By Bonnie Cox
I have been a Christian since I was 8 yrs old. I grew up in a family of believers. Both of my parents attended church and took me and my two sisters every time the church doors were open. There was no staying home unless someone was sick. Some would say that we were brain washed as children and that is why I and my sisters believed as we do but as a 60 yr old female, I can tell you from experiences through my life that this is not so.
There have been many that have called me names and have said very ugly things to me because of my belief. I believe they do that because they just don't understand how someone can believe in something that he/she has never actually seen but has read about and been taught about. Many unbelievers seem to do well in life without many crisis in their lives while those of us who do believe seem to have one crisis after another. People say why to that statement and if God is so good and a God of love why do bad things happen to Christians and non-Christians alike. What I say to that is that God gave His all when He sent His Son, Jesus to die for a world that would not accept Him as the Son of God. I have had a child to die. I did not give up my child willingly but God did. So when someone questions me about all the bad things I can tell them what Christ did for me and even though I am very unworthy, I know that God is there to give me strength, comfort and joy to go on even amist all the crisis. What do people do when they don't know God? How do they deal with the lose of a child or terminal illnesses? What do people do when bad things happen to good people and yet they don't know God? I believe that there are good people but yet they don't know Christ as their Savior. Then there are people who are good people but yet they never seem to have any troubles - Why? I have to say that this is hard to understand whether a person is a Christian or not as to why some people have all troubles and other people do not. It is not for us to reason why but just to trust. We trust so many things in life but when it comes to God, people turn away not realizing that if He can create this world then surely He will see to it that it is taken care of.
It is my belief that when one believes in Christ then he/she is indeed assured a place in Heaven. Not all people believe in once saved always saved but in John 3:16, the Bible tells us that "For God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only Begotten Son that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life." It says that all we need to do is believe. I come from a protestant background and our belief is that we should confess our sins, and pray for Christ to some and live within us. I believe that when we have a TRUE belief in Christ then our sins are forgiven and Christ does live with in us. Some people will say they have a belief in Christ but then live in whatever way they want to. In my opinion that person does not have a true belief in Christ. When we love God with all of our hearts, we don't want to go out and just do whatever and say well it doesn't matter what I do because I believe in Christ so I'll go to Heaven anyway. When a person truly believes, that is not the way the mind or heart thinks. God cannot be in the presence of evil nor does he put up with it or condone it but He will forgive it.
Sometimes Christians don't act like Christians should act. What people who are unbelievers do not understand is that being a Christian does not make us perfect. Why do we do things that are not Christ like? Because we are just as human as the next person. Knowing Christ should help us to do better about many things but sometimes even we forget how almighty our God is and we loose it just like anyone else. Does that make it alright? No it doesn't and for that I am sad to say that we all to often do things that are unbecoming a Christian. Sometimes we even do things like comment adultery instead of trying to get help in our marriages we will turn to someone else. There are times we covet what someone else has, sometimes we let out tongues wag like a dogs' tail. But when we truly understand what we have done, all we need to do is humble ourselves before God and ask forgiveness and He is always there with open arms. Sometimes we have to suffer great consequences more so than other people because we are a child of God. But there is always forgiveness if we just ask.
When an individual sets out to predominantly do harm to someone else and that individual realizes the wrong that he/she has done and that person turns to Gods' word and reads and see that there is forgiveness no matter what that person has done then that person is going to what do look up and do what God wants that person do to. In turning to Gods' word there is learning how to do the right things in life and yes any sin no matter how great can be forgiven. All one has to do is ask. It's free, and it's a very simple thing to do. God loves us all and there is no greater love.
The Holy Bible , Personal experience , Studying God's word , Teachings from pastors and other spiritual leaders
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