 'Journey Into Life' by the vicar of my local church. Up till then I'd always considered myself to be a Christian as I believed in God and knew about Jesus; I had gone to Sunday school and church and been confirmed.


How wrong could I have been. That little booklet and the message it contained changed my life and I'm still being changed by the love and grace of God all these years later. Being a Christian isn’t about religion; with me it's relationship all the way; Father-daughter; lover-beloved; teacher-disciple.

You can still get the booklet on Amazon.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

I too believed in God before I knew I needed him. I think it is easy for us to think we do not need God here. We can be comfortable. It is when the “what next” or eternal question comes in that I pray we all understand how much we need God

 

[marks]

Thanks for weighing in on this topic.
What were the circumstances, if you don't mind sharing.

I was 19 years old, and I had spent the previous couple of years exploring various writings, including mystics and psychics and spirit channelers, I read the Vedas and the Gita, I read the Book of the Hopi, I read everything I could lay my hands on that sounded like it may show me the nature of reality.

I was becoming very "new age", getting into Wicca, and things were happening in my life. Astral communication and materialization of things, I was getting it figured out, and I was god. We were all god.

I landed at my brother's place for a visit, and he had become a Christian. I was surprised, but my sister was already a Christian, so, OK. And next thing you know, she came to see me, and invited me to be baptized with her in a couple of weeks. Naturally I said no.

Then my brother went to work, and I started looking at his bookcase. I read "What the World is Coming To" and "The Late Great Planet Earth", and I realized that there was something about the Bible that wasn't true of any other book I'd seen.

I hadn't been reading the Bible, I'd already dismissed it based on my childhood experiences.

I'd read lots of prophecy. I read Nostradamus and Cayce, the Hopi prophecies, like I said, whatever I could get my hands on. But I could see the world situation, and I could see that this had been described in detail 1000's of years ago. I saw prophecies that had been fulfilled historically, and I knew this was nothing like anything I'd ever seen.

There was no doubt in my mind that the Bible came from outside this space/time continuum. And that meant that I'd be a fool to not pay attention to the rest of what it said. But what it said - I remembered this from 3 year old Sunday School - was that Jesus is Lord, and I'd better start obeying Him!

That's when the trouble started. I was my own god, and that was just fine with me, but now there is this True God, Who demands I lay it all down. Well, it was a tumultuous 2 weeks, but I was baptized with my sister, and now I serve Jesus.

Much love!

 

[St. SteVen]

Perhaps we should deconstruct the question to address the built-in presumptions about God.

My Agnostic friend asks: "Does anyone believe in God before they 'need' him?"​

I just went back to find the email with the exact quote of the offered question. Here it is below.

"Ok, Q for you for the forum.

Do you have to have a “need” to believe in God before you “can” believe in him?"

 

[dev553344]

Interesting question. How would you answer?

I'll tell you how I responded when we get to page two of this topic.

If I can wait until then. - LOL

I was baptized into the church and had the Holy Spirit communion so I knew Jesus existed and was kind to me.

 

[St. SteVen]

I was baptized into the church and had the Holy Spirit communion so I knew Jesus existed and was kind to me.

Thanks for your post.
Can you explain what it means to be "baptized into the church" and have the "Holy Spirit communion"?